ABSTRACT
Everyone in an office should be given manual handling training and it should be tailored to suit the type and amount of manual handling they might perform. The most effective way of reducing injuries is to reduce the risk of the manual handling task. If someone has no choice but to handle a load without any form of mechanical assistance, an evaluation needs to be made of how the task is completed to identify whether the risk of the operation can be reduced. The posture adopted when moving the load should be considered. People who are involved in continuous handling of small loads should be viewed as being at risk, particularly if they are rushing. Manual handling is probably one of the few subjects where legitimate distinctions can be made between people on an individual basis, particularly in terms of age, gender and physical suitability. It is generally accepted that women do not have the same lifting strength as men.
