What Are The Main Risks Of Injury In The Workshop From Manual Handling Activities?

Almost a third of all industrial injuries are caused by manual handling accidents, with musculoskeletal disorders, including those caused by manual handling, causing an estimated 9.3 million working days to be lost in 2009/2010. The major accident rate for woodworking is more than 17% above the manufacturing industry average. Like most industries, handling and slips and trips account for most injuries.

Handling injuries, however, are not just back and muscle strains. They also include fractures, trapped nerves, abrasions and cuts, burns and hernias. There are twice as many laceration injuries during manual handling operations in woodworking as there are in other industries. This is no doubt because of the necessity to frequently handle sharp and heavy, cutter blocks and saw blades during tool changing. These are often heavy and awkward to grasp. Handling roughly sawn timber can also lead to cuts and splinters. Fractures are also more common than in other industries though strains appear to be less common.

The main risk factors associated with manual handling activities include:

• The task: twisting, stooping, strenuous pushing and pulling
• The load: excessive weight, unusual size, awkward shape, instability
• Work environment: constraints on posture, poor floor surfaces, hot, cold or humid conditions
• Individual capabilities: health problems, the effects of protective equipment and clothing, pregnancy

Evidence suggests that the key high-risk handling tasks and processes in the woodworking environment include:

• Manual loading and feeding of board products (fibreboard, chipboard etc.) on machines, e.g. loading large panels onto beam saws
• Handling large jigs, particularly those for CNC machines
• Tool changing
• Handling large, heavy or cumbersome products and workpieces, e.g. fire doors, factory glazed windows, pallets, large planks etc.
• The use of hand-held tools, particularly orbital sanders, paint guns and nail/staple guns

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1998 require employers to avoid the need to carry out manual handling that creates a risk of injury.  Where you cannot avoid manual handling you must carry out a manual handling risk assessment with the aim of reducing the risk as much as possible. Clearly marking items with their weight or making this information available will assist in making your assessment.

For further details about how to identify potential handling problems and assess the risk that staff may face, please visit the BWF website to browse our Health & Safety publications and Question Centre (ensure you are logged in). Find out more about this and other health & safety related issues at BWF Members' Day Workshop F on 19th May 2011 in Loughborough. For more information visit the Members' Day pages here, along with details of how to book.