Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 1 Please read this before using presentation This presentation is based on content presented at the Mines Safety Roadshow held in October 2008 and Exploration Safety Roadshow held in November 2008 It is made available for non-commercial use (e.g. toolbox meetings) subject to the condition that the PowerPoint file is not altered without permission from Resources Safety Supporting resources, such as brochures and posters, are available from Resources Safety For resources, information or clarification, please contact: or visit

Toolbox presentation: Manual tasks — assessing the risks and making the changes Prepared by Wendy Pietrocola, Ergonomics, for Resources Safety

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 3 Outline Part 1 Terminology Impact of injuries from performing manual tasks at work Manual task project Risk management process and its implementation Part 2 Breakout session – practical exercises

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 4 Terminology – manual tasks Manual task is a label given to any activities that require a person to use their physical body (musculoskeletal system) to perform work, including work that involves the use of force for: lifting / lowering; pushing / pulling; carrying; moving; holding; or restraining anything and work that involves: repetitive actions; sustained postures; and concurrent exposure to vibration Manual task replaces the term manual handling

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 5 Examples of manual tasks

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 6 Terminology – hazardous manual tasks Hazardous manual tasks refers to any manual tasks that involve certain characteristics that increase the risk of injury, including: repetitive or sustained application of force repetitive or sustained awkward postures repetitive or sustained movements application of high force exposure to sustained vibration involve handling of person or animal involve handling of unstable or unbalanced loads that are difficult to grasp or hold

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 7 Terminology – musculoskeletal disorders Hazardous manual tasks can lead to a variety of injuries and conditions collectively referred to as musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) including: sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments and tendons back injuries, including damage to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, spinal discs, nerves, joints and bones joint injuries or degeneration, including injuries to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, hands and feet bone injuries nerve injuries muscular and vascular disorders as a result of hand-arm vibration soft tissue hernias

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 8 Analysis of accident and injury data – extent of manual task injuries Manual task injuries (i.e. MSD) consistently account for about one third of new LTIs and DIs in WA mining industry and over half of recurrences About two thirds of new manual task LTIs and DIs are serious, that is result in 14 or more days or shifts off work, on alternative or light duties, or a combination of these About 90% of manual task injury recurrences are serious Source: Resources Safety’s AXTAT database

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 9 Analysis of accident and injury data – cost of manual task injuries Between July 2004 and June 2006, manual task injuries (MSD) resulted in 643 LT claims and 1,064 no-LT claims, representing 38.5% of all LT claims and 30% of all no-LT claims Cost of manual task LT claims was $23.9mil (37% total) and cost of no-LT claims was $1.8mil (30% total) Average cost of manual task injury claim was $36,891 per LT claim and $1,719 per no-LT claim 96,763 days were lost as a result of manual task injuries, representing 45% of total days lost from workplace injuries Source: WorkCover WA

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 10 Manual task project - overview Scoping study gathered information on manual task injuries (MSD) and established current state of knowledge of managing manual task risk within WA mining industry Analysis of accident and injury data Review of current literature Consultation with industry stakeholders Based on findings, a number of directions and activities to reduce manual task injuries were recommended Recommendations broadly endorsed by Mining Industry Advisory Committee (MIAC)

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 11 Recommendations from scoping study Recommendations aimed at raising manual task standards and reducing extent and severity of injuries from performing manual task To achieve these goals, Resources Safety is undertaking a leadership role in: education and information activities, followed by compliance activities, in consultation with industry stakeholders

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 12 Risk management process for manual tasks Step 1: Hazard identification Identify all hazardous manual tasks Step 2: Risk assessment Assess the risk of MSD that arise from these hazardous manual tasks and identify sources of risk Step 3: Risk control Decide on and use appropriate control measures to alter sources of risk and minimise risk of MSD Step 4: Monitor and review Follow up to find out whether changes have eliminated or reduced assessed risks

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 13 Step 1: Identifying hazardous manual tasks Check sources of information such as injury and hazard reports Consult with employees, supervisors and SHReps Look at task and identify any of the characteristics that make it hazardous Prioritise

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 14 Step 2: Risk assessment Risk assessment should determine: whether the task poses or increases risk of MSD sources of the risk, and may rate the level of risk

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 15 Direct risk factors Postures and movements of worker, including repetitive awkward postures and sustained awkward postures Forces involved in task, including high force, jerky or unexpected forces and speed Duration and frequency of task, including how long the task is performed for and how often

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 16 Contributing risk factors Work environment temperature humidity Wind rain lighting floor and ground surfaces housekeeping

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 17 Contributing risk factors (continued) Systems of work, work organisation and work practices high workloads and tight deadlines little latitude for workers to influence workload or work methods unsuitable or insufficient resources such as staffing levels, equipment and guidance available to workers Exposure to vibration whole-body vibration hand-arm vibration

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 18 Sources of risk Work area design and layout – inadequate design or placement of items in the workplace Nature of the item or load being handled or used – weight, balance, handle design or orientation, shock loading or impact forces, failure to select for purpose Working environment – thermal environment, floor surfaces, steps, ramps, limited housekeeping, vibration Systems of work, work organisation, methods of work, job design for “average” workers

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 19 Step 3: Risk control Risk control means implementing effective measures to eliminate or minimise risk of MSD Risk control process determines what needs to be done to alter the sources of risk identified by the risk assessment, in order to eliminate or minimise the risk of MSD Control measures should follow the hierarchy of controls. Elimination or redesign and engineering controls should be implemented over administrative and PPE controls

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 20 Step 3: Risk control – hierarchy of controls If possible, do not perform the hazardous manual task. Eliminate task by introducing mechanisation or changing the system of work Change the way a hazardous manual task is performed to eliminate the risks of MSD If the risks of MSD cannot be eliminated, change the way the hazardous manual task is performed to minimise the risks When the risk cannot be eliminated or minimised, the use of information, training instruction, supervision, PPE or a combination of these can be used as a last resort or to supplement other controls

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 21 Control measures Effective control measures may alter: design and layout of the work area nature of load or item to be handled or used work environment way work is organised or current work practices That is, address the source of the risk!

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 22 Participative ergonomics Effective risk management essential to achieve a reduction in overall manual task risk and prevent MSD Participative ergonomics is internationally recommended approach – basic concept is to involve workers in improving their workplace to reduce injury and improve productivity Work teams, usually a supervisor and a small group of workers (‘experts’), identify the hazardous manual tasks in their work and complete the risk assessment process Based on risk assessment, the team, in consultation with management, develops risk control options and plans the implementation

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 23 Participative ergonomics (continued) Work team is responsible for evaluating the implemented control measures Management commitment and effective risk management systems are required for approach to be effective Access to ergonomics expert assistance may be required to assist work teams with difficult or complex problems It is essential that work team members have adequate training

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 24 Practical exercises Use information sheets available from Resources Safety website

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 25 Practical exercise 1 Scenario You work at a typical WA mining workplace. One in three of the workplace injuries is related to performing manual tasks. You are a member of a small manual task work team and your team has been asked to identify any hazardous manual tasks in your work or operational area. Exercise In your group, discuss the steps you would take to identify the hazardous manual tasks and how you would prioritise the tasks in terms of addressing the risk.

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 26 Practical exercise 2 Scenario You have identified the hazardous manual task with the highest priority is loading and unloading equipment and materials from the back of vehicles. Most employees need to load and unload equipment and materials several times a day. The equipment and materials vary in size, shape and weight. Usually things are lifted to and from the back of the vehicle to and from the ground. Exercise (refer to handout on following slide) In your group, identify any direct and indirect risk factors and the source of risk in the task.

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety

Department of Consumer and Employment Protection Resources Safety 28 Practical exercise 3 Discuss in your group how to change the sources of the risk to eliminate or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders from loading and unloading vehicles. Consider: immediate control measures short-term control measures long-term control measures