Case Studies
Back Injury from Moving Bins
Outline of Project
A council employee allegedly injured his back moving large metal wheeled bins in and out of a bin store. The matter hinged on whether various provisions of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 had been breached. In this case the manual handling involved pushing and pulling rather than lifting. However, the regulations and associated guidance cover this type of manual handling and give suggested limits to the load to be pushed/pulled. The space available was confined and the floor sloped.
Cadogan Consultants visited the site and measured the force required to manipulate the bins. It also reviewed the council’s training records and risk assessments. The conclusion was that the manual handling operation could not have been avoided and that the council had taken the necessary steps to minimise the risk of injury.
Key skills used by Cadogan Consultants
- Mechanical investigation.
- Knowledge of Health and Safety requirements.
- Report writing.
