Part 14 of the newly updated OHS Code targets lifting and manual handling. Manual handling refers to any work where a worker manually lifts, lowers, pushes, pulls, carries, handles or transports a load. It particularly refers to a heavy or awkward load, including equipment, goods, supplies, persons (as in the healthcare industry) or even animals.
For those of you in the healthcare industry, Section 209 is new and refers specifically to this field (keep our blog bookmarked for further explanation next week). Sections 208, 209, 210 and 211 refer to the requirement of the hazard assessment and implementing controls if any risks are found in the job tasks. In these sections, the employer must:
- Asses manual handling tasks and implement reasonable measures to eliminate or reduce the risk.
- Provide equipment for manual handling and ensure workers use the equipment; OR
- Adapt loads where equipment cannot be provided.
- Train workers regarding manual handling and musculoskeletal injuries
- Address workers and their tasks when indicating signs and symptoms of a Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI).
The new requirements now dictate that a hazard assessment must be completed prior to workers undertaking manual handling tasks. The explanation guide offers a resource as a guideline for what the hazard assessment should contain. EWI Works has had extensive experience developing customized hazard assessment checklists as well for our clients.
The hazard assessment must also meet the general requirements for hazard assessments as required by Part 2 of the Code. It must consider the weight, size, and shape of the load as well as the number of times and manner in which the load will be moved.
However, there are important points to consider about “heavy” and “awkward” loads and MSIs. It should be pointed out that MSIs can and do occur when handling lighter loads if they are being handled frequently enough or in an awkward position. The hazard assessment should not only take into account loads that are heavy, large or awkward, but also the frequent, repetitive and lighter tasks. Interestingly though, when overuse or repetitive motion injuries are described in the explanation guide, it refers to computer use and workers who use their hands extensively in food processing, materials handling and the professional trades. Therefore, although the code might imply that MSIs are an acute type of injury, organizations are also commonly faced with MSIs that are a result of long term, cumulative exposure to frequent/repetitive activities.
Regardless, if a worker identifies what they believe to be work-related symptoms of an MSI, the employer must promptly:
1. review the worker’s activities and of other workers doing similar tasks to identify possible work-related causes of the symptoms, if any; and
2. take corrective measures to avoid further injuries if the causes of the symptoms are work-related.
One of the main requirements of these “corrective measures” is training workers to reduce the risk of developing an MSI. Watch for the next EWI blog to discuss this requirement in more detail and the several options your organization has to implement a training program for your workers.