Manual Handling Training Services for the Workplace
Protecting your greatest asset at work and beyond
Manual Handling Training Services for the Workplace
What is Manual Handling Training?
Manual handling training refers to the education that an individual receives to identify hazardous tasks, alternate ways to complete these tasks as well as proper techniques for handling. It also includes the completion of risk assessments.
Every job involves manual tasks. Whether your job is quite physical, such as unpacking merchandise at a warehouse, or you are simply working in an office, you run the risk of injury when there is improper handling. A task as simple as picking up a small box could result in an injury. It’s not only important to perform tasks properly, but it’s also paramount to safeguard the wellbeing of your staff. Safe Work Australia encourages employers to undertake manual handling training for the workplace.
Manual handling training gives employees the skills to safely undertake manual handling tasks, reducing their risk of injury. Appropriate training empowers participants to ensure they are working safely, comfortably, and productively at work. If you need to push, lift, raise, lower, carry, hold, or restrain any object, then training will teach you the best practice for each of these motions.
Preventing the Risk of Harm or Injury
Safe Work Australia exists to ensure that employers understand their responsibilities when it comes to ensuring the health and safety of their employees and other individuals at the workplace. Individuals carrying out work for the business are included in the health and safety scope. Any relevant duty holder fulfilling a work duty falls under this protection.
Manual handling training helps prevent injuries such as MSD. MSD (musculoskeletal disorder) is an injury or disease related to the musculoskeletal system, which includes muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue.
MSD can occur gradually from repetitive or continuous movement, even through static body positions. It can also happen suddenly from an unexpected movement or a strenuous activity.
Here’s what MSD can look like:
- Back injuries
- Nerve injuries
- Joint and bone injuries
- Sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons
- Chronic or acute pain (lasting over three months)
- Soft tissue injuries such as tendinitis
- Muscular and vascular disorders
Manual handling training saves employers and workers from the care of unnecessary injuries each year. At Work OH&S equips companies with the tools, resources and knowledge to keep their staff safe and healthy. Some industries are at greater risk of experiencing manual handling related injuries. Workers in healthcare, aged care, warehousing, and construction have a higher risk of acquiring an MSD in the workplace.
Some Industries are at Greater Risk
While every industry requires each company to have knowledge for safe handling, some industries are more prone to injuries and hazards. Individuals who work in aged care, construction, healthcare, and warehousing fall under the greater risk category. However, incorrect manual handling practices lead to injury for many individuals across the board each year. Investing in Manual Handling Training services will only serve you and your community.
Our Manual Handling Training course is suitable for anyone wanting to increase their skills and knowledge of safe handling. Those who work within residential aged care facilities and hospitals as well as those who work in trades will benefit from the learning outcomes. That is why Safe Work Australia encourages employers to engage in formal manual handling training.
What is Included in the Training?
The Manual Handling Training course adheres to all standards and industries for manual tasks at work.
The training incorporates:
- WHS law/background of the importance of manual handling training in the workplace
- Body/human anatomy for understanding
- Manual handling hazards and risks
- Correct manual handling techniques
- Pause exercise/prevention methods
If there are specific manual handling issues you wish to address in the training, you can discuss these with us and either send pictures and/or descriptions of the manual handling task to incorporate into the training.
We can also do a risk assessment to determine if any specific hazardous manual tasks are present at your workplace and incorporate them into the training (additional fee for that service).
At Work OH&S provides in-depth training that outlines and fulfils the responsibilities of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act. Our training has been developed with the Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice in mind.
This comprehensive training allows employers and employees to understand how to assess the risk of injury as well as the steps necessary to prevent it.
There are a variety of situations where Manual Handling Training would be useful. Through this course you will learn:
- How to handle heavy objects, whether they require lifting, carrying, or moving
- Understand what MSD is and the most common causes for it
- Understand proper techniques for lifting, carrying, or pulling
- How to create a safe and injury-free workplace
- How to assess the workplace for risks and plan for them
Any task that requires sustained force, sustained or awkward posture, sudden force, repetitive movement, sustained or awkward postures, and exposure to vibrations needs safe handling. In your workplace, the training will help you isolate the individual, the task, the load, and the environment where it all occurs. Every worker should be equipped to make a safety assessment about a task they need to perform.
The Guarantee of Positive Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will have increased your safety and the safety of those around you. This course will help you:
- Identify what manual handling is, and why it matters
- Assess and recognise manual handling hazards, and how to determine the safest course of action to safely manage those hazards
- Decrease the likelihood of acquiring a manual handling injury
- Identify the relevant legislation and standards for manual handling tasks in the workplace
- Develop a framework and mindset towards manual handling care
- Increase your sense of safety and confidence when approaching manual handling tasks
- Learn specific techniques and practices for manual handling tasks
- Outline the consequences of improper manual handling techniques
- Identify the safest movement patterns for bending, lifting, leaning and reaching tasks
Upon course completion, you will receive a certificate to validate your newly acquired knowledge. At Work OH&S strive to ensure an effective, personalised and integrated approach in all areas of health and safety for our stakeholders. Our goal is for you to enjoy safety in a thriving environment.
At Work OH&S Can Help Build a Safe Workplace
Did you know hundreds of injuries occur in the workplace each year? You don’t need to suffer the consequences of a work injury. Ask us more about how you can ensure your workplace is a safe place for employees to thrive. We can customise our Manual Handling Training course to suit your needs based on specific scenarios.
At Work OH&S values both your personhood and healthy, thriving communities.
Our commitment to supporting local businesses and workers is about fostering healthy and safe work environments that are productive and efficient.