Manual handling

Manual handling is part of everyday life on farms, from using heavy tools and handling livestock animals to carrying tools and equipment. But these routine tasks are a common cause of injury in agriculture, and the long-term effects can be more serious than many realise. Back and joint injuries often go unnoticed or untreated for years, only to become painful, life-limiting problems later on. Understanding how to assess risks and use safe lifting techniques can help protect both you and your team.

What is manual handling?

Manual handling means any activity that involves transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force. This includes lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying.

Some of the most frequent tasks putting you at risk include:

Carrying bags of feed, seed or fertiliser
Handling animals and moving gates
Lifting machinery, equipment or tools
Stacking bales or produce
Fuelling or maintaining machinery
Using knapsack sprayers or carrying heavy loads over uneven ground

While these activities are often unavoidable, poor lifting technique, repetitive movements or awkward postures can all lead to injuries or health problems.

Injuries can be both immediate and long-term, and even short, simple tasks can cause injury if not done safely. Common injuries include back pain and slipped discs, sprains and strains, hernias, sciatica and work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs) such as elbow tendonitis and shoulder bursitis. They can all cause significant discomfort and may lead to time off work or even permanent disability.

Plan, assess and act

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to avoid hazardous manual handling wherever possible. If it can’t be avoided, the task must be assessed and risks minimised.

Before starting any job, stop and think:

Plan the task – is manual lifting necessary, or could it be done by a suitable piece of machinery?
Assess the load – consider the weight, size, shape and stability of what needs to be moved or handled.
Assess the environment – are there obstacles, poor lighting, uneven surfaces or cramped spaces affecting your ability to do the job safely?
Assess individual capability – is the person physically able to carry out the lift safely?

Where possible, use mechanical aids such as trolleys, loaders, hoists or bulk containers designed for mechanical lifting.

Good lifting techniques

If manual lifting is unavoidable, following good technique is essential:

Bend your knees, not your back and use your leg muscles to lift.
Get a firm grip of the load and make sure you have a good footing before lifting.
Keep the load close to your body at waist height.
Keep your back straight and your head up as you lift.
Avoid twisting your body and turn by moving your feet, not your spine.
Work with others for heavy or awkward loads and do not lift more than you can safely handle.

Reducing risks

Remember, proper lifting technique is not a substitute for wider controls to reduce manual handling risks:

Reorganise storage areas so heavy or frequently used items are at waist height.
Provide training on safe handling and correct posture.
Maintain pathways and yards to ensure good underfoot conditions.
Provide mechanical aids where possible.

Remember, prevention is always better than a cure. Planning, proper equipment and good lifting habits help protect everyone from unnecessary injury.