Moving and Handling

Techniques

1) What is Moving and Handling?

Any transporting or supporting of a load by hand or bodily force. This

includes:

• Lifting and Lowering

• Holding and Carrying
• Putting Down
• Pushing and Pulling
• Throwing

2) Why is it Important to Move and Handle Correctly?

• To minimise the risk of injury;

• In addition to victims themselves, injuries can affect family, friends and
work colleagues;
• Consequences for ESCC if not complying with Law, ie improvement
notices, prosecutions.

3) How Do I Access Training?

Training is available through whole school training and Health and

Safety Training and Development Brochure. For further details on
training in moving and handling of objects and loads and /or people,
please contact the Health and Safety Team on 01273 481143

4) Good Handling Technique for Lifting

• Stop and think. Plan the lift, where is the load going to be placed?
• Use appropriate handling aids if possible;
• Do you need help with the load?
• Remove obstructions such as discarded wrapping materials;
• For a long lift such as floor to shoulder height – consider resting the
load mid-way on a table or bench in order to change grip.

1
The following techniques should be consider as features of
good movement and should be integrated into safe lifting and
handling of loads.

Feet

Place the feet hip width apart. This provides a large base to balance the
body.

Put one foot, the lead foot, in front of the other and to the side of the load.
This provides a better balance and reduces the risk of stumbling. The body
should be as close to the load as possible.

Knees
Relax the knees and sink down until contact is made with the load. This
should be a relaxed, fluent movement with no attempts to keep the back
muscles tense and the spine unnaturally straight.

Hands

Tilt the Load Forward with the lead hand. The lead hand should be the
same as the lead foot. Tilting the load enables the person to gauge the
weight and stability of the load and to slip the other hand underneath the
load easily.

Grip the load with the palm of the hands and roots of the fingers. This
keeps the load under control and reduces tension in the forearms. One
hand should be underneath the load and the lead hand at the opposite
side of the load whenever possible.

Head

The upward movement begins by raising the head. This automatically

straightens the back.

Arms

Keep the arms close to the body and the elbows tucked in when carrying.
This reduces tension and fatigue in the arms and shoulders. The load
should be carried well down the body to reduce unnecessary muscular
work.

The Body

2
 A smooth progressive forwards movement should be incorporated when
lifting to give momentum to the load and reduce stress to the body.

The principles of safe lifting may require careful practice before they can
be automatically incorporated into an everyday routine but the rewards can
be significant. The body structures will maintain elasticity and the
progressive stiffening and loss of suppleness, which occurs with age, will
be reduced.

Risk Assessment
• It is a statutory requirement to avoid manual handling which could give
rise to the risk of injury, if at all possible.

Where this is unavoidable the employer must

• Make an assessment;
• Take appropriate measures to remove or reduce the risk of injury;
• Provide information on the load;
• Review risk assessments

3
HSE GUIDANCE WEIGHTS
There is no such thing as a “completely safe” manual handling operation, but
the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has issued the following guidelines on
levels of loads that are unlikely to pose hazards for most people:

NOTE: These weights are NOT what HSE say workers must lift, but loads
which are unlikely to cause the average person harm. These figures assume
that:
• the load can be gripped with both hands
• lifting is infrequent
• the person is in good health and of average strength and build
• there is no twisting
• the worker is in a stable body position
• working conditions are “reasonable”

4
Good Handling Technique for Pushing and Pulling

• Handling Devices. Aids such as barrows and trolleys should have

handle heights that are between the shoulder and waist. Devices
should be well maintained and comply with any relevant standards, e.g
British Standards, with wheels that run smoothly (the law requires that
equipment is maintained). When purchasing new trolleys etc, ensure
they are of good quality with large diameter wheels made of suitable
material and with castors, bearings etc which will last with minimum
maintenance.

• Lifting may be replaced by controlled pushing or pulling in certain

cases, such as sliding or rolling an object along. However uncontrolled
sliding or rolling, particularly of large or heavy loads, may introduce
additional risks thus increasing the risk of injury.

• For both pulling and pushing a secure footing is necessary and the
hands need to be applied to the load between waist and shoulder
height wherever possible.

Pulling
Wrong Right

5
Pushing
Wrong Right

6
Mechanical Handling
Mechanical assistance involves the use of handling aids – an element of
manual handling is retained but bodily forces are applied more efficiently,
reducing the risk of injury. There are many examples

A trolley, sack truck or roll conveyor can greatly reduce the effort required to
move a load horizontally.

Handling devices such as hand-held hooks or suction pads can simplify the
problem of handling a load that is difficult to grasp.

Remember you must be in control of the load and not the load in control
of you.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Where the wearing of personal protective equipment cannot be avoided, its

implications on moving and handling activities, e.g a uniform restricting
movement and gloves making gripping difficult, should be taken into
consideration. Restrictions on the handler’s movement caused by wearing
protective clothing need to be recognised in the design of the task and the
types of personal protective equipment provided must be suitable. The nature
of the load or the environment in which it is being lifted will both affect the type
of personal protective equipment necessary.

7
Clothing

All work clothing, such as uniforms, overalls, etc, should be close fitting but
restrict movement as little as possible. Fasteners, pockets and other features
should be concealed to avoid catching on loads.

Gloves

Gloves should be close fitting and supple with good ‘grip’ so as not to interfere
with manual dexterity.

Footwear

Footwear should provide adequate support, a stable, non-slip base and

proper protection.

December 2005.