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Musculoskeletal disorders, (which is often shorten to just the initials MSD), costs the country billions of pounds every year, and is by far the biggest work related illness in Great Britain. Its reported that more than 25% of all industrial injuries are the result of incorrect manual handling activities, and 30% of these are reportable accidents under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, RIDDOR 1995. Manual handling injury statistics will cover a broad range of occupations, and not solely be restricted to the manual workers, who may well have developed the physical muscles and stamina required to more easily carry out the activities they perform. Clearly those occupations such as white collar, hospital workers, super market and shop workers etc, will from time to time be asked to undertake manual handling activities, these staff may well be more at risk due to the infrequency to which they carry out such manual handling tasks.

There are many types of MSD injuries, both internal and external, these range from cuts, bruises, lacerations and crush injuries to muscle and ligament strains, hernias and ruptures, prolapsed disc, (more commonly known as a slipped disc), as well as possible damage to joints such as knees, elbows, shoulders etc. However, back injuries can be among the most debilitating, painful and long lasting of all manual handling accidents, often resulting in many months off work and a life time of managing your back against further injuries. There are clear benefits for all parties to reduce the opportunities of MSD injuries both personal and financial. More serious accidents can result in prosecution and fines under several UK Acts and Regulations. Typically a court may impose fines for breaches of;

s2(1) of HSWA 1974 - not ensuring the safety of employees;
Reg.3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regs 1999 - for not carrying out a suitable risk assessment;
Reg.13(1), 13(2) and 13(3) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regs 1999 - for not providing adequate training;
Reg.4 of the Management of Manual Handling Operations 1992 - for failure to take steps to ameliorate the risks of manual handling.
S37(1) of HSWA 1974 can see management charged if consent of connivance has been committed.

The main regulation that covers manual handling is, The Manual Handling Operations Regulation 1999, guidance on this legislation can be found in the HSE Approved Code Of Practice L23.

Regulation 4 is where the duties on employers are set out, these include;

Each employer shall so far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for their employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work that involve a risk of them being injured. This is broken down in three key requirements.

1. Avoid - the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable, e.g. use mechanical devices;

2. Assess - the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can't be avoided; and

3. Reduce - the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practical

The Regulations should not be considered in isolation. Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulation requires employers to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees whilst at work. Clearly risk assessment is the basis of much of the present prescriptive health and safety legislation.

Regulation 5 is also worthy of a mention as it places responsibility on the employees.

Each employee while at work shall make full and proper use of any system of work provided for his use by his employer, these duties are already placed on employees by section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 under which they must:

take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their activities; and

co-operate with their employers to enable them to comply with their health and safety duties.

In addition, regulation 14 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, requires employees generally to make use of appropriate equipment provided for them, in accordance with the training and the instructions their employer has made available.

Regulation 5 of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations supplements these general duties in the case of manual handling. It requires employees to follow appropriate systems of work laid down by their employer to promote safety during the handling of loads.

Some available guidance;

HSE Manual handling assessment chart (MAC) tool; developed to help the user identify high risk workplace manual handling activities.

HSE (1994) HSG115, Manual handling. Solutions you can handle
HSE (2004) L23, Manual handling. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended). Guidance on Regulations, 3rd edn
INDG143Rev2, Getting to grips with manual handling. A short guide, 2nd edn