Manual Handling, DSE & Ergonomics

Which of these tasks counts as manual handling under HSE's definition?

• ADriving a forklift truck with a pallet on the forks
• BOperating an electric hoist to lift an engine
• CWatching a conveyor belt carry parcels into the van
• DHelping a care-home resident up from a chair✓

Answer: Manual handling means transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force, and HSE says a load can be an object, a person or an animal. Helping a resident up uses your own bodily force to support a person, so it is manual handling. A forklift, a hoist and a conveyor move the load mechanically, so the person is not supporting it by hand or bodily force.

According to HSE, manual handling is one of the main causes of which group of conditions?

• AMusculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain✓
• BSkin conditions, such as dermatitis
• CHearing conditions, such as tinnitus
• DRespiratory conditions, such as asthma

Answer: Manual handling injuries are part of the wider group of musculoskeletal disorders, which includes injuries and conditions causing pain to the back, joints and limbs. HSE says manual handling is one of the main causes of these disorders, particularly back pain, and that heavy labour, repetitive handling and awkward postures are all risk factors. Asthma, dermatitis and hearing damage come from other hazards, not from lifting and carrying.

A colleague in the warehouse insists the law bans anyone from lifting more than 25 kg. What does HSE's guidance actually say?

• AThere are no legal weight limits, only guideline filters that are not safe limits✓
• BThe limits are 25 kg for men and 16 kg for women, and they are written into the Regulations
• CAny load over 15 kg needs a written assessment, signed before it is lifted
• DLifts over 20 kg are banned for one person, unless a supervisor has agreed to them

Answer: The Manual Handling Regulations do not set specific weight limits, so HSE's guideline figures for lifting and lowering are filters for identifying low-risk tasks and are not 'safe limits'. The figures come from population lifting-capacity data, and working outside them is likely to increase the risk of injury rather than break a fixed legal threshold. Fixed limits of 25 kg, 20 kg or 15 kg are not in the law or the guidance.

The Manual Handling Regulations set out a hierarchy of measures that employers must follow. What comes first in that hierarchy?

• AAssess the risk of injury from each handling task
• BAvoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable✓
• CRecord the weight of every load in a handling register
• DReduce the risk by training every worker in good lifting technique

Answer: The hierarchy in the Manual Handling Regulations is to avoid hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable, then assess the risk from any that cannot be avoided, then reduce that risk to as low as reasonably practicable. Avoiding comes first, for example by not moving the load or by using mechanical aids such as a conveyor or an electric pallet truck. Assessment and reduction follow only for handling that cannot be avoided, and a weight register is not part of the hierarchy at all.

You are lifting a box of printer paper from a trolley onto a desk. According to HSE's good handling technique, where should the load be while you lift?

• AResting on one hip, with your free hand on the trolley
• BHeld out in front at arm's length, so that you can see your feet
• CClose to your waist, with the heaviest side next to your body✓
• DRaised above chest height, so that your back stays fully upright

Answer: HSE's technique says to keep the load close to your waist for as long as possible while lifting, with the heaviest side next to your body. If you cannot get close to the load, slide it towards your body before you try to lift it. Holding the box at arm's length, on one hip or above chest height moves the weight away from your body or forces an awkward posture, which increases the strain on your back.

At the very start of a lift from the floor, which posture does HSE's good handling technique describe as preferable?

• AA slight bend of the back, hips and knees✓
• BBending fully from the back, with the legs straight
• CA full deep squat, with the back kept vertical
• DKneeling on one knee, with the load on your thigh

Answer: Slight bending of the back, hips and knees at the start of a lift is preferable to either fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing the hips and knees (a full or deep squat). HSE also warns not to flex the back any further during the lift, which can happen if the legs straighten before the load starts to rise. A deep squat, a full stoop and kneeling with the load on the thigh are not the starting positions the guidance recommends.

A delivery driver asks you to help carry a large fridge from his van into the shop. You are not confident you can manage your end safely. What does HSE's guidance advise?

• ACarry it on your own, holding it away from your body for better balance
• BSeek advice or get help rather than attempt more than you can manage✓
• CTry lifting it once, and put it down again if you feel any pain
• DLift it anyway, because what you can lift is what you can lift safely

Answer: HSE says not to lift or handle more than you can easily manage, and that if in doubt you should seek advice or get help. There is a difference between what people are able to lift and what they can safely lift, and planning a lift includes asking whether you need help or a handling aid. Trying it and stopping when it hurts, lifting regardless or carrying the fridge away from your body all accept a risk the guidance tells you to avoid.

After a week of unpacking heavy deliveries you have developed a nagging ache in your lower back. What does HSE's guidance encourage you to do?

• AReport the ache early, before it gets more serious✓
• BWait until the pain stops you working before you mention it
• CSwitch to lifting with a straight back and say nothing
• DBuy yourself a back-support belt, and carry on as normal

Answer: HSE encourages workers to report any signs and symptoms of a manual handling injury to their employer or worker representative at an early stage, before they become more serious, so steps can be taken to reduce the risk. Early reporting may lead to advice from an occupational health provider and changes to the task. Waiting until you cannot work, buying a belt or quietly changing your technique all delay that action while the injury develops.

Which of these workers would HSE class as a 'DSE user' covered by the Display Screen Equipment Regulations?

• AA chef who glances at the kitchen's online-order screen once or twice every hour
• BA receptionist who is on a PC daily for continuous spells of an hour or more✓
• CA delivery driver who glances at a satnav screen now and then
• DA cleaner who checks a rota on a tablet for ten minutes at the start of each shift

Answer: The Display Screen Equipment Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more, and HSE calls these workers 'DSE users'. They do not apply to people who use DSE infrequently or only for short spells, although the same workstation controls may still be useful to them. Occasional glances at a satnav or an order screen and a ten-minute check of a tablet fall short of that daily, continuous use.

Bright sunlight from the window behind your desk is reflecting off your screen. Which change follows HSE's advice on glare?

• AAdjust the blinds, or move the screen so it is not directly facing the window✓
• BTilt the screen towards the window so the light falls on it evenly
• CTurn the brightness up to maximum, so it overpowers the reflection
• DWear sunglasses at your desk on the brightest days

Answer: HSE says to arrange the desk and screen to avoid glare or bright reflections, which is often easiest if the screen is not directly facing windows or bright lights, and to adjust curtains or blinds to prevent intrusive light. Brightness and contrast should be adjusted to suit the lighting in the room, not pushed to maximum to fight a reflection. Sunglasses and tilting the screen into the light leave the glare problem in place.

A colleague tells you the law entitles DSE users to exactly 10 minutes' break every hour. What does HSE's guidance actually say about breaks?

• AThe law sets 20 minutes every two hours, which every employer must build into the timetable
• BThe law sets 5 minutes every hour for anyone who works at a screen
• CThere is no legal figure, but short frequent breaks are better than long infrequent ones✓
• DThe law leaves breaks entirely up to the worker, so employers do not have to plan for them

Answer: The law does not set how long or how often breaks from display screen work should be; it depends on the kind of work being done. HSE's advice is to take short breaks often rather than longer ones less often, for example 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours, and ideally users should be able to choose when to take them. Employers must still plan work so that breaks or changes of activity happen, so the law neither fixes a figure nor leaves breaks entirely to the worker.

You are a DSE user and ask your employer for an eye test. The optician finds you need glasses specifically for screen work. What does HSE say your employer must pay for?

• AThe test and a basic pair of frames and lenses for DSE work✓
• BThe eye test, plus whatever frames and lenses you decide to choose
• CHalf of the eye test and half of any glasses you need
• DThe eye test only, leaving any glasses to your own expense

Answer: If a DSE user asks for an eye test the employer must provide one, and if the test shows glasses are needed specifically for DSE work the employer must pay for a basic pair of frames and lenses. The employer does not have to pay for expensive frames, or for glasses at all if the user's normal glasses are suitable for screen work. Charging the user for the glasses or splitting the cost falls short of what the Regulations require, and there is no obligation to fund any frames the user fancies.