Please note if you are a provider registered with CQC, and with premises located in England, CQC is the relevant regulatory body for patient safety matters Show
These pages are for employers and employees in the health and social care sectors involved in moving and handling, particularly those who assess moving and handling needs and carry out handling activities. Owing to the variety of care settings some of this guidance may be useful for people who receive care within their own home. Moving and handling is a key part of the working day for most employees; from moving equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or waste to assisting residents in moving. Poor moving and handling practice can lead to:
You must take action to prevent or minimise the risk of injury.
What you need to knowThe moving and handling of people is a regular task in health and social care, which if not done safely, can cause serious injury to service users and staff. These pages concentrate on reducing the risk from people handling. For general information on factors that can lead to injury, visit the musculoskeletal disorder web pages. For further information on risk assessments for inanimate/object handling please see the manual handling web pages. What the law saysThe following legislation may be relevant for assessing moving and handling risks:
Knowledge Base » Care » Moving and handling in the care sector – Legislation to look out for When working in the care sector, moving and handling is often a considerable part of your job. Here we will cover the different events in which moving and handling is required, the legislation that is in place to protect both you and the people you care for, common injuries that you might face as a result of moving and handling and the steps that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of injury. The Health and Safety Executive found that approximately 120,000 people were injured as a result of manual handling incidents in the last year, and as such it is important for people who are required to participate in moving and handling practices as part of their role to understand how to stay safe and what legislation protects them at work. Moving and handling refers to the act of ‘manual handling of people’In previous years it would often simply be referred to as ‘manual handling’, in the same way that you would speak of moving and living heavy boxes or equipment. It is now termed ‘moving and handling’ in order to differentiate that you are moving and handling people, rather than heavy machinery, and it therefore requires a specific set of legislation. Tasks related to moving and handling Moving and handling in the care sector encompasses any time that you support a person in your care to move. This includes, but is not limited to:
Legislation helps to protect you and those in your care from injuryThe reason that the legislation is so stringent when it comes to moving and handling is so that both employees and those being cared for can stay safe in the care environment. There are a few different legislative documents that come into play here. These are:
All of this legislation will be considered when a care facility writes its moving and handling policy. Each piece of legislation should be followed in order to abide by the guidance, prevent injury and keep everybody safe. These documents outline the responsibilities that employers have towards their staff and members of the public to reduce the risk of injury. The legislation focuses upon reducing risk and risk assessmentsYou will probably be familiar with risk assessments and will likely follow them on a daily basis as part of your workplace policies. Risk assessments are carried out in a multitude of different topics within a care facility. When it specifically comes to moving and handling, formal risk assessments will be conducted into each moving and handling task in order to find the best methods to use to keep everybody safe. These risk assessments will then form part of the employer’s moving and handling policy. Injuries that usually occur as the result of moving and handlingLet’s look specifically at the injuries employees who are responsible for moving and handling are at risk of: muscle injuries, joint injuries and spinal injuries. There is a misconception that these injuries happen as the result of a one-off event, but often injuries occur as the result of repeated strain on a certain area of the body. For example, when supporting a person to get out of bed, you could do this action many, many times before an injury becomes apparent as a result of repetitive strain on that area of your body. A study by the HSE found that 41% of injuries occurred to the upper limbs or neck, 40% to the back and 19% to the lower limbs. This is a combination of injuries resulting from a one-off event and repetitive strain injuries. Each year over 6.9 million working days are lost due to an injury in one of these areas of the body. Injuries can happen even if the workplace has fulfilled all of their legislative requirements and staff perform the manoeuver properly, however the likelihood is reduced if this is the case. This is why the legislation is in place. Injuries can impact upon our mental healthIt is worth being aware that an injury caused by moving and handling can have a knock on effect on your mental health. This is especially apparent if you have a long-term disorder as a result of a moving and handling injury. Taking care of our mental health is as important as taking care of our physical health. If you notice any of these symptoms after a workplace injury has occurred, it is important to seek treatment. Symptoms include low mood, lack of energy, hopelessness, disturbed sleep, changes in weight, feeling useless and low self-esteem. Factors that increase the risk of injury from moving and handlingTypical risk factors that can increase the risk of injury include:
It is the responsibility of your employer to make sure that all of the factors above are alleviated where possible, and if they cannot be entirely eliminated, the moving and handling policy should reflect this and adaptations should be made. Controlling the risk of injuryControlling the risk of injury is often outlined in the risk assessments. When those responsible for writing and implementing the risk assessments first begin their assessments they will take a look at all of the factors above and see what can be put into place to alleviate these issues. This often comes in the form of staffing, training and equipment.
Moving and handling is always going to pose some element of riskIt is down to employers to put the procedures and risk assessments in place to alleviate as much of the risk as possible for their staff and the people in their care. Through training, equipment, staffing and up-to-date policies, many of the risks of moving and handling can be reduced butthere will always be some risk there. Understand the legislation and working safely will reduce this risk to the minimal amount. About the authorSarah is a qualified teacher and has worked in education for almost ten years. After gaining her BA in Teaching and Education (with QTS), Sarah went on to study her MA degree, specialising in Special Educational Needs, more specifically the Autism Spectrum. Sarah spends most of her free time with her rescue pup Buster and her partner. She enjoys yoga, books and scary films. Similar posts
What is meant by moving and handling?Moving and handling is a key part of the working day for most employees; from moving equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or waste to assisting residents in moving. Poor moving and handling practice can lead to: back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can lead to inability to work.
What are the 3 principles of safe moving and handling?Keep the back straight, avoiding twisting or bending. Carry loads with straight arms. Keep the head up and face straight ahead when handling a load. Keep the load hugged in close to the body while moving.
How do you move and handle a patient?If you've assessed the situation and have decided to move the person, make sure you:. never lift above shoulder height.. keep your feet stable.. have a firm hold.. keep any weight close to your body.. keep your back straight and bend your knees.. lift as smoothly as possible.. What is moving and handling NHS?Movement and handling of patients
4.1 The manual lifting of patients should be avoided, so far as reasonably practicable. When patients handling needs are assessed ALL considerations must be made as to how to meet the patients' needs and the safety of staff.
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