The importance of safety in manual labour jobs
Working in manual labour comes with a higher risk of injury than office-based roles due to the physical nature of the work and the environments in which these jobs are performed. Whether you’re working on building sites, on the factory floor, or in roofing, prioritising safety is essential.
If you work a manual labour job, check out our guide on health and safety, including awareness of hazards.
Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
PPE can include items like hard hats, safety goggles, thick gloves, steel-toe boots, masks, high-visibility vests, and harnesses. Your employer must conduct a risk assessment before you start working on a site and before allocating PPE.
Work on a building site can pose several hazards, including inhaling dust, falling materials striking people, loud noise, and skin contact with corrosive materials. Your employer is legally bound under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 to provide you with the PPE fit for purpose, maintained and stored correctly, and that you are trained on how to use it safely.
Importance of manual handling training
Without training on how to lift or handle heavy or unusually shaped items, you could suffer from musculoskeletal problems such as severe lower back pain. Following manual handling training techniques will help you identify hazards, move objects safely, and prevent injuries.
You can be injured at work through a lack of proper training or using faulty equipment, through no fault of your own. The injuries from manual handling can be severe, causing long-term damage or disability. If you’ve been injured at work, contact personal injury lawyers to assess your case and help you claim compensation.
Routine equipment maintenance and safety checks
Tools and machinery can cause injuries if you get struck by moving parts, get drawn into belts or pulley drives, cut by sharp edges, burned or scalded by steam, or shocked by electricity. Follow your employer’s safety training, and don’t use machines you haven’t been trained on to stay safe at work.
Even with proper training, you can be injured by unreliable machinery that has developed faults. Your employer may have made modifications without assessing the risks that would follow. Before using any machine, ensure that your employer has verified it is working properly and that all necessary safety measures are in place.
Reporting and learning from near misses
Near misses should be treated as learning opportunities for both your team and your employer. Your job should foster a culture that encourages you to feel confident in reporting hazards and near misses without feeling pressured to remain silent.
By reporting these incidents, you’ll help identify safety issues early and reduce the chance of you and other workers being injured in accidents. Reporting can reveal underlying issues with equipment or procedures that may not have been initially obvious.