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Manual Handling 6.2

Definition

Manual Handling

Manual handling means lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving loads using bodily force.

Manual and repetitive physical activities take place in almost all the workplaces, they are
performed on day to day activities, however these repetitive physical activities possess a risk of
injuries.

It doesn’t require the worker has to manual handling activity, even without carrying loads the
worker may get injured through using his body force as this can result in WRULD – Work Related
Upper Limb Disorder. For example, twisting the body in a conveyor to pick finished products
then arranging it into the box for dispatch.
Back injuries

Back injuries may occur as a result of repeated lifting, or as the result of a single lift. Stoop lifting
can increase stress on the back by up to six times.

Intervertebral Disc Damage

Discs rarely get damaged by a single action, but usually through cumulative abuse. Research
shows that repeated stresses caused by twisting and stooping actions can cause microscopic
tears in the fibres of the disc wall, which may lead to a weakness and eventually the
development of a bulging of the disc. This distortion is commonly termed a ‘slipped disc’.
Damage to a disc or to the spine can lead to sciatica.

Hernias

Heavy lifting can lead to a hernia, whereby a tear in a wall of muscle can lead to part of the
intestines protrude from the rupture, similar to an inner tube protruding through a hole in an
old tyre. The condition can be extremely painful and will eventually require surgery to repair the
tear in the cavity wall.

Work-Related Upper Limb Disorders
(WRULDs)

WRULD affect the soft connecting tissues,
muscles and nerves of the hand, wrist, arm and
shoulder. The hazard is created by prolonged
repetition, often in a forceful and awkward
manner.

ENSIGN | Unit IG2 – Element 6 – Musculoskeletal 7
Health