We’re dedicated to ensuring our ship’s company are comfortable, healthy and happy. One of the ways we support them in achieving this is through our quarterly health focuses. May’s health focus for our ships’ company is musculoskeletal health.
Did you know manual handling causes over a third of all workplace injuries? These include work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as pain and injuries to arms, legs and joints, and repetitive strain injuries. Manual handling covers a wide variety of activities including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying. If any of these tasks are not carried out appropriately there is a risk of injury which we obviously want to avoid.
If you need to lift something manually
- Reduce the amount of twisting, stooping and reaching
- Avoid lifting from floor level or above shoulder height, especially heavy loads
- Adjust storage areas to minimise the need to carry out such movements
- Consider how you can minimise carrying distances
- Assess the weight to be carried and whether the worker can move the load safely or needs any help – maybe the load can be broken down to smaller, lighter components
If you need to use lifting equipment
- Consider whether you can use a lifting aid, such as a forklift truck, electric or hand-powered hoist, or a conveyor
- Think about storage as part of the delivery process – maybe heavy items could be delivered directly, or closer, to the storage area
- Reduce carrying distances where possible
For more information check out this manual handling at work booklet.