ORR publishes report on manual handling in the rail sector
15 August 2006
ORR/24/06
The Office of Rail Regulation has today published a research report on Manual Handling in the Rail Sector which was undertaken by the Health and Safety Laboratory.
The principal objectives of the study, which was conducted in South Wales, were to identify the major causes of manual handling injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders within the rail sector, and to suggest effective and practical control measures.
The main findings of the report suggest that the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among track maintenance workers may be greater than that of other comparable worker groups, such as construction workers, for low back injuries and ankle/foot injuries. For other body areas the prevalence of injuries was found to be comparable to or lower than the reference populations.
The following operations were identified as presenting the highest risk:
- coupling operations in coupling yards, using a shunting pole;
- lever operation tasks at trackside and in signal boxes where the lever operating force exceeds 40kgf;
- manual lifting, carrying and some dragging of sleepers during replacement, both wooden and concrete;
- loading/unloading of certain tools and equipment associated with maintenance work; and
- manual handling/ergonomic aspects of the use of certain tools and equipment.
The report goes on to identify a number of effective and practical control measures for reducing the risks from these tasks.
Sally Williams, HMRI’s Topic Strategy Team Manager, said: “This report clearly identifies a need for the rail industry to work harder towards preventing musculoskeletal disorders, and provides clear practical information on how to do that. HMRI inspectors will be visiting Network Rail and other selected duty-holders, during 2006/2007, to assess industry arrangements for controlling manual handling risks.”
Notes for editors
‘Manual Handling in the Rail Sector in South Wales’ is available for download from: www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1184
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