Guide aims to cut builders' back injuries

New guidance on safe manual handling in the construction industry has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with the backing of employers and unions.

The guidance, Backs for the future, is aimed at reducing the number of back injuries in the sector and sets out basic principles for dealing with manual handling risks and provides ideas for solutions to handling problems. It explains how clients, designers, planning supervisors and contractors have a part to play in reducing manual handling risks through better planning, control and management. It also contains 27 case studies of solutions implemented on site, showing effective ways in which manual handling risks can be reduced.

A third of all accidents reported to the HSE every year involve manual handling, and construction workers are a major risk group for this sort of accident.

Kevin Myers, HSE's new chief inspector of construction said: "Workers are quite literally putting their backs out trying to help their employers. My challenge to the construction industry is use this guidance to demonstrate your respect for your workers and reduce the appallingly high number suffering from back pain."

He also said that the HSE would use improvement notices to ensure that employers were taking action over manual handling. He added that employers should give site workers the guidance notes from the booklet.