Manual handling of loads: the risk that does not make noise (and is the most expensive)
The risk of load handling is one of the most underrated occupational risks in the workplace. However, the consequences it produces can be serious and lasting: hernias, chronic lombalgies, acute accidents that change the life of a worker. In this article we analyze why it is ignored, what effects it has on health and how to prevent it concretely, even in the light of the indications of the ASL3 Liguria.
A silent and growing enemy
The risk from manual handling of loads is insidious just because it does not news. It almost never causes a spectacular accident, it does not generate immediate alarms. Yet the Disorders Musculo-Scheletrici (DMS) are today the first cause of occupational diseases in Italy (and in Europe), with an incidence of more than 60% of the total disease reported.
The pain creeps slowly: a few weeks, a few months. Start with a back discomfort, shoulders, wrists. It is often ignored, mistaken for fatigue or “normal fatigue”. Then, when the worker decides to make a visit, the damage is already chronic. The occupational disease is conclaimed.
In this lies the first reason for its dangerous underestimate: the absence of a visible traumatic event. As the ASL3 Liguria safety brochure also points out, the risk of handling is built day after day, through repeated gestures, incorrect postures, excessive loads. It is a dislodge that is not perceived as an “emergency” until it is too late.
The domino effect that affects the whole organization
A handling injury is never an isolated problem. When an operator is absent from back pain, a chain reaction takes place involving the entire company:
- Overload of colleagues, who must cover the vacant shift, often performing movements quickly and with greater exposure.
- Increased risk of new injuries: fatigue, stress, repeated gestures in unideal conditions multiply the probability of accidents.
- Production slowdown: rhythms lower, errors increase.
- Deterioration of product quality or service.
The cost is not only that of the individual injury: it is a systemic cost that affects performance, reputation and corporate climate.
Why do we ignore this risk? (The real question)
The subassessment arises from a mix of factors:
Normalization of fatigue:“It’s always done,” “A little back pain is part of the job.”
Lack of visible data in small numbers:in a micro-enterprise, a single case every 5 years is archived as fatality, without analysis.
Poor perception of indirect costs:often you stop at medical expenses/INAIL, forgetting the costs of disorganization, replacement training, decrease in productivity.
Specific evaluation:the legislation (Legislative Decree 81/2008, Title VI and Annex XXXIII) imposes the risk assessment of handling, but many realities address it in a summary way, without applying standardized methods (NIOSH, Snook & Ciriello, Ocra checklist for repeated movements).
The same ASL3, in its publication, recalls that the evaluation is not a bureaucratic fulfillment: it must be measured by weight, frequency, distance, grip height, twists, and must be updated every time the organization of the work changes.
How to effectively prevent: 3 pillars (plus one)
Prevention of handling risk is not improvised. It is based on four cornerstones, of which the first three are already known but must be implemented by method:
1. Training on correct gestures and postures – but not only theory
The ASL3 brochure insists on the importance of practical training: each operator must know the lifting techniques (right shoulder, folded legs, load close to the body, avoid twists), but must also experience them with real loads and actual workplaces.
Fundamental: teaching to recognize the first signs of fatigue and to signal them without fear.
2. Integrate mechanical aids – starting from design
Transpallets, forklifts, conveyor belts, vacuum lifters, articulated arms: the technology is there. But to be effective it must be chosen according to the job, positioned easily accessible and maintained.
The ASL3 recalls that the employer’s obligation is priority to eliminate manual handling, where possible, by replacing it with mechanical equipment.
3. Alternating posts and tasks – structured
The rotation of tasks cannot be random: it must be designed to really limit cumulative exposure to repetitive gestures. It means mapping jobs, calculating the risk index for each location and alternating workers so that the stressed muscle groups are different.
4. Health surveillance and active involvement
The law provides for health surveillance for workers exposed to risk handling. But the medical examination is not an automatic stamp: it is an opportunity to detect early symptoms and, above all, to give voice to workers. A system of reporting of almost-injury and musculoskeletal discomfort allows to correct criticalities before they become occupational diseases.
An integrated vision for lasting results
Handling risk management cannot be a self-employed activity. It must be inserted in an Integrated Management System (SGI) that combines safety, quality and environment.
An ergonomic layout reduces accidents but also improves work quality and productivity. Correct handling prevents not only trauma to workers, but also damage to materials, waste and non-compliance. The integration of systems allows to transform prevention into a lever of efficiency and competitiveness, not in cost.
To sum up: three immediate actions
- Today:observe the movements in your company. Are there twists, loads away from the body, lifting from the ground? If yes, you already have a risk to handle.
- This week:make a meeting with the workers to collect reports on pain or fatigue. Then go over the risk assessment.
- This month:invest in a mechanical aid or reproduce a critical position. It is the action that gives the fastest return in terms of health and productivity.
To learn more, read the complete brochure of ASL3 Liguria on load handling – a practical, clear and free guide for all employers and RSPP.