Below you will find many links with some very helpful tools to ensure the safety of your staff and colleagues and the financial safety of your company against the compensation culture. Putting these small practice changes into place in your business will make the work place safer and reduce the risk of corporate injury through litigation. Simple risk assessments and reports to understand some of the risks involved will really help with your understanding of the Health and Safety minefield. Also there is legislative guidance to ensure that you are up to speed on current legal practise as well, and case studies for your particular industry.
Manual Handling Risk Assessments and Checklists
Use these documents and guides to ensure that you operate and maintain your manual handling equipment safely and efficiently.
Adopting these practices in your business will make the work place safer and reduce the risk of injury
Sack Trucks Safety Documents
Sack Truck Daily Check Sheet.pdf - Use this comprehensive checklist to ensure the safe operation of your sack trucks.
Sack Truck Risk Assessment.pdf - Free in depth Sack Truck risk assessment
Trolley and Platform Truck Safety Documents
Platform Truck Daily Check Sheet.pdf - Use this checklist to monitor the platform trucks
Trolley and Platform Truck Risk Assessment.pdf - Free in depth Platform Truck and Trolley risk assessment
Deadman Brake Trolley Maintenance Check Sheet.pdf - Maintenance check sheet for trolleys that utilise a Deadman Brake system.
Wheel and Castor Safety Documents
Wheel Safety Check Sheet.pdf - Free check sheet for wheel maintenance.
Free Wheel Risk Assessment.pdf
Safety Steps and Mobile Steps Safety Documents
Mobile and Safety Step Daily Maintenance Sheet.pdf- Free daily maintenance checklist for our range of Mobile and Safety Steps
HSE Manual Handling Guidance
The HSE is the essential resource for all manual handling guidance. They have an entire website dedicated to manual handling and performing risk assessments. We have linked to the most relevant documents below, but please call if you need specific advice for your application.
Managing Risks and Risk Assessment at Work
See below for specific industry advice.
Storage and Handling of Gas Cylinders [HSG139]
The guidance aims to increase awareness of the potential hazards involved and the precautions to be taken. It covers design, construction and provision of equipment; handling and storage of gas cylinders. See page 20
Guidance in the Safe Use of Roll Cages[RR009]
Data from local authority and National supermarket chains on the safe choice and use of roll cages.
Safe Use and Handling of Flammable Liquids[HSG140]
This guidance is for those responsible for the safe use and handling of flammable liquids in all general work activities, small-scale chemical processing and spraying processes. It explains the fire and explosion hazards associated with flammable liquids and will help you determine how to control the risks in your workplace
Making the Best Use of Lifting and Handling Aids? [INDG398]
Frequent and heavy lifting and handling can cause back injuries. But using lifting and handling aids can remove or reduce that risk and keep workers healthy and at work. This guidance is intended for managers, employees and their representatives and others involved in the selection of lifting and handling aids.
Manual Handling Assessment Charts (the MAC Tool) [INDG383]
The Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC) is a tool aimed at employers, health and safety managers and safety representatives and is used by health and safety inspectors. The tool will help you assess the most common risk factors in lifting (and lowering), carrying and team handling operation.
Control Measures for Lifting Tasks
Used in conjunction with the Manual Handling Assessment Charts (the MAC Tool) to eliminate manual handling risks.
Manual Handling at Work – A Brief Guide[INDG143]
As an employer, you must protect your workers from the risk of injury and ill health from hazardous manual handling tasks in the workplace. This leaflet will help you do that. It includes simple risk filters to help you identify which manual handling activities are hazardous.
Control Back Pain Risks from Whole Body Vibration [INDG242]
You should read this leaflet if you employ operators of off-road mobile machinery, agricultural vehicles or industrial trucks… This leaflet will help you manage the risk of back pain in your employees and will tell you what you need to do to comply with the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations
Preventing Slips and Trips at Work [INDG225]
Slips and trips are the most common cause of injury at work. On average, they cause 40 per cent of all reported major injuries and can also lead to other types of serious accidents, for example falls from height. Slips and trips are also the most reported injury to members of the public. This leaflet describes measures that employers may need to implement to help prevent slips and trips.
Manual Handling Assessment Checklists
A suitable and sufficient risk assessment is required when hazardous manual handling cannot be avoided. The assessment should identify where the risk of injury lies and identify appropriate ways to reduce that risk. A checklist can help with this process by helping you to systematically examine all the possible risk elements.
HSE Pushing and Pulling Guidance
Review of the Risks Associated with Pushing and Pulling Heavy Loads[RR228]
A detailed project identifying the risks associated with the pushing and pulling of heavy loads.
Doing a Push/Pull Risk Assessment
Follow this guidance to decide how detailed your pushing and pulling risk assessments need to be.
Risk assessment of Pushing and Pulling (RAPP) Tool[INDG478]
This tool will help you identify high-risk pushing and pulling operations and check the effectiveness of any risk-reduction measures.
Pushing and Pulling Risk Assessment
A worked example risk assessment for pushing and pulling.
Pushing and Pulling Check List
A worked example checklist for pushing and pulling .
HSE Industry Specific Guides
The HSE has a vast library of documents, guides and case studies relating to numerous industries. If your industry is not listed here, visit https://www.hse.gov.uk/guidance/industries.htm
Agriculture, Horticulture and Farms
Specific advice for organisations working within agriculture and horticulture.
The manual handling of baggage and cargo onto and off aircraft presents a risk of manual handling injury to the ground handlers involved in these tasks. Similar risks are also present where baggage can be manually handled, for example security check-points, passenger check-in desks etc
Beer Distribution [HSG196]
Reducing the risk of injuries while handling kegs, casks and barrels.
Food and Drink Distribution[HSG196]
Guidance for all employers in the food and drink industries whose work might be putting their employees’ muscles and joints at risk of damage. It shows simple and cost-effective ways of reducing both acute and chronic injuries
The guidance covers people working in commercial kitchens, hotels, restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, pubs and clubs and those working as contract caterers to other industries
There have been big improvements over recent years in reducing the number and rate of injuries to construction workers.
Food and Drink Distribution[HSG196]
Guidance for all employers in the food and drink industries whose work might be putting their employees’ muscles and joints at risk of damage. It shows simple and cost-effective ways of reducing both acute and chronic injuries
The food and drink manufacturing industry actually comprises over 30 different sectors. The largest of these is the bakery sector followed by meat processing, drinks industries, dairies, animal feed and fish processing.
Furniture Moving and Distribution
A thorough report into the risk factors involved in the furniture industry. This includes both warehouse and delivery environments, and the types of handling aids and devices that are currently on the market that may reduce the risk of injury to employees.
Preventing injuries from manual handling operations in the engineering industry.
Guidance to reduce 'musculoskeletal disorders' (MSDs) in the footwear and leather goods industry.
Handling Newspaper and Magazine Bundles [INDG470]
Manual handling (lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling etc) of bundles in the production, distribution and sale of newspapers, periodicals and magazines can cause strains or serious injuries which may build up over time. Everyone needs to be aware of the risks they may create for others up and down the distribution chain, and co-operate to help reduce the risk of injury.
Lifting and moving by hand is the main cause of reportable accidents in the ‘freight by road’ industry. Bad backs were the most common injury.
Manual Packing in the Brick Industry [HSL00-20]
Report discussing the risks and potential solutions for the sorting and packing of bricks.
The sector is made up of a range of diverse industries with an estimated 2.5m workers.
A useful risk assessment template for pubs, night clubs and hotels.
Plasterboard Handling [COH05]
Construction occupational health study involving simple ways to aid the moving of boards such as plaster board, ply boards and windows.
Dock workers carry out a number of activities which, if not properly managed, may lead to a variety of 'musculoskeletal disorders' (MSDs). These include back pain and muscle injuries, and are often the result of poor handling techniques or tasks involving repetitive movements and/or excessive force.
This guidance is aimed at manufacturers and workers in the textile industry, including warehouse and delivery staff. It highlights some common problems with manual handling and suggests possible solutions.
Waste Management and Recycling
A five-prong plan for driving down the number of people killed and seriously injured in the waste and recycling industry has been published.