Manual handling

This section places obligations on all managers.

"Manual handling" means using your body to exert force to handle, support or restrain any object, and includes not only lifting and carrying but also repetitive tasks. A manual handling task that has the potential to cause injury is a "hazardous manual handling task". Further information is provided by WorkSafe and the Manual handling section of the OHS website.

• Precautions for staff to take
• What a manager must do
• All staff

Precautions for staff to take

Help to protect yourself from injury by (discuss with your manager as necessary):

• if you do more than two hours of keyboard work a day, taking a 10 minute break from such work after each hour
• if you do keyboard work for more than one hour a day, making sure you have ergonomic furniture
• if you use a laptop computer, obtaining and using a separate keyboard and mouse
• not routinely lifting from a standing position things which weigh more than 10 kilograms unless a manual handling assessment of the task has been carried out
• not routinely lifting from a sitting position things which weigh more than 2 kilograms unless a manual handling assessment of the task has been carried out.

What a manager must do

A manager must:

• identify any hazardous manual handling tasks by using either the WorkSafe Manual Handling Risk Assessment (344 KB) for general manual handling or the Computer Workstation Risk Assessment (154 KB) for computer based work.
• using the checklist, assess the risks associated with any task identified
• eliminate the task if reasonably possible (e.g. automate the task)
• otherwise change something to reduce the risk (e.g. substitute a lighter load, divide the load, two people to do the task instead of one, provide a trolley)
• consult with staff about risk management (refer to consultation section of this manual)
• when considering acquisition of plant, evaluate any manual handling risks first and take them into account in the acquisition decision.

All staff

Remember to report an injury as soon as possible. For details refer to Injuries and incidents – reporting and following up.

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