University employees are involved in countless manual handling and lifting operations. For example, library staff may lift kilos of books each day and transport them, very often manually, to the readers. Laboratory workers lift and handle dangerous substances or heavy and awkward items like gas cylinders. Those involved in receiving deliveries into their department are likely to handle boxes, parcels and packages of different shapes, sizes and weights. The same can be true for administrative staff. This policy is therefore applicable to all departments across the University, although the level of risk will vary.
The risk of injury or ill health arising from these activities is dependent on different factors (i.e. load, individual, task and environment). In line with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations, the University will take a risk-based approach to managing manual handling to ensure appropriate control measures are adopted proportionate to the risk.
The policy statement details how to manage the risks, including information on risk assessment and training.
