Wellbeing: Heavy loads

Feature - Issue 32

Although lifting and carrying heavy items is part and parcel of a career in the plumbing and heating industry, it’s important that engineers don’t accept injuries as an inevitable part of the job. By following basic controls, engineers can minimise the risks that manual handling poses.

Risks

Supporting loads, often in awkward positions, undertaking highly repetitive tasks, moving heavy materials or carrying loads over uneven ground or within buildings can put excessive strain on the body. This can damage muscles and tendons, resulting in strains and sprains, but can lead to longer-term musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

A MSD refers to any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper and lower limbs or the back. Workers in the construction and building trades have the highest estimated prevalence of back injuries and upper limb disorders, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with handling the most commonly reported cause of injuries that last more than seven days. Symptoms include pain, aching, discomfort, numbness, tingling and swelling, which can impact the ability to work.

Regulations

According to the HSE, in 2023/24, 543,000 workers suffered from work-related MSDs and 17% of non-fatal workplace injuries were due to handling, lifting or carrying.

Although Manual Handling Operations Regulations (1992 – amended 2002) guidance is mainly aimed at employers, managers and safety representatives, it is also a useful tool for self-employed members of the plumbing and heating industry. It explains how to avoid, assess and reduce the risk of injury from manual handling by using the Assess, Control and Review model.

Identify and assess

Whether working on a construction site or in a residential building, there will be materials that need moving from one place to another, so it’s important to consider the following:

What do you or your employee have to lift and carry? Does it require lowering, pushing or pulling loads? Are there any known existing problems, such as a back injury?
Estimate or assess likely risks from the tasks, paying attention to tasks that involve holding loads away from the body, twisting, stooping, working overhead or reaching upwards, large vertical movements, long carrying distances, strenuous pushing or pulling or repetitive handling.
Consider the load: is it heavy or bulky, difficult to grasp, unstable or likely to move unpredictably, harmful (e.g. sharp or hot), or too large to see over?
Certain situations can increase the strain on the body or the risk of falling with the load. For example, restriction on posture; bumpy, obstructed or slippery floors; variations in floor levels and stairs; hot/cold/humid conditions; poor lighting conditions or restricted movement from clothes / personal protective equipment (PPE).

Control

Where the risks of harm are low, simple and inexpensive controls will suffice, such as ensuring a clear floor when moving large objects. However, priority should be given to the task that poses the greatest risks. Where possible, eliminate or reduce lifting and carrying risks; for example, ensure two people are on hand for bulky items such as water tanks or heat pumps.

Manual lifting and carrying aids, such as pallet trucks, sack barrows, trolleys, lifting devices and grips to help better grasp loads reduce the risk of injury by applying your body forces more efficiently.

It’s important to allow adequate room for the work. Reduce the need to bend, twist, stoop or stretch and, where possible, store heavier loads at waist height.

Correct handling techniques are a valuable addition to the controls above and should be tailored to the tasks that engineers are likely to carry out.

Review

It’s important to ensure that controls are effective and properly used and that any equipment is properly maintained.