Module 4
Reducing Manual Handling Risk
Practical controls, from eliminating the task to changing how you do it.
7 minute read
Control risk in order of effectiveness. Changing the task or the equipment beats relying on technique alone, because technique fades when you are tired or rushed.
- Eliminate — can the load be delivered straight to where it is needed?
- Substitute — split a 25 kg carton into two smaller ones
- Engineering — trolleys, conveyors, pallet jacks, lift tables, scissor lifts
- Administrative — task rotation, two-person lifts, realistic pick rates
- Training and technique — the last layer, never the only layer
Warehouse scenario
Inbound overflow
A team unloads a container by hand-stacking cartons onto a pallet on the floor, bending for every carton.
Takeaway: Placing the pallet on a lift table or using a roller conveyor removes most of the bending. That is an engineering control, not a technique fix.
Knowledge check
Which is the most effective control?