MANUAL HANDLING

Musculoskeletal problems are the largest single cause of absence from work in developed countries which not surprisingly surfaces as a significant cause of seeking medical help. Musculoskeletal problems like the name suggests are problems involving muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones which could be in any region of the body but usually occurs around joints. Common complaints typifying this problem include pain in the back, arms, legs, neck, fingers with or without swelling and limited movement in the affected part usually not quickly linked back to occupation remains the big issue. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) like many occupational health conditions can be caused or aggravated by work related factors when unspotted as a cause in the hospital leaves opportunities for recurrence. Musculoskeletal disorders are triggered during pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, hoisting and stretching activities.

Manual handling offers opportunities for all these activities - lifting, stretching, twisting, pushing, pulling, bending, and hoisting particularly frequent in packaging, assembly, construction work, health care industries etc. Manual handling no matter how simple doesn’t support normal human anatomical functions especially with poor posturing. It occurs when an individual physically interacts with a load. The term “load” used here describes any object which can be supported in order to remain stationary or moved around as a result of human efforts, it maybe inanimate such as machinery, supplies, tools or animate including human beings.

In Nigeria, vocations related to manual handling account for most of the activities engaged by unskilled laborers such as “Kpon Kpon” – load transporters or “Kole Kole” – waste dispensers. However activities considerably similar to these are often undertaken in the workplace. For instance, in the course of construction jobs, bricklayers are often seen carrying bags of cement (sometimes as many as 2 or 3) on their heads and climbing long staircases; at an assembly plant employees may often carry heavy parts from one place to another, in engineering jobs movement of load such as equipment, or defective parts is a common activity. In healthcare, Doctors, Nurses and other team members frequently support to standing position, transfer from lying to sitting or standing or to a wheel chair, change patients position on bed

Watch out for full article including prevention strategies this coming Saturday……