Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

working environment
can be improved in many 
ways. Space constraints should be removed or reduced. 
Floors should be regularly cleaned and repaired when 
damaged. Adequate lighting is essential and working at 
more than one level should be minimized so that hazard-
ous ladder work is avoided. Attention should be given to 
the need for suitable temperatures and ventilation in the 
working area. 
The 
capability of the individual
is the fi fth area 
where control measures can be applied to reduce the 
risk of injury. The state of health of the employee and 
his/her medical record will provide the fi rst indication as 
to whether the individual is capable of undertaking the 
task. A period of sick leave or a change of job can make 
an individual vulnerable to manual handling injury. The 
Regulations require that the employee be given informa-
tion and training. The information includes the provision, 
where it is reasonably practicable to do so, of precise 
information on the weight of each load and the heaviest 
side of any load whose centre of gravity is not centrally 
positioned. In a more detailed risk assessment, other 
factors will need to be considered such as the effect of 
personal protective equipment and psychosocial factors 
in the work organization. The following points may need 
to be assessed: 
➤
Does protective clothing hinder movement or 
posture? 
➤
Is the correct personal protective equipment being 
worn? 
➤
Is proper consideration given to the planning and 
scheduling of rest breaks? 
➤
Is there good communication between managers 
and employees during risk assessment or work-
station design? 
➤
Is there a mechanism in place to deal with sudden 
changes in the volume of workload? 
➤
Have employees been given suffi cient training and 
information? 
➤
Has the worker any learning disabilities and, if so, 
has this been taken into account in the assessment? 
HSE has developed a Manual Handling Assessment 
Chart (MAC) to help with the assessment of common