| Reviewed by: | Suzanne Deadman, 07 05 2025 |
| Ratified by: | Resources Committee, 05 06 2025 |
| Next Review: | Summer term 2027 |
Manual Handling Procedure
The federation will work towards a safe manual handling policy and as part of this process will ensure a current policy of minimal lifting and carrying.
We will ensure that the necessary arrangements are made to facilitate the information of the policy, for example by provision of appropriate and suitable training by professionally competent persons, for those who have duties under the policy.
The staff member with responsibility for the implementation of the manual handling policy is the Premises Manager.
The main objective is to reduce the risk of injury and any ill health caused by manual handling activities in the work place to a minimum.
The Federation has a duty of care to ensure that:
- Minimum requirements for the manual handling of loads are followed where there is a particular but not exclusive risk of injury to employees;
- The need for manual handling is avoided or when it cannot be avoided, assessment is made of the operation and where there is a risk of injury, appropriate steps taken to reduce or avoid that risk;
- Assessment of manual handling operations take into account factors which include characteristics of the load, the physical effort required, the working environment, and the requirements of the task;
- Information and training is provided to employees on assessment and manual handling principles.
The responsibilities of the federation are:
The designated person must:
- Be aware of the manual handling operations within the school;
- Avoid the need for employees to undertake any manual handling operations which involve a risk of injury, so far as is reasonably practicable;
- Make an assessment of any hazardous manual handling operations that can not be avoided in order to reduce the risk of injury;
- Make a clear record of the assessment and communicate its findings to all staff involved;
- Introduce appropriate measures to avoid or reduce risk by elimination of the risk e.g. redesigning the operation or introducing mechanical aids;
- Provide information and ensure that all staff received appropriate training in manual handling and ensure that all new staff receive training before they undertake any manual handling operations;
- Ensure that any mechanical aids provided are easily accessible and maintained as per the manufacturer’s instructions;
- Ensure that manual handling requirements are clearly identified when recruiting staff so that appropriate medical advice can be taken as part of pre-employment health screening;
- Ensure that safe systems of transportation are utilised for the transportation of loads and equipment throughout the school;
- Make allowances for any known health problems which might have a bearing on an existing employee’s ability to carry out manual handling operations safely;
- Refer to Occupational Health Advisors if there is any good reason to suspect that an individuals state of health might significantly increase the risk of injury or condition from any manual handling operations;
- Monitor and review manual handling assessments when there is reason to suppose that they are no longer suitable or sufficient due to changes in the worker/ workplace/operation/equipment;
- Maintain records of accident and ill health related to manual handling operations.
The responsibility of the employee The employee must:
- Take responsible care of their health and that of others whose safety may be affected by their activities when involved in manual handling operations;
- Co-operate with management in the undertaking of assessments of manual handling tasks;
- Observe safe systems of work and use any equipment safely, reporting any defects in mechanical aids to their line manager;
- Participate in any manual handling training;
- Report pregnancy or any medical conditions which may affect their ability to handle loads safely;
- Report any change in working conditions, personnel involved in manual handling risks or a significant change in the nature of the task or the load which may necessitate a review of the assessment;
- Use any manual handling equipment provided and use it correctly.
Training
The federation will ensure:
- Records are kept of attendance;
- Appropriate training is provided for staff with specific training for groups of workers that are involved in specific manual handling activities;
- That training programmes are reviewed and monitored;
- Refresher training is available.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed every two years or sooner if required.