Manual handling contributes directly to a significant percentage of work related accidents and injuries. Manual handling is an issue that must be addressed as an ongoing subject in the workplace and education and training is an important factor when managing risks especially manual handling risks.

This training program covers:
• Detailed description of manual handling
• The problems and how injuries are caused
• The types of injuries
• Steps to deal with manual handling & correct lifting techniques

DURATION: 12 Minutes

This training program comes with a Facilitators Guide and Questionnaire for your employees to complete and for you to keep on their records as confirmation of their manual handling training.

Please note – This training download is valid for 12 months from date of purchase and can only be accessed from the computer in which it is downloaded onto. We suggest downloading onto a laptop or the designated training computer and use of projector for classroom type delivery!

Once payment has been received the training download will be emailed to you with login details within 24 hours.

Price: $49.95

To purchase simply email me at joanne@safetyconcepts.com.au and I will organise immediately.

Understanding your back, the different types of back injuries and what generally causes them can help us to find better procedures to avoid back injuries during manual handling, when setting up workstations, etc.
 
Your back is supported by a spinal column. The spinal column is made up of vertebrae. Each of those vertebrae are supported by muscles, ligaments and tendons. And each of those vertebrae is cushioned by discs. The majority of back pain issues and injuries occur because one part of the body is weak or overworked and the back attempts to compensate. For example, the abdominal muscles may not be strong enough to carry sudden excessive weight around the waist, so the back must overcompensate to carry it, leading to back ache.

Let’s look at each part of the back in more detail.

Muscles

Muscular back pain is the most common form of back pain. It is most likely to occur when placing too much demand on those muscles – either by introducing a new activity that the muscles are not used to, or by increasing the workload (weight or time wise) over what the muscles are accustomed to. Injury can occur too when the muscles are cold. Just like a sprinting athlete would warm up the muscles of their legs and arms, work that emphasizes the back muscles should be proceeded by a warm up of those muscles.

Cramping or seizures of the back muscles are referred to as back spasms. 

Piriformis Syndrome is painful and is often caused by the bottom’s piriformis muscle pinching the sciatic nerve.

To avoid muscle pain and injury:

• Warm up thoroughly first
• Avoid repetitive tasks that put strain on the back (research if equipment can perform the job)
• Drink plenty of water as dehydration can lead to muscle spasms

If muscle ache occurs:

• Rest using good posture
• Apply gentle heat, eg. warm shower, heat pad, etc.
• Go for a short, relaxing walk

Ligaments

Ligaments are bands of fibrous material that connect bone to bone. They work as shock absorbers and prevent over movement/ over extention of the joints.

Injury through tearing a ligament can occur due to prolonged poor posture. The ligaments become overstretched due to the poor posture and then when sudden strain is placed on them, they can tear.

Damage to the ligaments of the back have been known to occur during taks such as digging or shovelling.

To avoid ligament injury:

• Practice good posture at all times
• Avoid tasks that put excessive strain on the back (research if equipment can perform the job)

Discs

Discs are like little gel cushions in between each vetebrae and the next. If you lean to one side the down-tilted side of each disc will be squashed and the up-tilted side of the disc will expand.

Pain and injury to the discs can occur when the spine is rotated, and by bending forward. More squashing of the disc would occur if you were to bend forward or rotate while lifing a heavy load.

To avoid disc injury:

• Practice good posture at all times
• Follow the correct lifting techniques – and never twist your body as you lift something. See The Art of Lifting

Tendons

Tendons are bands of fibrous material that connect muscle to bone. 

The most common injury relating to tendons is known as Tendonitis. This painful condition is from stress on a tendon whether it be through repeated motion, trauma to the body, or an imbalance in posture or motion.

To avoid tendon injuries:

• Allow time for the body to recover from any activity, new or old
• As with all other back issues, warm up before undertaking activity
• When starting a new activity, do it in small bouts – and increase the intensity or time ratio gradually – allow your body to adjust over time.

The big picture?

• Practice good posture at all times
• Be aware of your back and treat it with care
• Warm up before undertaking any activity that puts pressure on your back
• Rest and recover between activity
• Allow your body to adapt to new activities

I want you to consider for a moment: How much time do you spend sitting?

The truth is the majority of working roles force people to spend a huge amount of time sitting – and they never take into account that resulting discomfort plays a major role in fatigue, irritability, injury and lack of motivation. Sitting is a part of:

• the office setting – as a receptionist, bookkeeper, telemarketer, keyboard operator, IT specialist, manager or copy writer, etc.
• driving – delivery, company car, truck, taxi, bus, mining vehicles, heavy duty vehicles on construction sites, or farming equipment, etc.
• aviation services – as a pilot of a helicopter or plane.

Even commuting to and from the workplace can have you sitting for extended periods!

Meet Jill

Meet Jill. She is a keyboard operator for a credit company, working 5 days a week. Jill’s life in relation to sitting is as follows:

• Commute to work on a train = 1 hour of sitting
• Arrives in office to begin work at 9am and sits in a chair until 10.30am – with one stretch break as she gets a drink during period. = 1 and a half hours of sitting
• Morning tea is twenty minutes which consists of 15 minutes sitting in the tea room and then a toilet break = 15 mins sitting
• Re-commences work at 10.40am and works through until 12pm = 1hour, 20 mins of sitting
• Jill collects her lunch from the fridge and catches the lift downstairs to have lunch in the park near her building. She sits reading a book until 12.45pm then returns back to her workplace to go to the toilet, have a quick chat with the Receptionist, and grab a glass of water for the next work session =  40 mins sitting
• Jill works from 1pm to 3.15pm, her longest stint = 2hours, 15mins
• Afternoon tea is twenty minutes which consists of 15 minutes in the tea room and a toilet break and another coffee to get her through the afternoon = 15 mins sitting
• Re-commencing work at 3.35pm, Jill works until 5pm = 1hour, 25mins sitting.
• Jill walks to the train station, stands for 5mins on the platform (thank goodness!) waiting for her train, and then sits for the next hour home = 1hour.
• When she gets home she organises dinner and settles down to two hours of her favourite TV shows, feeling exhausted and a litte irritable due to the ache in her lower back. She relishes this time out after a full days work – the only draw back is she’s sitting again… = another 2 hours.

That’s a day of 11 hours and 40 minutes sitting.

Do you do something similar? It might be behind the wheel of a vehicle or in a ‘cabin’ operating heavy machinery. You might even spend longer sessions than Jill during long shifts in the one seated position, often resulting in an aching back, sore neck and numb bum.

Have you ever considered the amount of stress that is placed on your back and spine sitting for so long? Have you ever considered that the fatigue you experience by the end of the day (or even earlier) is due to your bum and therefore lumbar region, back and spine being denied the comfort  and support it needs?

The average seat whether it be an office chair, pilot’s seat, truck seat, machinery operator’s seat and driver’s seat fails to provide appropriate pressure distribution where you make contact with the seat. You seem to have constant pressure on certain points of your bum and thighs which eventually cuts off blood supply to these areas, leading to a numb bum and legs, and even long-term circulatory issues. Do you ever find yourself squirming to find a better position, only needing to squirm all the more 10 minutes later?

If you are in machinery or a vehicle that experiences vibration (aircraft, trucks, cars, machinery, buses, etc.) due to engine vibration, rough roads or changing terrain, there is added stress to your body as it fights the vibration and gravity in search of stability. The body’s fight against these forces leads to fatigue and muscular pain. And did you know that being seated for long periods over time can contribute to spinal compression?

There are cushions available on the market that can help to relieve pressure by cushioning you correctly, absorb vibration (protecting your back and spine), and avoid heat build up. The leader in this field is AirHawk Cushions, who make cushions specifically designed for the aviation industry, mining industry, etc. and they have cushions to suit cars, buses, trucks, large machinery, office chairs, helicopters and planes, etc.

AirHawk Cushions have a unique design of interconnected air cells that mould to your individual shape – and you can adjust the amount of air pressure in them to suit you whenever you feel like it. The technology company behind AirHawk, ROHO has tested the air cell cushion and found it doesn’t compress like foam and gel cushions do over time.

The other asset of these cushions is that you can take them anywhere – they’re low profile and have washable covers. So Jill (our keyboard operator in the case study above) could use her cushion in the office, on the park bench, on the train, and even at home.

Check out AirHawk’s Website for more details.