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Safe Manual Handling
5
© Baxi Heating UK Ltd 2009
General
The following advice should be adhered to, from when first handling the boiler to the final stages of installation, and also during maintenance.
Most injuries as a result of inappropriate handling and lifting are to the back, but all other parts of the body are vulnerable, particularly shoulders, arms and hands.
Health & Safety is the responsibility of EVERYONE.
There is no ‘safe’ limit for one man - each person has different capabilities. The boiler should be handled and lifted by TWO PEOPLE.
Do not handle or lift unless you feel physically able.
Wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment e.g. protective gloves, safety footwear etc.
Preparation
Co-ordinate movements - know where, and when, you are both going.
Minimise the number of times needed to move the boiler - plan ahead.
Always ensure when handling or lifting the route is clear and unobstructed. If possible avoid steps, wet or slippery surfaces, unlit areas etc. and take special care
on ladders/into lofts.
Technique
When handling or lifting always use safe techniques - keep your back straight, bend your knees. Don’t twist - move your feet, avoid bending forwards and
sideways and keep the load as close to your body as possible.
Where possible transport the boiler using a sack truck or other suitable trolley.
Always grip the boiler firmly, and before lifting feel where the weight is concentrated to establish the centre of gravity, repositioning yourself as necessary. See the
‘Installation’ section of these instructions for recommended lift points.
Remember
The circumstances of each installation are different. Always asses the risks associated with handling and lifting according to the individual conditions.
If at any time when installing the boiler you feel that you may have injured yourself STOP !!
DO NOT ‘work through’ the pain - you may cause further injury.
IF IN ANY DOUBT DO NOT HANDLE OR LIFT THE BOILER - OBTAIN ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE BEFORE PROCEEDING !!
Working at Height
In order to reduce the number of fatalities and major accidents attributable to working at height, the Health and Safety Executive has introduced comprehensive
regulations and guidance that should be followed by all businesses working at height.
The following paragraphs consider some of the main features of the regulations and guidance. This is, however, only a limited summary and it is recommended
that all businesses planning on undertaking air source heat pump heating installations obtain a copy of the regulations and guidance issued by the Health and
Safety Executive and carefully consider the contents.
The regulations and guidance state that you are required to carry out a risk assessment for all work conducted at height and to put in place arrangements for:
• Eliminating or minimising risks from work at height.
• Safe systems of work for organising and performing work at height.
• Safe systems for selecting suitable work equipment.
• Safe systems for protecting people from the consequences of work at height.
The regulations and guidance highlight a hierarchy for safe work at height:
• Avoid the risk by not working at height if practicable.
• Prevent falls. Where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid work at height, you are required to take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent the risk of a fall
including selecting the most suitable work equipment (in accordance with the regulations).
• Mitigate the consequences of a fall; where the risk of a person or object falling still remains, take suitable and sufficient measures to minimise
the distance and consequences of any fall.
Collective protection measures, such as guard rails on scaffold, should be given priority over personal protection measures, such as safety harnesses.
Within the regulations’ framework, you are required to:
1) Assess the risk to help you decide how to work safely.
2) Follow the hierarchy for safe work at height (i.e. avoid, prevent and mitigate).
3) Plan and organise your work properly, taking account of weather conditions and the possibility of emergencies.
4) Make sure those working at height are competent.
5) Make use of appropriate work equipment.
6) Manage the risks from working on or around fragile surfaces and from falling objects.
7) Inspect and maintain the work equipment to be used and inspect the place where the work will be carried out for both access and egress.