Manual handling of loads

Do your employees have to lift, carry, drag, or push and pull heavy materials? Or do they often perform the same movements? Then take care of their backs and other joints by focusing on ergonomic and back-sparing work. Premed investigates the manual handling of loads in your work environment and guides you towards complaint-free work with brochures, tools, and training.

What is ergonomic lifting and back-sparing work?

Ergonomic lifting and back-sparing work are parts of what is called “manual handling of loads” in ergonomic terms. Manual handling of loads means:

  • lifting and carrying;
  • pulling and pushing;
  • repetitive actions;
  • moving people; and
  • all tasks that involve a “poor” body posture (bent back, kneeling, prolonged static posture…).

All these tasks are often strenuous tasks that can cause long-term damage to the body such as a hernia, tendonitis, shoulder overload, etc. The cause of these injuries can vary: with lifting and carrying, it is excessive forces acting on the back, while with repetitive actions, performing the same movement repeatedly is harmful. These injuries, in turn, lead to absenteeism and work incapacity, often for a long duration.

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Risk Analysis 

Performing a risk assessment is mandatory for all workstations and must be reviewed annually (art. VIII.1-1 code of well-being at work). This must take into account the relevant biomechanical risk factors (weight, force, posture, reaching...). For performing an ergonomic risk assessment, there are various tools; some you can use yourself, others that must be completed by an expert. We are happy to assist you in determining the right tools for your organisation and situation. 

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This is a checklist that you can perform yourself prior to the risk assessment. The checklist helps to bring structure and to know on which situations and/or workstations to focus. This can be found on the Premed extranet.

In this risk assessment, a specific situation is examined, and the risk is quantified based on biomechanical models or research. This is best performed by a prevention adviser-ergonomist.

This is a tool to identify and address ergonomic risks in the workplace in a qualitative and participatory manner. This tool is designed to be completed together with employees and can also be found on the Premed extranet. 

The purpose of this analysis is to map out the entire organisation. Ergonomic risks are assessed per workstation or function. Additionally, this tool can also be used in the reintegration policy by showing which body parts are stressed at which workstation/function. This tool can only be used by a prevention adviser-ergonomist.

During this training, employees learn how to best lift and move loads. Various tips and tricks are discussed, as well as lifting techniques are taught. At the end of the training, time can be provided to go to the workplace and put theory into practice. This training can be preceded by a preliminary visit to collect visual material of the workplace and activities.

This training focuses on moving people. It explains how this is done with aids and what techniques there are to relieve the body as much as possible.

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