Where you are required to undertake manual handling work, that work is covered by the Manual Handling Operations 1992, which require an employer to reduce as far as reasonably practicable, the likelihood of you suffering injury from manual handling.
There are many areas of work which necessarily involve manual handling, such as working in the farm workshop, livestock feeding, bedding up animals with bales, pouring chemicals, penning and sorting livestock, estate maintenance tasks including fencing, lifting manhole covers, using brush cutters, horticultural tasks such as moving plants or peat bales or packing produce into boxes. Other activities might include fuelling vehicles in the field, collecting small bales, opening and closing large and heavy gates, knapsack spraying and chopping logs.
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All manual handling operations should be considered to carry a risk of injury and your employer should conduct a risk assessment and take steps to minimise or remove any risks revealed by that risk assessment.
There is usually a solution or a way of preventing the risk of harm and providing mechanical assistance can remove significant levels of risk. Other potential solutions might include fitting a wheel to a long gate to take the weight of the gate or providing a chainsaw on an adjustable saw horse, or a log splitter. |
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer an injury as a result of manual lifting, you may be entitled to claim damages for your injury including a claim for pain and suffering and an award for lost wages, the cost of treatment to aid your recovery and other financial losses.