WorkSafe Victoria have some great new free online tools to help you identify and control the risks relating to hazardous manual handling at work.  It is a legal requirement that employers risk assess all hazardous manual handling task in consultation with employees, and up until now this has been difficult to document.  The new documents are PDF forms that can be completed either on a printed or soft copy and are very simple to follow, with lots of checkboxes.  The suite of documents includes:

1. Video – to explain what is required.
2. Survey – to circulate to employees to help identify tasks at work that cause discomfort and potential injuries, assisting meet consultation requirements.
3. Hazard ID tool – to identify and record work that involves postures, movements or forces that are hazardous, and record and monitor risk controls.
4. Risk Assessment and Control tool – to identify if work involving manual handling is hazardous, determine if there is a risk of injury and manage the risks in your workplace.

Here is the video:

The 3 documents include:

1. Discomfort survey https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/discomfort-survey
2. Hazardous manual handling identification tool https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/hazardous-manual-handling-identification-tool
3. Hazardous manual handling risk assessment and control tool https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/resources/hazardous-manual-handling-risk-assessment-and-control-tool

WorkSafe Victoria is also offering free Manual Handling Basics courses for SMEs. For guidance on Manual Handling go to https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/hazardous-manual-handling

WorkSafe Victoria also promote this tool https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/support-your-business-aphirm-toolkit Developed by La Trobe University, APHIRM stands for A Participative Hazard Identification and Risk Management. It’s a free, cloud-based toolkit that helps employers manage hazardous manual handling and other factors that can cause MSDs.

If you feel like these tools would be a great way to help you meet your requirements to Risk Assess your hazardous manual handling, and you would like some assistance with implementation, please let me know.