26
APPENDIX 2
Risk Assessment Checklist
Risk Factor
Example
The load is too heavy. A person has to manually lift a machine part
weighing 70kg from floor level to waist height.
See Figure 1: Guidelines Weights (see pg. 12)
The load is too large. A load, which was seven foot long had to be
lifted down a stairwell.
The load is unwieldy or difficult to
grasp.
This includes loads with dimensions which
exceed 75cm, loads with sharp edges and loose
contents. Another example could be a patient
who has the potential to fall over while being
escorted in a hospital setting.
The load has to be held a distance from
the trunk.
A person had to over reach when lifting a heavy
load and positioning it into a machine.
The physical effort is too strenuous. A meat carcass weighing 120kg is manually
lifted from a truck.
The physical effort is only achieved by a
twisting movement of the trunk.
A person has to lift a load from a pallet onto a
conveyor with restricted room for movement,
which only allows a twisting movement of the
trunk.
The physical effort is likely to result in a
sudden movement.
A person starts to remove a load from racking
which is jammed. The load suddenly comes free
and handler is unprepared and cannot control the
load.
The physical effort is made with the
body in an unstable posture.
A person stands on a stool while carrying out a
manual handling activity.
There is not enough room, in particular
vertically, to carry out the activity. The
place of work prevents the handling of
loads at an unsafe height.
A person has to lift product through a narrow
aisleway. A person has to stack a pallet with
product, which requires him to lift loads above
shoulder height to position on the pallet.
The floor is uneven or is slippy or the
floor or footrest is unstable.
A floor surface with cracks which makes it
difficult to move loads with a pallet truck.
The temperature, humidity or ventilation
is unsuitable.
See guidelines in Table 5 (see pg 15).
Over frequent or over prolonged
physical effort involving in particular the
spine.
A person is involved in a task which involves
scooping product into a container while bending
the back for long periods of time.
There is insufficient bodily rest or
recovery period.
A rest phase may be any period of light activity,
such as record keeping, that alternates with more
demanding activities.
There is excessive lifting, lowering or
carrying distances.
Lifts of heavy loads beginning or ending at floor
level or above shoulder level height should be
avoided.