ABSTRACT
One of the biggest mistakes that can be made by people working in offices is to believe that because they are sedentary workers, they will not be involved in manual handling activities. Everyone in an office becomes involved in manual handling tasks in that environment at some time. More often than not, the individuals given the responsibility of moving objects will not have received manual handling training, and it is likely that they have not because of the erroneous assumption that, as office workers, they will not be handling loads. Any individual moving objects within the office environment should be viewed as being at risk if they have not received the training to complete this task properly and safely. It should be tailored to suit the type and amount of manual handling they might perform. Those working on the periphery of the main office departments, such as in the mail room, kitchens, and cleaning staff, should not be overlooked either. Individuals who work away from the main office because they work remotely, or because they travel between offices in different areas or travel to conferences, etc., also need to be given manual handling advice. This chapter offers very specific advice for handlers who remove loads from cars and other vehicles, such as vans. This chapter details the types of manual handling injuries that can occur, such as back injury (involving muscles, ligaments, dicks, and tendons), hernias, and upper limb disorders (ULDs/RSI). The chapter reviews the use of mechanical aids, such as trolleys, the characteristics of the load that could create difficulties, as well as features related to the task, the environment, and person. The impact of age and gender is discussed.
