Health & Safety and the main benefits of Manual Handling Trolleys. How can trolleys promote good ergonomics?

How can trolleys promote good ergonomics?

Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of human factors in relation to tasks. Fitting the job to the worker. 

Ergonomics looks at how a job task is designed and the capabilities of the worker and its effect on health & safety.

Ergonomics helps to solve physical problems and have a positive effect psychologically, socially and physically. When a task is not designed to fit a worker this can lead to a negative effect.

Ergonomics helps to reduce ill health at work, reduces aches, pains and fatigue, prevents slips and trips and helps improve physical, psychological and mental health at work.

By putting the worker into consideration first, manual handling tasks and equipment can be designed to work more effectively and reduce hazardous risks for every individual worker allowing workers to work within their capabilities.

As stated by the HSE on their website 'Ergonomics is a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their work. It puts people first, taking account of their capabilities and limitations. Ergonomics aims to make sure that tasks, equipment,information and the environment fit each worker.To assess the fit between a person and their work, you have to consider a range of factors.'
(HSE)  Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.

The law
Health and Safety legislation is set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a government department responsible for all health and safety laws, legislation and regulations in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales ).
All employers must comply with the following manual handling legislation, and are responsible for manual handling training and all manual handling equipment training of all workers. Training should be completed before any tasks are carried out and refreshed throughout employment.

Legislation

• Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHOR)
• Work place Health and Safety guildlines
• COSHH - The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
• Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER)

Health & safety
All employers have a duty to comply with the Health & Safety Legislation set by the HSE and have a duty of care to prevent the risks of harm. (HSE)

Manual handling is the main cause of injuries in the work place.(HSE)

The ergonomics must be understood in order to keep workers safe from harm and carry out work duties without risks. Understanding workers capabilities, improving the way workers carryout tasks, providing correct equipment and correct training employers can comply with the Health & Safety Legislation while workers carryout manual handling tasks, keeping the workplace safe from hazards and reduce risks.
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.

The main task factors to identify

• Heavy or bulky items
• Lifting from the floor or above the shoulders.
• Repetitive lifting.
• bending or twisting
• Griping the load

physical and psychological factors

• Body size and shape
• Fitness and strength
• Posture
• The senses, especially vision, hearing and touch
• Mental abilities
• Personality
• Knowledge
• Training

Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence. 

Risk assessment
Risk assessments allow employers to identify and prevent hazardous risks.

Employers must talk to staff to identify and support their needs. look around the workplace and think about how equipment is used by the worker and its suitability. Does your equipment match your workforce? Is it effective and efficient for product activity whilst keeping your workers safe from the risk of harm? Is the equipment the correct size, weight, too heavy or large? Can a more practical piece of equipment be more efficient? Do the goods need lifting over obstacles?

Can the worker stand for the task duration, do they need to be seated? Can the worker lift the goods? Do you need a crane? Is the worker tall, strong, can they control the equipment? 

When the worker is carrying out the task can they reach? Is the equipment high or low enough? How much control does the worker have when completing a task or using equipment? Can the worker hear the task or equipment? Does the worker have full hearing? Does the worker need a more suitable method or equipment to carry out the task?.

Identify the benefits of manual handling equipment  and your workers and consider specific ergonomics of each worker. Once all of the factors are taken into consideration you can identify how you can meet your workers needs and provide a solution to allow them to carryout their tasks and prevent risks physically, psychologically and mentally. When workers can carry out their tasks within their capabilities productivity increases. Repetitive tasks can put strain on the worker.

Trolleys
Trolleys are strong, easy to use wheeled platforms designed in many different configurations, shapes and sizes. Trolleys safely move multiple, large, awkward or heavy products around the workplace. By replacing the load from workers to wheels, the physical effort required is much lower. Trolleys can also move hazardous goods such as flammable products and gases.

Trolleys can be designed manually or electronically. Specific trolleys can be attached to a crane and lifted when workers are unable to lift the load or to relocate or deliver goods to out of reach areas. Trolleys can be designed to be used while in a standing or sitting position .

Trolleys are designed to allow pushing instead of lifting, encourage natural posture, reduce bending, twisting and over reaching. Trolleys can be designed with shelves, baskets, spillage inlays and step ladders. There is a large selection of different manual handling trolleys available for all industries. Trolleys meet health and safety requirements and legislation and can be built and designed for the individual worker.

Trolleys are one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to make manual handling safer.

Ready made trolleys come in a standard size to fit what is thought to be the average size human.

Trolleys can be custom designed and built to suit individual ergonomic needs. Height, size, weight and style of a trolley can be designed to match the ergonomics of the task and worker.

Trolleys help to complete tasks risk free while working to deadlines and increase productivity.

Ergonomics & trolleys
Standard trolleys are built taking into account the average shoulder height of a person being 1500mm

stand next to trolleys are made with the top shelf no higher 1500mm with the centre handle positioned at 105mm and sit next to trolleys are made with the top shelf no higher than 710mm with a height of 1m.

Not all people are standard, limiting many workers. People are many different shapes, sizes and strengths and have different needs.

Heavy large trolleys move more loads/stock but are not easy to push /pull while lighter smaller trolleys hold less goods but are easier to push/pull. If a worker struggles while moving the trolley the task becomes difficult, hazardous and timely.

Designing a trolley taking the human factor into consideration  allows the worker to use the equipment effectively putting less strain on the body physically and mentally and the task can be completed to deadlines.

A trolley with the correct ergonomics maximises efficiency and effectively increases productivity, buying something that fits the workforce and the workers covers the cost in the long run.
Specific trolleys can be attached and lifted by crane when relocating and delivering goods in out of reach areas or lifting trolleys and goods that are too heavy to manually lift. These trolleys must have a Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations Certificate (LOLER), attaching to the crane the trolley becomes part of the crane and is classed as lifting equipment. The LOLER certificate is produced with the trolley by the manufacturer, it is the employers legal duty to ensure the trolley has a valid certificate and must be re issued every 6 months.

Summary:
Trolleys when used to help the ergonomics in the workplace is an effective way to work within legislation, keep workers safe from hazardous harm and keep the workplace efficient and increase productivity.

• Meet Legislation
• Match workers capabillities
• Increase productivity

Here at Breg Products we have a bespoke custom design and build service available. We also provide site visits. Please contact us for further information and to discuss how we can help you and your workplace. Our standard trolleys are available to order straight from our website

We love to talk!!
Our friendly sales team are available to call if you need help or unsure what trolley you need. Please call to discuss our design and build service.

Telephone: 01414 469944
Email:  mail@bregproducts.co.uk