Work should not be back-breaking
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• Back problems cost Britain £1 billion every year, and many of those injuries are sustained handling loads at work.
New proposals published by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) last week aim to cut down the risks involved in manual handling and give employees more legal protection — and the HSC hopes to see the guidelines passed into law by 1990.
"The legislation applying to manual handling is inadequate," says the HSC. "Experience has shown that it is difficult to interpret and enforce."
HSC guidelines include: El An assessment of the handling tasks and the risk of injury o The monitoring of accidents and ill-health among employees o Seeking the views of employees and safety experts 0 The introduction of mechanical systems.
El Making loads smaller, lighter and more portable
0 The redesign of the workplace to reduce bending, twisting, stretching, carrying distances and handling.
o The rotation of jobs to avoid repetition and constant exertion, backed up by rest periods.
0 Full training of employees on how to deal correctly with heavy loads.