AMR offers
occupational health and safety training to employers and
workers in the greater Dublin and Ireland regions. Disclaimer:
Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy, currency and
completeness of the information, AMR does not guarantee, warrant,
represent or undertake that the information provided
is correct, accurate or current. AMR is not liable for any loss,
claim, or demand arising directly or indirectly from any
use or reliance upon the information.
Free
Back Pain Poster from HSA
Safety, Health & Welfare
at Work Act 2005:
In addition to positioning employers to
meet the mandatory requirements for occupation health and safety training,
the overall objective of this training is to develop an understanding and
acceptance by the parties of the shared responsibility for health and
safety at the workplace level
Training/Services:
-
Manual Handling: Including -
-
Promoting
Health & Safety at Work
-
Health
and Safety At Work Legislation
-
Accident
Reporting and Emergency Procedure
-
Anatomy
- musculoskeletal
-
Health
and Hygiene
-
Manual
Handling
-
Personal
Protective Equipment
-
Safe Use of Vehicles
Safety Statements: - Planning,
Format/Structure, The Law, Compiling, Risk Assessment, Safety Policy.
Safety Audits: Procedures,
Records/Documentation.
All training/services come with handouts,
manuals and 'online' support.
Useful
Links: - Issued by HSA (Health & Safety Authority of Ireland).
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Advice
on looking after your back:
Before
you lift any object: Just have a
think about the actual 'weight' of the object that
you have to lift. Also think about the 'location' you
have to bring the load to.
Check
out
the route you'll have to take, and possibly what can happen
if you did trip or fall on the way. Check the route for important factors like
heights, stairs, obstacles, sharp objects etc.
Any
type of Lifting:
When lifting a load, no matter were or when, always flex your knees (bend
them slightly) and straighten your back.
When
you flex your knees, they then act as ‘springs’ or ‘shock
absorbers’. If you don’t flex your knees the stress will be directed
to your lower back. When you ‘straighten’ your back (lower back
by pushing hips forward and chest out, upper ‘cervical’ section of
your back by
tucking your chin in) this strengthens your back and protects it from damage.
Groceries
from the Car: When handling loads from
the boot of a car be extra careful about heavy loads, as flexing your
knees is always difficult.
Lift
only small loads, and when lifting loads from inside of a car, use one of
your knees for leverage by placing it on one of the seats first before
lifting. Don’t ‘bend’ and twist at the same time. When you actually
bring the groceries into the house / kitchen, put the bags on a
table or chair rather than on the floor, its much easier to take the items
from the table/chair into the presses or fridge, this is called
ergonomics..! .
Working
at a Sink: When working at a typical
sink in a kitchen or otherwise, be careful; try to flex knees even if it
feels awkward.
If
your back is already weakened or damaged, be extra careful ‘bending’
at a sink, because of the fact that you normally, cannot move your feet or
toes under the unit your back will have to take the strain ‘directly’.
Either ‘flex’ your knees or face the consequences.
Injury
to lower back (lumbar):
Obviously, a victim of any sudden serious back injury will have to seek
immediate medical assistance. But in reality a lot of back-problems occur
gradually, sometimes hours, sometimes days or weeks after injury.
If
back injury does occur remember, a hot bath or several hot baths may
help muscle or ligament problems, but if the problem is more severe
(disk / vertebrae / bone / spine) then hot baths may make matters even
more uncomfortable. Seek medical attention
Getting
into a Car: When getting
into an automobile, first sit sideways on your seat, with your feet
on the ground, and then swivel into position. Don't try to climb directly
into a sitting position, as a 'twisting', 'rotating' and 'bending'
movement all at the same time is very dangerous for your back. Remember,
in most cars, when sitting in your car, your knees are normally higher
then your waist - this is a bad situation for your back.
‘Twisting’
and ‘bending’ at the same time is one of the most dangerous movements
to your back, as your back (lower back especially) is simply not designed
to move in this way.
Chairs:
Over usage of any type of chair weakens a persons back In areas of
the Eastern World (Asia, India), where usage of chairs is not common, bad
back problems like we have in the West are very uncommon.
People
in the Eastern part of the World (Japan, China) tend to squat rather than
sit. Squatting makes you straighten your back, while sitting on chairs encourages
bad posture which injures and weakens your back.
Picking up a pencil from floor level:
When picking up a any object from the floor; rather than bending down, you
should - 'squat' down, this changes your your whole technique
from a 'bend' and 'elevating' movement (like a
crane) to a simple 'elevating' movement (like an elevator
lift).
This
change means using the strongest muscle groups to get the job done (thighs
& torso), instead of using the small, weak group of ligaments in
your lower back and abusing the disks/vertebrae.
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