Nature Base Manual handling Policy

Legal requirements:

The Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 is the legislation used in Jersey to ensure that employers provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees and volunteers.

Article three of the law requires employers to carry out an assessment of the significant risks to which their company exposes its employees/Volunteers to and to identify and implement the control measures which will reduce those risks.

Where an employer employs five or more employees, they must ensure that the risk assessment is formally recorded and written down.

Manual handling is considered to be a significant risk and it would be expected that this is included in on site risk assessment. Volunteers and employees will be signposted to the ‘Manual Handling’ Risk Policy as part of the Nature Base Forest School Handbook Appendix 4 and 5 during the induction process.

Maximum weights you can lift:

• The law doesn't address manual handling specifically, so doesn't give a maximum weight which can be lifted.

• It's for the employer to determine what is acceptable. Many factors will influence this decision:

• These would include, but not be limited to, considering:

• the individual carrying out the task, e.g. strength, fitness, underlying medical conditions

• the weight to be lifted

• the distance to be carried

• the size and shape of the item

• whether an awkward position has to be taken to move the item

• Nature Base remind volunteers and staff that Health and Safety is the responsibility of everyone; therefore, we would encourage our volunteers and staff to make their own individual Risk Assessments (keeping in mind the ‘General Manual Handling Risk Assessment’). In making their own risk assessment they should consider the above guidelines when faced with lifting and shifting equipment. Where possible they should use the Forest School Trailers and Wagons to support them in moving equipment around the site. Volunteers and Staff should ask for assistance and support where necessary and feel confident to not carry out a task if they feel it may cause injury to themselves or others.

Risk assessment

A risk assessment has been carried out for all sessions and staff/volunteers are reminded to examine a series of questions:

• Does this load of equipment need to be moved at all?

• can it be moved with the support aid of a trailer/wagon? Another person?

• If manually lifting the object is the only option, we encourage volunteers and staff to help reduce the risk by:

• Make the load into smaller or lighter lifts.

• Split up a large items into smaller quantities

• Modify the clear up or reduce the need to twist or lift from floor level or high level where possible.

• Bend knees and adopt a suitable lifting position.

• Use the wagon and trailer where possible.

• Ask for help.

Summary

Manual handling is considered to be a significant risk therefore:

• A risk assessment of this ‘activity’ is required.

• If the load has to be moved, the use of manual handling aids should first be considered e.g. The Forest School wagons/trailers.

• There is no prescribed maximum weight that can be lifted however HSE does provide guidance on weight sizes.

• Training must be relevant to your company’s working practices.

• Training does not negate the need for supervision.

• Training does not negate the need for work practices to be regularly reviewed and improvements identified