3344 Manual handling and ergonomic guidance sheet no.11: Injury prevention – Hands and upper 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 hands, wrists, elbows, arms, shoulders and neck. The guidance assists in the reduction of those risks through identification of hazards, good design and ergonomics advice.

Defining the problem

Physically demanding jobs can load muscles and other soft tissue of the upper limbs, and may lead to disorders of the hand, arms and shoulders. Specific injuries are also reported where tasks have resulted in an impact or trap injury to the hand or fingers.