As in all industries, employers in the brick and refractories sector should consider the risks their staff face through manual handling tasks. Back injuries compensation claims are particularly commonplace in the brick industry - according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), around 44% of all injuries lasting for three days or longer it receives reports of from this sector are sprains, strains and similar manual handling injuries.
A particular risk is that posed when employees pack and inspect fired bricks. A study into the ergonomics of brick packing revealed that this task is particularly risky and can cause musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs and back. The HSE noted that it is a particularly hard job to complete and is hard work by anyone's standards.
Lower back pain is therefore a common problem suffered by these workers. Back strains, pulled muscles and similar injuries are twice as commonplace among these members of staff as they are among the general working population.
While automated brick packing systems have reduced the need for employees to complete this job, workplaces with high defect rates or lower levels of production may not be able to use these systems. As a result, they should closely consider health and safety regulations, identify any hazards and take steps to ameliorate these risks so that employees do not make back injuries compensation claims or suffer from health problems.
What should my business do to prevent back injuries compensation claims?
As in all sectors, properly managing risk is essential if brick sector employers are to prevent back injuries compensation claims and support the wellbeing of their employees.
Businesses should avoid telling staff to complete repetitive, physical or dangerous manual handling jobs whenever possible. Reasonable investments in machinery could help firms do so.
When work cannot be avoided, companies should assess the likelihood of injury and then do all they can to reduce these risks. The workforce and any union health and safety representatives should be consulted and involved in these processes.
A proper risk assessment will consider a number of different factors:
- Work practices
Issues such as shift systems, work rates, job rotation and breaks can impact on a person's likelihood of suffering a personal injury at work and should be considered in a firm's health and safety policy.
- Sizes and locations
The location of items such as monorail jigs, dispatch packs and kiln packs, and their size, will impact their reach heights and distances. Uncomfortable stretches or longer distances are associated with a greater risk of back pain.
- Accidents or injuries associated with the job
Businesses should monitor the injuries employees suffer when completing a job and should put steps in place to prevent similar injuries from occurring again,
- Variation in employee workloads
While experienced staff is less likely to suffer back injuries and have to claim accident at work compensation than inexperienced staff, overtired people are more likely to lift items badly or sprain their backs than those who are rested and relaxed.
How can I train my staff in manual handling in order to prevent back injuries compensation claims?
The HSE suggests that 33% of employee postures in monorail packing and 50% of employee postures in manual packing are dangerous and should be treated with remedial action. While ergonomically-designed working environments can minimise this hazard, staff training to prevent back injuries compensation claims should involve educating workers about the correct postures to take.
Furthermore, people will generally work in the least tiring manner, regardless of whether or not this could cause them to suffer a back injury at work. They will therefore try to carry heavy loads and do as few lifts as possible. As a result, businesses can implement strategies that can prevent them from doing so, such as by designing dispatch packs so they can only carry smaller loads. It can be difficult to train or compel staff to carry lighter loads, as this will require them to do more work.
Structured training should be provided to any employee who conducts dangerous manual handling tasks, and this should be specific to the worker's job. External training systems can often be inadequate, as they can take a more general approach.
Cooperation, trust and communication are a vital part of any health and safety policy. Employees should be able to tell their employers when they feel they are at risk of having an accident at work or when they feel their working practices are putting them at risk of back pain. Back injuries compensation cases can be prevented when employers pay attention to their staff and implement changes based on their recommendations.
A particular risk is that posed when employees pack and inspect fired bricks. A study into the ergonomics of brick packing revealed that this task is particularly risky and can cause musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs and back. The HSE noted that it is a particularly hard job to complete and is hard work by anyone's standards.
Lower back pain is therefore a common problem suffered by these workers. Back strains, pulled muscles and similar injuries are twice as commonplace among these members of staff as they are among the general working population.
While automated brick packing systems have reduced the need for employees to complete this job, workplaces with high defect rates or lower levels of production may not be able to use these systems. As a result, they should closely consider health and safety regulations, identify any hazards and take steps to ameliorate these risks so that employees do not make back injuries compensation claims or suffer from health problems.
What should my business do to prevent back injuries compensation claims?
As in all sectors, properly managing risk is essential if brick sector employers are to prevent back injuries compensation claims and support the wellbeing of their employees.
Businesses should avoid telling staff to complete repetitive, physical or dangerous manual handling jobs whenever possible. Reasonable investments in machinery could help firms do so.
When work cannot be avoided, companies should assess the likelihood of injury and then do all they can to reduce these risks. The workforce and any union health and safety representatives should be consulted and involved in these processes.
A proper risk assessment will consider a number of different factors:
- Work practices
Issues such as shift systems, work rates, job rotation and breaks can impact on a person's likelihood of suffering a personal injury at work and should be considered in a firm's health and safety policy.
- Sizes and locations
The location of items such as monorail jigs, dispatch packs and kiln packs, and their size, will impact their reach heights and distances. Uncomfortable stretches or longer distances are associated with a greater risk of back pain.
- Accidents or injuries associated with the job
Businesses should monitor the injuries employees suffer when completing a job and should put steps in place to prevent similar injuries from occurring again,
- Variation in employee workloads
While experienced staff is less likely to suffer back injuries and have to claim accident at work compensation than inexperienced staff, overtired people are more likely to lift items badly or sprain their backs than those who are rested and relaxed.
How can I train my staff in manual handling in order to prevent back injuries compensation claims?
The HSE suggests that 33% of employee postures in monorail packing and 50% of employee postures in manual packing are dangerous and should be treated with remedial action. While ergonomically-designed working environments can minimise this hazard, staff training to prevent back injuries compensation claims should involve educating workers about the correct postures to take.
Furthermore, people will generally work in the least tiring manner, regardless of whether or not this could cause them to suffer a back injury at work. They will therefore try to carry heavy loads and do as few lifts as possible. As a result, businesses can implement strategies that can prevent them from doing so, such as by designing dispatch packs so they can only carry smaller loads. It can be difficult to train or compel staff to carry lighter loads, as this will require them to do more work.
Structured training should be provided to any employee who conducts dangerous manual handling tasks, and this should be specific to the worker's job. External training systems can often be inadequate, as they can take a more general approach.
Cooperation, trust and communication are a vital part of any health and safety policy. Employees should be able to tell their employers when they feel they are at risk of having an accident at work or when they feel their working practices are putting them at risk of back pain. Back injuries compensation cases can be prevented when employers pay attention to their staff and implement changes based on their recommendations.
Manual handling health and safety regulations and back injuries compensation cases in the brick and refractories sector!