Page 58 - Staff Handbook 2024

Manual Handling
Manual tasks cover any activity that
requires a person to use their body
(musculoskeletal system) to perform
work. It includes manual handling,
performing repetitive actions,
adopting awkward and sustained
postures, and being exposed to
vibration while working.
Manual tasks can result in both acute
injury (immediate or sudden from
a specific incident) or chronic injury
(develops over time).
Employees in home-based care
are most at risk from transfers
and handling of clients (who may
potentially be resistive to care); working
in awkward and sustained postures (for
example in a confined bathroom while
assisting a customer with showering);
and handling heavy loads (for example
loading/unloading wheelchairs,
shopping or other equipment from
vehicles, carrying washing baskets,
moving vacuum cleaners).
However, the above duties are only
a few of the manual tasks that may
cause injury. Any job that involves
high­ -force use of awkward or
sustained postures or repetitive
movements may result in injuries.
58 To prevent manual handling injuries,
you must:
•
Always use correct manual handling
techniques and adopt minimal lift
position for all manual handling
activities
•
Always check the customer’s care
plan and review the manual handling
risk assessment prior to undertaking
manual handling tasks
•
Always use equipment provided
including hoists, slide boards, trolleys
and ensure equipment is always be
used correctly to prevent manual
handling injuries.
•
•
•
•
When using equipment for manual
handling, you must:
Always ensure you have received
appropriate training before using any
equipment for the first time
Always ensure that the equipment
is in good working order and report
any problems or defects immediately
Always ensure that clothing, scarves,
sling straps, oxygen tubing, feed
tubes etc. cannot become tangled or
hooked over frameworks, arm rests
or wheels
Ensure that any faulty equipment
is reported to the Coordinator
immediately.
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