DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

II: OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

MODULE 5: MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE
OBJECTIVES:
1. demonstrate methods of safe manual handling;
2. discuss safe procedures in mechanical handling; and,
3. enumerate standard requirements on materials storage.

Materials handling and storage is a technique which includes the art of lifting, placing, storing or
movement of materials through the use of one’s physical strength or appropriate handling
equipment. Materials handling has two general classifications: manual materials handling and
mechanical materials handling.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/mmhintro.html

I. Manual Materials Handling

Manual materials handling (MMH) means moving or handling things by lifting, lowering,
pushing, pulling, carrying, holding, or restraining using one’s physical strength. MMH is also the
most common cause of occupational fatigue, low back pain and lower back injuries. It is riskier than
one might think as it could lead to strains, sprains, wounds, fractures, and hernias.

Remember to stop and think before lifting any load and ask yourself whether there is an
even safer way to do the job.

What makes manual materials handling hazardous?

MMH is always hazardous but the level of hazard depends on what you are handling, what
the task is, and what the conditions are at the workplace or work site. For example, the material
or load that you are handling may be:
 too heavy for the task that you are doing
 located too high or low for a safe lift
 too big or may have a shape that makes it hard to handle
 wet, slippery, or have sharp edges that makes it hard to grasp
 unstable or can shift its center of gravity because the contents may flow (e.g., a partially
filled drum or concrete in a wheelbarrow)
 too big to let you see where you are putting your feet

The task can make MMH hazardous if a worker:

 uses poor lifting techniques (lifting too fast, too often, too long, with back bent, while
twisting or reaching too far, etc.)

1|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 has to move material over long distances

 does not take appropriate rest breaks
 has insufficient recovery time
 has a combination of handling tasks (e.g. lifting, carrying and lowering).
The conditions where you are working can also contribute to hazards of MMH and result in injuries.
Examples of these conditions are:
 surfaces that are uneven, sloping, wet, icy, slippery, unsteady, etc.
 differences in floor levels or elevations
 poor housekeeping
 inadequate lighting
 cold or very hot and humid working environment
 windy conditions
 fast pace of work
 restricted movement because of clothing or lack of space

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/push1.html

Manual materials handling also involve pushing and pulling motions at work. You use various
pushing and pulling techniques in a wide range of activities, such as:
 using manual carts and trucks
 sliding objects such as cartons on flat surfaces (tables, floors, etc.)
 operating tools and controls
 opening and closing doors
 wrapping or enclosing objects in packaging materials

Because these actions are among the most common work activities, they are also the cause of many
injuries. However, there are no comprehensive injury statistics. The injuries resulting from these
activities are not always recorded very specifically as well.

Most common are overexertion injuries (e.g., back strain). Injuries due to slips and falls are also
often associated with pushing and pulling. Additionally, injuries to fingers and hands can result
when caught in, on, or between objects (e.g., between a cart and the wall) and to lower legs when
bumped by carts. Therefore, existing statistics do not reflect the importance of pushing and pulling
as work factors causing injury because the injuries fall into different categories making them
difficult to analyze.

Because of the complex nature of body motion during pushing and pulling, no numerical standard
has yet been developed that can be directly applied in industry.

Many factors affect the amount of force that you exert in a horizontal push and pull:
 body weight and strength
 height of force application

2|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 direction of force application

 distance of force application from the body
 posture (bending forward or leaning backward)
 friction coefficient (amount of friction or grip between floors and shoes)
 duration and distance of push or pull

Tables 1 and 2 contain the upper force limits for horizontal and vertical pushing and pulling. They
indicate the amount of force that you can exert safely. It is important to be aware that the forces in
the tables are not the same as the weight of objects being pushed and pulled. This means that you
cannot use these upper force limits as recommendations for weight limits that can be pushed or
pulled in the workplace. Only trained personnel using special equipment can measure the forces
exerted by a worker.

The values in Table 1 show the upper limits of forces for horizontal pushing and pulling. These limits
should not be exceeded in work situations. In fact, it is better and safer if pushing and pulling tasks
require lower forces, particularly, where the task requires:
 pushing or pulling an object when the hands must be above the shoulder or below the
waist level
 exerting a force for longer than 5 seconds
 exerting a force at an angle not directly in front of the body, e.g., not "straight on"
 where a worker can support his body (or feet) against a firm structure higher forces (up
to 675N or about 165 lbf or 75 kgf) can be developed

Table 1 Recommended Upper Force Limits for Horizontal Pushing and Pulling*
Condition Forces that should not be Examples of Activities
exceeded, in newtons
(Kgf, lbf)**
A. Standing 225 N (50 lbf or 23 kgf) Truck and cart handling.
1. Whole body involved Moving equipment on
wheels or casters. Sliding
rolls on shafts.
2. Primary arm and shoulder 110 N (24 lbf or 11 kgf) Leaning over an obstacle to
muscles, arms fully move an object. Pushing an
extended object at or above shoulder
height.
B. Kneeling 188 N (42 lbf or 19 kgf) Removing or replacing a
component from equipment
as in maintenance work.
Handling in confined work
areas such as tunnels or
large conduits.
C. Seated 130 N (29 lbf or 13 kgf) Operating a vertical lever,

3|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

such as a floor shift on

heavy equipment. Moving
trays or a product on and off
conveyors.
* adopted from: Ergonomic design for people at work. Vol. 2, by Eastman Kodak Company, Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1986
** Units of force are: newton (N), kilogram force (Kgf), pound force (lbf); 10N is about the same as 1 Kgf or 2 lbf.
The values in each unit system - newtons, kilogram force and pound force, respectively - are provided in the
table because all are used in the literature and on instruments, depending on the country of origin.

The values in Table 2 show the upper limits of forces for vertical pushing and pulling.
Examples of the use of vertical force are operating controls and hand tools. Such
activities tend to be of a repetitive nature and physically more demanding than
occasional pushing or pulling. Therefore, these tasks should be designed for
considerably lower force requirements than those shown in Table 2.
Table 2 Recommended Upper Force Limits for Vertical Pushing and Pulling*
Conditions Upper Limit of Force in Examples of Activities
newtons, (lbf, kgf)**
Pull down, above head 540 N (120 lbf or 55 kgf) Activating a control, hook
height 200 N (45 lbf or 20 kgf) grip; such as a safety
shower handle or manual
control
Operating a chain hoist,
power grips; less than 5 cm
(2 in) diameter grip surface
Pull down, shoulder level 315 N (70 lbf or 32 kgf) Activating a control, hook
grip. Threading up
operations as in paper
manufacturing and
stringing cable.
Pull up, 315 N (70 lbf or 32 kgf) 148 Lifting an object with one
-25 cm (10 in) above the N (33 lbf or 15 kgf) 75 N (17 hand Raising a lid or access
floor -Elbow height - lbf or 7,5 kgf) port cover, palm up
Shoulder height
Push down, elbow height 287 N (64 lbf or 29 kgf) Wrapping, packing; Sealing
cases
Push up, shoulder height 202 N (45 lbf or kgf) Raising a corner or end of
(boosting) an object, like a pipe or
beam. Lifting an object to a
high shelf.

* adopted from: Ergonomic design for people at work. Vol. 2, by Eastman Kodak Company, Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1986

4|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

** Units of force are: newton (N), kilogram force (Kgf), pound force (lbf); 10N is about the same as 1 Kgf or 2 lbf.
The values in each unit system - newtons, kilogram force and pound force, respectively - are provided in the
table because all are used in the literature and on instruments, depending on the country of origin.

What types of protective clothing should be worn?

DO WEAR
 lightweight, flexible, tear and puncture-resistant clothing,
 safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant soles, and
 protective gloves, appropriate for the materials being handled.

DO NOT WEAR
 aprons, coats,
 clothing with exposed buttons, zippers or loose flaps, or
 heavy duty mitts.

Manual handling guides

1. Shoveling guidelines

Keep feet wide apart. Place front foot close to shovel. Put weight on front foot. Use leg to push shovel.

5|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Shift weight to rear foot. Keep load close to body. Turn feet in direction of throw

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/shovel.html#_1_1

2. Digging guidelines

Slide load close to body. Ensure load

is loose from ground before lifting.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/generalpractice.html?print#_1_1

3. Lifting guidelines

Before lifting…
 Always check to see if mechanical aids such as hoists, lift trucks, dollies, or wheelbarrows
are available.
 Get help with heavy or awkward loads.
 Assess and identify the weight of the load.
 Be sure that you can lift the load without over-exertion.
 Be sure that the load is "free" to move.
 Check if the planned location of the load is free of obstacles and debris.
 Be sure that the path to the planned location of the load is clear. Grease, oil, water, litter
and debris can cause slips and falls.
 Particular handling and lifting techniques are needed for different kinds of loads or
materials being handled (for example, compact loads, small bags, large sacks, drums,
barrels, cylinders, sheet materials like metal or glass).
 Do not lift if you are not sure that you can handle the load safely.

6|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

General tips for lifting

 Examine the load and the surrounding area prior to lifting.
 Prepare for the lift by warming up the muscles.
 Stand close to the load and face the way you intend to move.
 Use a wide stance to gain balance.
 Be sure you have a good grip on the load.
 Look forward to keep back straight
 Keep arms straight.
 Tighten abdominal muscles.
 Tuck chin into the chest.
 Initiate the lift with body weight.
 Use muscle power of the legs in lifting
 Lift the load as close to the body as possible.
 Lift smoothly without jerking.
 Avoid twisting and side bending while lifting.

Human Body

7|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/compactloads.html?print#_1_2

A. Lifting a compact load

A compact load can be lifted between the knees.

Remember to:
 Stand close behind the load.
 Straddle the load:

8|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

o Place the leading foot flat beside the load in the direction
of travel.
o Place the rear in the direction of travel.
 Bend the hips and knees.
 Keep your back straight.

When lifting…
 Grasp the load with elbows inside the thighs:
o Use a power grasp for loads with handles.
o Use slings or hooks to improve grasp when loads do not
have handles.
o Use blocks under loads without handles to make lifting
them up easier and safer.
o Use a ledge grasp for loads without handles.
 Grasp with one hand at the outer, upper corner, over the
leading foot and the other hand on the lower, opposite
corner.
 Lean forward with the rear arm straight. This position gets
the load moving.
 Stand up by thrusting off with the back leg and continuing
in an upward and forward direction.
 Keep the load close to the body.
 Keep the rear arm straight.
 Move off without twisting the body.

When putting a load down…

 Take a wide stance with one foot in front of the other.
 Keep the load close to the body.
 Keep the back straight.
 Bend the hips and knees.
 Set the load down onto the ground.
 Keep the load tilted to avoid bruising fingers.
 Remove fingers from under the load.
 Stand up smoothly, easing muscles.
 Avoid jerky releases.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/compactbags.html

B. Lifting compact bags

The best way to handle a bag depends on its size, weight and how far it is to be carried.

9|Page
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

When lifting, remember to:

 Straddle the end of the bag.
 Bend the hips and knees.
 Keep the back straight.
 Grasp the bag with both hands under the closer end. Keep elbows inside the thighs.
 Lean forward, straightening the knees to set the bag upright.
 Readjust the straddle position moving feet closer to the bag.
 Readjust the grasp, with one hand clasping the bag against the body and the other under
it.
 Stand up by thrusting off with the back leg and continuing in an upward and forward
direction.
 Thrust the bag up with the knee while straightening the body.
 Put the bag on the shoulder opposite the knee used to thrust the bag up.
 Stabilize the bag on the shoulder.
 Move off without bending sideways.

When lowering the bag…

 Avoid unloading a bag from the shoulder directly to floor level. Use an intermediate
platform or get help from your coworker.
 Stand close to the platform.
 Place one foot in front of the platform.
 Bend hips and knees.
 Keep the back straight.
 Ease the bag off the shoulder and put it upright on the platform.
 Pull the bag slightly over the edge of the platform.
 Stand close to the platform with the bag touching the chest.
 Clasp the bag against the body with one hand, the other hand holding bottom of the bag.
 Step back.
 Bend hips and knees, keeping back straight.
 Ease the bag on the floor.

10 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/sacks.html

C. Lifting sacks

C.1. Heavy/large sacks - Lift heavy and large sacks in two stages using an intermediate platform.
When lifting, remember to:
 Straddle the end of the sack.
 Bend the hips and knees.
 Keep the back straight.
 Grasp the bag with both hands under the end closest to you. Keep elbows inside the
thighs.
 Lean forward and straighten the knees to set the bag upright.
 Move your feet closer to the sack.
 Squat with the sack between the thighs with one foot flat on the floor in front of the
other.
 Grasp with elbow inside the thighs. With one hand clasp the sack against the body and the
other hand is holding the bottom of the sack.
 Stand up in one smooth motion.
 Place the sack upright on the platform.
 Place one foot in front of the other with the front foot along side of the platform.
 Bend the hips and knees and keep the back straight.
 Put one shoulder against the sack.
 Readjust your grasp.
 Lean the sack on the shoulder.
 Stand up and straighten the hips and knees.

C.2. Bulky sacks - Bulkier sacks are easier to carry on your back. Lift onto your back from a platform
as described above.
 Move the sack to the edge of the platform.
 Put your back against the sack.
 Grasp with both hands on the upper corners of the sack.

11 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Ease the sack onto the back, bending hips and knees
 before taking the weight.
 Keep the back straight.
 Stand up and straighten the hips and knees.
 Stabilize the sack.
 Move away without bending sideways.

C.3. "Two-person lift and stack"

 Position one person on either side of the sack.
 Squat with one foot balancing behind the sack.
 Keep back straight.
 Grasp with the outer and on the upper corner, the other holding the bottom of the sack.

On one person's command:

 Stand up and straighten the hips and knees.
 Move towards the stack
 Put the sack on the stack

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/drums.html?print

D. Lifting drums and barrels

Handling drums and barrels can be dangerous. Do not handle drums and barrels without
training.

Raising drums from the ground

 Use mechanical aids whenever possible. Do not attempt to raise a full drum alone.
 Make sure that the drum is empty before raising it.
 Stand at the end of the drum.
 Place one foot forward at the side of the drum, the other behind.
 Bend your hips and knees.
 Keep the back straight.
 Grasp the rim about 15 cm from the ground with the elbows inside thighs.

12 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Stand up by thrusting off with the back leg and continuing in an upward and forward
direction.
 Bring the back leg forward as if you are walking. Keep close to the drum.
Stop at the balance point to change hand grip.
 Set the drum on its base by moving back leg forward. Use the body weight as a counter
balance.

Two-person lift
 Use two people to lift a full drum.
 Use the same technique as with one person, but have two people squatting at either side
of the drum.

Moving a standing drum

 Stand close to the drum with feet apart. One foot at the front and the other behind.
 Keep knees slightly flexed.
 Put your hands firmly against upper rim of the drum.
 Keep arms straight with the elbows "locked".
 Rock the drum gently to get the feel of its contents before you move it.
 Push the top of the drum away by extending the back leg and shifting your body weight
onto your front leg.
 Stop tilting the drum at the balance point. Use back leg as a counter
balance.

13 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Should drums be lifted manually when they are stacked?

No. Always use cranes or lift trucks to stack drums.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/sheetmaterials.html

E. Lifting sheet materials

Handling sheet material single-handed is always difficult and hazardous.
A. Store the sheet materials at a convenient height above ground.
B. Do not lift and carry sheets without training.

What should be done when lifting sheet material?

 Stand close to the pile of sheets in a walking stance.
 Grasp sheet firmly at the mid-point of its long side with the closer hand.
 Pull sheet up and toward the body.
 Change grip using your other hand and put your fingers on top of the sheet.
 Pull sheet up to the vertical position and to the side until one half is off the pile.
 Grasp the lower edge of the sheet with the free hand and support the hand by placing it
on your knee.
 Stand up without bending and twisting body.

14 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

What should be done when carrying the load?

 Use drywall carts to carry sheet materials.
 Get help from another person where carts are not available.
 Apply carrying handles for manual carrying.
 Always use gloves and carrying handle for glass and other materials with sharp edges.

II. Mechanical materials handling

As the name suggests, this pertains to use of rigid, manually or mechanically-powered
equipment mainly for handling bulky and heavy items.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/mechanicalaids_transport1.html?print

A. Manually powered materials handling equipment reduce physical effort, making materials
handling easier and safer. Here are some tips when using mechanical aids:

 Check for the availability of mechanical aids before lifting or moving loads.
 Do not operate any equipment if you are not trained to use it.
 Keep the equipment in good operating condition. It saves effort while transporting loads.
 Select the right equipment to complete the task.

15 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Specific tasks or objects require specialized equipment.

 Do not operate any equipment if you are not trained to use that equipment.
 Keep the equipment in good operating condition. It saves effort while transporting loads.

Here are some manually powered materials handling equipment:

 Use rolling platforms to assist in carrying and handling heavy objects where limited space
does not allow for comfortable body position.

Use a hand truck to move bulky objects.

Use a shelf truck to move a variety of objects.

16 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Use a platform truck to move heavy, irregularly shaped objects.

 Use a semi-live skid for temporary storage.

17 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Select the rack or bin that suits the task and mount on semi-live skid or
platform truck.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/mechanicalaids_transport2.html

Select a stair climbing truck when moving load on stairs.

 Choose a sturdy frame hand truck with larger wheels to move materials in rough terrain.
Additional set of handles allows for assistance.

18 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Use a pump truck to move materials stored on pallets.

 Move and dump waste materials with dump trucks.

Move and empty drums with tilting drum cradles and drum dollies.

 Handle sheet materials with an "A" frame hand truck or dolly.

19 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

B. Mechanically-powered materials handling equipment are classified into two: lifting equipment
and transport equipment. Lifting equipment includes a variety of items for lifting heavy and bulky
items with minimal human intervention such as hoists and cranes. Transport equipment, on the
other hand, consists of forklifts, dump trucks, trailers and conveyors among others.

To ensure safe operation of mechanically-powered handling equipment, the following precautions

must be observed:
 A worker must not operate an equipment if he is not trained to use it;
 Operators must be certified and authorized;
 Operators must be trained in safety and health involving handling equipment operation;
and,
 Equipment must be properly maintained and regularly inspected.

In both manually-powered and mechanically-powered materials handling equipment, you can use
accessories such as ropes, chains or steel/plastic straps to secure loads and prevent them from
sliding or falling from the equipment.

Ropes
 You should know what particular rope can handle particular tasks/loads.
 Keep rope in good condition all the time.

Chains
 Do not let chains get kinked, knotted or twisted.

Steel and plastic straps

 Make sure straps are not too loose or tight.
 Do not lift by the strap unless the same is designed for that purpose.

III. Workspace lay-out

20 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Workspace is the area within which you perform the tasks that add up to your job. The
physical design of a workspace includes setting the amount of space needed and the positioning of
furniture, tools, equipment and any other items necessary to perform the tasks, in respect to
proper posture, access, clearance, reach and vision of the user.

Poor design of the workspace or bad arrangement of furniture or equipment, may result in
injuries and strains due to adoption of uncomfortable working postures, less 'spare' capacity to deal
with unexpected events or emergencies, increased possibility of errors or accidents, and
inefficiency.

How do you optimize your workspace for maximum protection and productivity?

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/workspacelayout.html?print

The layout or organization of the work area must allow materials to be handled without
excessive bending, twisting and stretching reduces injuries.
 Have all materials at work level.

 Use adjustable elements at the workplace.

Workbench with adjustable height and tilt improves working position.

 Self-adjusting platform automatically matches worker's height.

21 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Ensure that there is enough room to turn around to prevent twisting.

Use adjustable supports or suspenders to operate heavy tools.

 Tool suspender reduces muscular effort and compression on the back.

 Tool support eliminates over-stretching and overreaching.

22 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Lift-and-tilt device and side opening on bin reduces bending.

 Use bins that allow easy access.

IV. Materials Storage

Materials storage could easily be neglected at times in an actual work setting. When
neglected, it leads to cluttering, piling of one material over another and obstruction of
passageways. Understanding some general requirements on proper and safe materials storage
would be useful.

Materials should be stored neatly and orderly. A variety of ways and means could easily be
adopted and maintained.

Firstly, materials should be housed in a storage room with the following features:

 at least two exits

 properly illuminated
 properly ventilated
 restricted access

Next, materials should be stored in limited amounts. This can be accomplished by providing
special storage racks of limited capacity for similar items, examples of which are special storage
racks.

Also, materials that you need more frequently and use must be placed closer to you.

Furthermore, materials must not obstruct alarm boxes, sprinkler system control, first-aid
equipment, fuse boxes and importantly, aisles and exits.

This sounds familiar, yet this has been a common observation in companies OSHC has
audited. Particularly common are unmarked fuse boxes obstructed by raw materials and drums,
making them difficult to reach in case of an electrical emergency.

Even more common are aisles cluttered with raw materials and finished products. During
normal occasions clutter can prevent you from knowing where to go. How much more in case of
emergencies? Obstructed passageways will surely cause disaster when employee evacuation is
necessary.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/layoutstoring.html?print

What should be remembered when setting up a storage area?

23 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Store materials at a convenient height.

 Leave the lowest shelf unused if necessary.

 Use vertically mobile shelves to avoid bending and overhead reaching.

 Use bin racks for storing small items.

 Store heavy and frequently used materials at waist height.

 Do not store materials at floor level.

24 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Use hand trucks with elevating devices in storage and loading areas.

Winch-operated

Coil handling

Position work

Use trucks with a tilting device to avoid bending.

25 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Box tilter

 Use elevating platforms to avoid overhead reaching.

Source: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mmh/materials_flow.html

What can be done to reduce the amount of times material is moved or handled?

 Use rollers to eliminate manual lifting and carrying.

 Use floor rollers while loading or unloading trucks to reduce lifting.

 Use a sliding bed while loading and unloading small trucks to avoid overreaching and
carrying in an awkward position.

26 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 Eliminate extra loading or unloading steps where possible.

 Unload as close as possible to the place where material will be needed.

 Use ramps to avoid lifting and dragging over edges.

 Use containers that allow fluids to pour or empty without lifting the container.

27 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

Solving materials handling problems

28 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

While quick and easy mobilization and storage of materials is a necessity in the workplace, the
tendency to deviate from a safe way of doing it happens, unmindful of the adverse consequences to
both the person and the material.

These are simple things to consider in solving materials handling problems:

What will be moved? Determine the item/s you wish to move and then adopt the applicable
method that will provide safety for you and protection for the material.

Where to move these items? A simple mapping of the movement direction could save time and
effort.

How often will these be moved? There are certain materials that are moved every now and then
depending on the need. Provisions for easy movement should be made in these cases.

How many will be moved? Always have special handling equipment that could do the job
especially if there is a large number of a material to be moved.

How far will the materials be moved? In order to minimize time and effort, the distance to be
moved must be considered. It is suggested that only in rare instances should an item or material be
moved to a far location, particularly if this would involve manual handling. Observe the location of the
storage with respect to its movement: the closer it is, the less movement is needed.

How will the materials be moved? Manual or mechanical handling may be used, depending on
the circumstances and characteristics of the materials.

With these guidelines, possible injury to you or your co-workers can be eliminated and total
protection for materials when handling and storing them can be ensured.

In summary, it is you who can prevent materials handling accidents and injuries. You can achieve
this by remembering the following:

 Be alert for hazards.

 Follow company safety regulations.
 Take your time and don't take chances.
 Use proper lifting techniques; use legs not the back.
 Get help or mechanical assistance if in doubt.
 Wear protective gear.
 Keep an eye on what others are doing.
 Let other workers know what you're doing.

Some special points to remember:

29 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

 The capacity to perform MMH varies considerably among individuals. In general, the lifting
strength of women as a group is less than that of men. However, the individual ranges of strength
are wide. This means that some women can safely handle greater loads than some men. Therefore,
discrimination against women for MMH is not justified. In a situation where selection is the only
way to minimize the possibility of injury, women and men should be given an equal opportunity of
being selected for the job. However, there are certain working conditions that even alone and more
particularly when combined with MMH create greater health hazards for women. Owing to body
composition and structure, women are less tolerant of heat and whole body vibration. Such
hazardous conditions should be fully controlled and not serve as an excuse for gender
discrimination.

 Ageing diminishes strength. Since the rate of decline varies greatly with the individual,
discrimination against older workers solely on this basis is unjustified. Statistics show that back
injuries among workers over 45 years of age are less frequent than among those between 20-45
years of age. Experience seems to counterbalance decreasing physical capacity. With experience
comes skills, dexterity and practical know-how for completing tasks, all of which are very important
factors contributing to safe MMH. The unskilled, inexperienced worker is at greater risk in tasks that
require skills in handling. On the other hand, the older, experienced worker is at risk in tasks
requiring sheer physical strength.

We hope this module clarified many things about materials handling in the workplace. In
fact, we believe some of the points we have made here are also applicable at home and in school. It
would be good to keep these points in mind wherever you may be.

Learning Activity

Look for Cases/Reports regarding the Incidents/Accidents in the workplace(s) caused by

mishandlings or wrong practices of the following topics (2 cases each):

1. Manual Materials Handling

2. Mechanical Materials Handling

Present each case/report using the following format:

I. Detailed Statement of the Incidents/Accidents

II. Action Taken by the Company as a Solution to the Incident/Accident
III. Discussion/Comments to the Action Taken by the Company
(Here, you will give your opinions/comments focusing on the specific actions made by the
company. Do you agree/disagree to the solutions? Why or Why not? Justify answers).
IV. Recommendation (s)
(It must be based on your answer in Item III)

Reminder: Answers to items III and IV must be based on our lecture.

30 | P a g e
DCEE 25 – Basic Occupational Safety and Health

NOTE:

 If possible, include pictorials per incident/accident

 Make sure that your cases/reports do not have duplications with other groups.
 Submit in document format
 Filename Format: (AssignmentNo.5_(yourfullname)

31 | P a g e