The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued a new guidance on manual handling, aimed at raising awareness amongst employers within the hospitality industry.
Emphasis is being placed on kitchen workers and occupational ill health caused through lack of correct health and safety procedures. Incorrect procedures can cause such problems as back pain and upper limb disorder.
By adhering to correct procedures when lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying and awkward body movements at sinks, preparation worktops etc a lifetime of pain and illness can be avoided.
Recent figures show 62% of all manual handling accidents in the hospitality industry involve pushing and pulling, lifting and carrying and awkward body movements.
The new guidance offers good sensible advice not only to employers within the hospitality industry, but contains helpful information to staff members on how to avoid un-necessary occupational ill-health.
The new HSE guidance can be viewed, in a short pdf format, by clicking the following:
Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff
The new guidance supports and supplements HSE's Better BACKS campaign launched in June 2005 and can be accessed from the HSE webpage by clicking the following:
Article by Alexandra Johnston
