Ergonomics, Manual

handling and Safe lifting

At work

Aloega Dumbari
Objectives After completing this presentation, participants
should be able to:

● Identify potential causes of ergonomic and

manual handling injuries
● Develop ergonomic solutions that can help
reduce these injuries
● Encourage correct lifting postures,
techniques and principles that minimise
injuries to workers
● Use ergonomic principles to re-design
manual handling tasks, work stations and
equipments
Ergonomics
Ergonomics can roughly be defined
as the study of people in their working
environment.

It is the process of designing or

arranging workplaces, products and
systems so that they fit the people
who use them, keeping in mind the
capabilities and limitations of the
worker.
It aims to create safe, comfortable and
productive workspaces by bringing human
abilities and limitations into the design of a
workspace, including the individual’s body
size, strength, skill, speed, sensory abilities
(vision, hearing), and even attitudes.
Poor worksite design leads to
fatigued, frustrated and hurting
workers. Most times, it leads to a
painful and costly injury, lower
productivity and poor product
quality.

Done well, good ergonomics can

provide a better work experience
for the worker.
 Recent research has shown that lower back pain is the
world’s most common work-related disability – affecting
employees from offices, building sites and in the highest
risk category, agriculture.
 The goal of office ergonomics is to design your office
Office Ergonomics
work station so that it fits you and allows for a
comfortable working environment for maximum
productivity and efficiency.

An ergonomically correct office work station will help

you avoid fatigue and discomfort
Office Ergonomics tips

● Make sure that the weight of your arms is

supported at all times
● Watch your head position, and try to keep
the weight of your head directly above its
base of support (neck). Don’t “crane” your
head and neck forward
● Don’t be a slouch! Slouching puts more
pressure on the discs and vertebrae of your
back. Use the lumbar support of your chair
The monitor should be placed Talking on the phone with the
directly in front of you, with phone receiver jammed
the top no higher than eye between the neck and ear is
level. The keyboard should be really bad practice
directly in front of the monitor
so you don’t have to frequently
turn your head and neck.

The keyboard and the mouse Avoid eye strain by making

should close enough to sure that your monitor is not
prevent excessive reaching too close, it should be at least
which strains the shoulders an arm’s length away.
and arms.
● Take steps to control screen glare, and make sure that the monitor is not placed in
front of a window or a bright background
● You can rest your eyes periodically for several seconds by looking at objects at a
distance to give your eyes a break.
● The feet should not be dangling when you are seated. If your feet don’t comfortably
reach the floor or there is pressure on the backs of your legs, use a footrest or lower
the keyboard and chair.
 Workers in many different industries
Ergonomic and occupations can be exposed to
risk factors risk factors at work, such as lifting
heavy items, bending, reaching
and stressors overhead, pushing and pulling heavy
loads, working in awkward body
postures and performing the same or
similar tasks repetitively. Exposure to
these known risk factors increases a
worker's risk of injury and
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
There are three main characteristics known as Ergonomic
Stressors:
● The force required to complete a task
● Any awkward or static working postures adopted in
completing a task and
● The repetitiveness of a task.

Any of these factors, or any combination of these factors, may

place someone at greater risk for discomfort.
 Musculo Skeletal Disorders (MSDs)
MSD refer to an injury or disease of the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal
system supports and protects the body and is made up of the bones of the skeleton,
muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints and other connective tissues that supports and
binds tissues and organs together.

MSD can occur:

● Slowly through gradual wear and tear caused by repeated or continuous use of the
same body parts, including static body positions.
● Suddenly through strenuous activity or unexpected movements such as when loads
being handled move or change position suddenly.
MSD may include:
● Sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons.
● Back injuries including damage to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, spinal
discs, nerves, joints and bones.
● Joint and bone injuries or degeneration, including injuries to the shoulder,
elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, hands and feet.
● Nerve injuries or compression (for example carpal tunnel syndrome).
● Muscular and vascular disorders as a result of hand-arm vibration.
● Soft tissue injuries such as hernias.
● Chronic pain (pain that lasts longer than three months).
● Acute pain (pain that lasts less than three months).
Others causes of MSDs

● Exerting excessive force

● Performing same or similar task repetitively
● Working in awkward postures or being in same posture for long periods of
time
● Localized pressure into the body part
● Vibration
● Cold temperatures
In addition, observe whether workers are:

■ Modifying their tools, equipment or work area

■ Shaking their arms and hands
■ Rolling their shoulders
■ Bringing products such as back belts or wrist braces into
the workplace
 These behaviors can mean that workers are
experiencing ergonomic issues. Talk with them and
review their work to see if any risk factors for MSDs
are present. Workers can identify and provide
important information about hazards in their
workplaces. Their opinions and suggestions for
change also are valuable.
Controls and ● Modify existing equipment
● Make changes in work
interventions practices
● Purchase new tools or other
devices to assist in the work
process.

To reduce the chance of injury,

work tasks should be designed to
limit exposure to ergonomic risk
factors.
 ● Engineering controls are the most
Other Controls
desirable, where possible.
and intervention ● Administrative or work practice controls
may be appropriate in some cases where
engineering controls cannot be
implemented or when different procedures
are needed after implementation of the
new engineering controls.
● Personal protection solutions have only
limited effectiveness when dealing with
ergonomic hazards.
 Engineering controls

Use a device to Reduce the Reposition a Redesign tools

lift and weight of a load work table to to enable
reposition heavy to limit force eliminate a neutral postures
objects to limit exertion long/excessive
force exertion reach and enable
working in
neutral postures
Administrative and work
practice controls
■ Require that heavy loads are only lifted by two people to
limit force exertion
■ Establish systems so workers are rotated away from tasks
to minimize the duration of continual exertion, repetitive
motions, and awkward postures. Design a job rotation
system in which employees rotate between jobs that use
different muscle groups
■ Staff "floaters" to provide periodic breaks between
scheduled breaks
■ Properly use and maintain pneumatic and power tools
Personal protective
equipment

■ Use padding to reduce direct contact with hard,

sharp, or vibrating surfaces
■ Wear good fitting thermal gloves to help with
cold conditions while maintaining the ability to
grasp items easily
Manual Everyone lifts, holds, carries, pushes and
handling pulls on a daily basis whether it is during
and Safe leisure activities or as a part of paid work.
Manual material handling involves lifting
lifting
light, heavy and awkward objects. Safe
lifting is a critical aspect of daily
activities and should be the focus of any
manual material handling.
It also includes
Before lifting
manually
Always take into account:

● individual capability
● the nature of the load
● environmental conditions
● training
● work organisation
Techniques ● Remove obstructions from the route.
for manual ● For a long lift, plan to rest the load midway
on a table or bench to change grip.
lifting
● Keep the load close to the waist. The load
should be kept close to the body for as long
as possible while lifting.
● Keep the heaviest side of the load next to
the body.
● Adopt a stable position and make sure your
feet are apart, with one leg slightly forward
to maintain balance
When lifting manually
● Reduce the amount of twisting, stooping and reaching
● Avoid lifting from floor level or above shoulder height, especially heavy
loads
● Adjust storage areas to minimise the need to carry out such movements
● Consider how you can minimise carrying distances
● Assess the weight to be carried and whether the worker can move the load
safely or needs any help – maybe the load can be broken down to smaller,
lighter components
Also;
● Think before lifting/handling
● Adopt a stable position
● Get a good hold/grip
● Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially while the back is bent.
Unloading ● Slowly bend your knees to lower the
load;
● Keep your back straight and the
weight close to the center of your
body;
● Allow enough room for fingers and
toes when the load is set down;
● Place the load on a bench or table by
resting it on the edge and pushing it
forward with your arms and body; and
● Secure the load to ensure that it will
not fall, tip over, roll or block
someone's way.
 Team lifts
Team lifts are used when objects are too heavy, too large or too awkward for one person
to lift. Team lifts should be performed as follows:
● Work with someone of similar build and height, if possible;
● Choose one person to direct the lift (e.g., "lift on the count of three");
● Lift with your legs and raise the load to the desired level at the same time;
● Always keep the load at the same level while carrying;
● Move smoothly and in unison; and
● Set the load down together.
Mechanical aids should be used when the loads
are too heavy, awkward or absence of help.

Even when mechanical aids are used, safe

lifting procedures should still be followed by
maintaining the natural curvature of the back,
using the legs for any lifting that is
encountered and avoid twisting the back.
 Overhead lifts
Overhead lifts should be conducted as follows:
● When lifting or lowering objects from above the shoulders,
lighten the load whenever possible;
● Stand on something sturdy such as a step stool or platform
to decrease the vertical distance; and
● When you are lowering objects from above the shoulders,
slide the load close to your body, grasp the object firmly,
slide it down your body and proceed with your move.
Conclusion
Many people find themselves using a computer
for a large part of the day. Poor workplace
design and layout can contribute to workplace
injuries and illness while correct chair height,
adequate equipment spacing and good desk
posture can help you stay comfortable.

Ergonomics and safe manual handling technique is

key in reducing MSDs in the workplace.

Prevent MSDs by having a good attitude to

wards ergomics and manual handling.