Injuries manual handling risk assessments

Manual handling is kept to a minimum. Where there is a risk of injury manual handling assessments are carried out. 

In other words, if the risk of injury is very small compared to the cost, time and effort required to reduce the risk, then no action is necessary. It is important to note that money, time and trouble must grossly outweigh not balance the risk. This duty requires judgement on the part of the employer (or his adviser) and clearly needs a risk assessment to be undertaken with conclusions noted. Continual monitoring is also required to ensure that risks do not increase. There are numerous examples of this level of duty, including the Manual Handling Operations Regulations and The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. 

Has the risk of manual handling injuries been assessed ... 

Any breach of the Regulations may provide grounds for a claim following injury, including failure to make an assessment where one was required that is, for all manual handling operations, where there is a possible risk of injury and it is not reasonably practicable to avoid moving the load or to automate or mechanise the operation. 

The Regulations establish a clear hierarchy of measures to obviate the risk of injury when performing manual handling tasks. To summarise, manual handling operations which present a risk must be avoided so far as is reasonably practicable if these tasks cannot be avoided, then each task must be assessed and as a result of that assessment, the risk of injury must be reduced for each particular task identified so far as is reasonably practicable. 

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