THE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is about to launch a campaign aimed at preventing ill health from moving and handling materials on construction sites.
The organisation said that moving and handling heavy or bulky objects is ‘needlessly’ harming the health of tens of thousands of workers every year.
The HSE is now warning construction workers that the long-term impact on their health can leave them struggling to stand, walk, or sit down.
From 4 September, HSE inspectors will be carrying out inspections of construction sites, focusing on the health risks of moving and handling materials on site.
Supporting the initiative is HSE’s communications campaign ‘Work Right Construction. Your health. Your future’ (LINK), to raise awareness of the risks when moving and handling materials and provide advice for employers and workers.
Inspections in 2022 found ‘widespread’ methods that can protect workers such as the use of mechanical equipment to handle large glazing panes, using small air bags to help to position heavy doors when being installed, and the use of all-terrain pallet trucks to move blocks and brick-lifters to carry bricks around site.
However, inspectors also found many examples of poor practice, some of which resulted in enforcement action, such as a worker lifting an 80kg kerb on his own without any assistance from machinery, lifting aids or colleagues, and a 110kg floor saw that had to be moved into and out of a work van by two operatives at a street works site.
Matt Birtles, principal ergonomist at HSE, said, “It is important that the issue of manual handling is not downplayed. Serious aches, pains and strains should not be accepted as routine when working in construction. These can dramatically affect every part of someone’s life – with sufferers struggling to get themselves dressed and undressed, and unable to pick up their children or grandchildren.
“The culture of a site may mean many people feel uncomfortable talking about these issues but if your back has gone or if you’re in agony whenever you move your arms, measures need to be put in place to address the causes.”
Mike Thomas, HSE’s acting head of construction division, added, “MSDs affect the lives of tens of thousands of construction workers and can lead to a lifetime of suffering. However, there are simple measures that can be taken to prevent this.
“Everyone involved in construction has a role to play in keeping people safe and healthy. We want everyone in the industry, from designers to contractors and their workers, to be aware of the risks associated with any moving or lifting task and put appropriate measures in place.
“The health of workers must be considered when planning construction work so that they can carry out their jobs without fear of injuring themselves or developing aches, pains and strains, including being provided with the correct equipment to lift and move materials safely.”
