QQI Manual Handling study guide
QQI Manual Handling · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Manual handling training in Ireland is built around a simple legal idea: employers must manage the risk of injury from lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying, and workers must be trained to do those tasks safely. A QQI-associated manual handling programme is the classroom and practical route to that competence. The QQI Manual Handling study guide has 10 sections and about 3,081 words.
01Legal and Regulatory Framework (Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005; General Application Regulations, 2007, Part 4)
The exam tests whether you can place a manual handling duty in the correct legal layer. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 creates the general framework: employer duties in section 8, employee duties in section 13, risk assessment and the safety statement.
328 words, about 2 min02Employer and Employee Duties
Under section 8 of the 2005 Act the employer must provide a safe place of work, safe systems, safe equipment and competent staff; assess risks; provide information, instruction, training and supervision; consult employees; and provide PPE free of charge where needed. For manual handling this means avoiding the lift where possible, designing the task, selecting aids, training for the actual task and monitoring compliance.
296 words, about 1 min03Risk Assessment and Safety Statement
Section 19 of the 2005 Act requires a risk assessment; section 20 requires a written safety statement based on it. The statement must set out how safety is managed, be brought to employees' attention, and be reviewed when there is a change or at least annually.
280 words, about 1 min04Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Spine and Musculoskeletal System
The spine has 33 vertebrae: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 fused sacral and 4 coccygeal. Between the vertebrae are discs with a gel-like nucleus pulposus and a tough annulus fibrosus.
314 words, about 2 min05Hazards and Risk Factors in Manual Handling
Manual handling hazards are not only about weight. Load factors include size, shape, grip, stability, sharp or hot surfaces, and whether the load is animate.
309 words, about 2 min06Principles of Safe Lifting and Handling Technique
There is no single 'correct' lifting technique that suits every load and every person. The stable principles are: stop and assess; plan the route and the landing point; keep the load close; set a stable base with feet apart; maintain the natural curves of the spine; grip firmly; lift smoothly with the legs and trunk together; avoid twisting; and lower under control.
321 words, about 2 min07Mechanical Aids and Handling Equipment
Aids include pallet trucks, trolleys, conveyors, scissor lifts, vacuum lifters, drum handlers, hoists and slings. Selection depends on the load, the route, the floor, the space and the frequency of the task.
292 words, about 1 min08Team Lifting and Communication
Team lifting is appropriate when the load is too bulky or heavy for one person, when vision is obstructed, or when the route needs a spotter. It is not a substitute for an aid if an aid is reasonably practicable.
315 words, about 2 min09Ergonomics, Posture, and Preventative Back Care
Ergonomics means designing the work, equipment and environment to match human capabilities. For manual handling, the key variables are working height, reach, posture, repetition, force and recovery time.
309 words, about 2 min10Accident and Injury Reporting, Health Surveillance, and Record Keeping
Report manual handling injuries and near misses internally through the accident book or incident system. Under the 2005 Act, certain accidents and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the Health and Safety Authority; the employer should know the current reporting thresholds and keep the records.
317 words, about 2 min