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manual handling tasks - distance moved
The distance a load has to be moved can have a serious effect on the stress being placed on the body. Moving a heavy load a couple of meters is one thing but imagine having to carry it several hundred meters!
One of the key ideas behind the manual handling regulations is planning the lift rather than just diving head first into it. With this in mind, if the load is to be moved a long distance, ways should be found to ameliorate the effect on workers. Maybe a break could be introduced half way to the destination for example? It goes without saying that such a break should not present the employee with further manual handling tasks such as putting the load down on the floor again. The picture shown indicates shows a simple bit of planning can give a person a planned break easily.