3345 Manual handling and ergonomic guidance sheet no.12: Injury prevention – Back and lower limbs

Overview:

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The EI has created a set of 12 good practice guidance sheets for typical manual handling and ergonomic tasks in offshore energy industries. This guidance sheet focuses covers managing factors that influence the way manual handling tasks are performed.

These factors may result from the job design, individual differences or the organisational pressure. Optimising the performance influencing factors will improve the efficiency of the work done and reduce the risk of errors and injuries. This sheet provides guidance for managers and supervisors on how to identify and manage these factors, as well as information for individuals to consider.

These 12 guidance sheets are designed to assist managers and supervisors to tackle hazards and reduce risks that are currently leading to reportable, lost time injuries offshore, and encourage an ergonomic approach to managing risks associated with manual tasks and recorded injuries.

The guidance sheets are grouped into three categories based on the information they cover:

*            management guidance (RED);

*            tasks (GREEN), and

*            injury prevention case studies (BLUE).

Each sheet can be read on its own, but is best read in conjunction with other relevant sheets – which are suggested at the bottom of each sheet.

What this sheet covers

Risks of cumulative and sudden injuries to the upper and lower back, legs, knees, ankles and feet.

The guidance assists in reduction of those risks through hazard identification, good design and ergonomics advice for Managers, Supervisors, Teams and Individuals.

Defining the problem

Loading on the muscles and other soft tissues in the back and lower limbs can result from a range of factors in physically demanding jobs. This loading can lead to discomfort and disorders of the back and legs. Specific injuries may also be reported where tasks place sudden forceful loading on the back, in particular if unexpected (e.g. loss of grip, a slip or trip).