Understanding and managing human risk factors in moving

and handling activities: promoting and improving health at work through

effective trainingSiân Edwards RNA, MSc, Dip OH, Tech IOSH, MIIRSM

Sedoha Workplace Health Limited

DLF Moving & Handling People Conference 27-28th January 2015, London

The case for training

• 1/3 of reportable accidents each year are related to manual handling with back pain and musculoskeletal injuries and conditions commonly linked to manual handling (approximately 200,000 in 2013/14)

• Legal and moral requirement to protect the health and safety of employees (HASAWA 1974)

• HSE recommends comprehensive programmes to reduce risk from manual handling to include RISK ASSESSMENT (avoid, assess, reduce), TRAINING, and good manual handling techniques

• OH&S based on overlapping spheres of health protection, health promotion and health education

The Well Designed Training Programme

• Includes principles of safe manual handling

• Is practical and tailored to the workplace so that workers have confidence that they really can apply the principles of keeping themselves safe in their actual workplace with their specific types of loads

• IS GROUNDED IN THEORY BUT DELIVERED IN PRACTICE and takes account of learning styles and needs

• Prevents injury or ill-health, protects health, provides health education

• Engages the individual in the process of risk assessment as well as knowledge of safe manual handling techniques

Theories – behaviour change

• Stages of change

• Pre-contemplation

• Contemplation

• Preparation

• Action

• Relapse

Theories – behaviour change 2

• Health belief models

• Hazard appraisal

• Threat-related beliefs (perception of the severity and likelihood of negative health effect)

• Decision making

• Self-efficacy (perceived ability to make the behaviour change)

• Initiation

• Response efficacy (perceived effect of the behaviour change in reducing the risk of the negative health effect)

• Adherence

• Facilitating conditions and safety climate (benefits and cost of making the change)

Barriers and cues to action

• Attitudes and beliefs of both managers and employees

• Why people do not use the knowledge they gain to change the way they do things

• Why the provision of lifting and handling aids does not guarantee that they will be used

• Balancing employee safety with the need to “get the job done”

• Individual willingness to change

• Senior staff commitment

• The most effective people to effect the change

Case study

• E-learning module with multiple choice test

• Health risks of manual handling

• Health education including self-care

• Manual handling techniques

• Lifting aids

• TILE approach to risk assessment

• Practical manual handling training sessions in mixed groups of up to 15

• Revision of e-learning

• Practical work in variety of work areas

• Engaged workers in TILE risk assessments and in applying practical solutions to each others problems

• Took account of various learning styles

Conclusion

• A well designed training programme is an essential part of the broader approach to minimising risk from manual handling (and particularly people handling) alongside risk assessment and good manual handling techniques

• The well designed training programme can promote health in the workplace through the overlapping spheres of prevention, protection and health education

• The well designed training programme should be grounded in theory but delivered in practice so that it is fully tailored to the needs of the individuals in the specific workplace

References

• Edwards, S. (2012) Cutting health risks through manual handling training Occupational Health http://www.personneltoday.com/hr/cutting-health-risks-through-manual-handling-training/

• Health and safety at work etc. act 1974 (HASAWA) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37

• Health and Safety Executive manual handling webpages http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manualhandling.htm

• Health and Safety Statistics 2013/14 http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1314.pdf

• Tannahill, A (2009) The Tannahill Model revisited Public Health http://www.publichealthjrnl.com/article/S0033-3506%2809%2900059-6/pdf

• Contact me at sianedwardsoha@rocketmail.com or 07986699986