Manual Handling
Manual Handling
The information and resources provided below are designed the support Part 3 Section 11 of Policy 2 – Work Health and Safety concerning manual handling.
Workstation Ergonomics
Postural discomfort and musculoskeletal injury are identified as workplace health and safety risks for staff who work at a computer workstation or who perform highly sedentary roles, particularly if the same position is maintained for extended periods of time.
Changing your posture frequently is the most effective strategy to minimise musculoskeletal discomfort for computer-based work. Regardless of how well your computer desk is setup - move often!
You can do this by:
- Using prompts/reminders to get up and move e.g. desktop timers/reminders
- Taking the stairs instead of the lift - even for part of the journey
- Walk to a colleague rather than always emailing or phoning (when appropriate)
- Walking to the printer/fax/photocopier/rubbish bin
- Varying work tasks to change posture frequently throughout the day
- Eating your lunch away from your desk, going for a walk outside if possible
- Taking part in lunch time stretches/exercise sessions
- Aiming to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week – you/your co-workers may form a group that walk after work or at lunch time.
Computer workstation setup
The regular review of your computer workstation set up and management of tasks aims to identify and rectify issues before they are problematic e.g. address a minor postural discomfort before it becomes a musculoskeletal injury. A well-designed workstation that has been adjusted correctly can also reduce the risk of exposure to musculoskeletal injuries and improve your overall comfort and productivity.
This Workstation Ergonomics Self-Assessment is provided so you can correctly use and adjust your own workstation.