Manual handling

Manual handling is the biggest cause of injuries in Victorian workplaces.

Each year, thousands of workers are injured doing manual handling tasks that are unsafe.

Manual handling means using your body to exert force to lift, lower, push, pull, carry, move, hold or restrain any object or person. Some examples include handling patients or live animals, and carrying or pushing heavy objects.

Hazardous manual handling can lead to many serious conditions, including muscle sprains and strains, abdominal hernias, back injuries and soft-tissue injuries to the wrists, arms, shoulders, neck or legs. These conditions are known as musculoskeletal injuries or disorders.

Injuries can be short term or in some instances, debilitating long-term conditions that can severely affect a person’s quality of life.

The longer manual handling tasks are done, the greater the likelihood of an injury.

Use the information provided in the links below to help you understand the problem and learn what you can to do make your workplace safer. You can view publications relating to manual handling by clicking on the links on the left hand side of the page.