Please tell me it is Friday?

Good question. The answer lies in applying relevant research to implement the Manual Handling Operations Regulations. You can find useful guidance and discussion about this issue on the Ergonomics4Schools area of the website of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, formerly The Ergonomics Society, www.iehf.org.uk or www.ergonomics.org.uk

Of course, all regulations must apply as they are at work ............ well, so they say! It is Friday!

I think it fair to say that the Manual Handling regs would not apply to students as they are not "at work", however a teacher with a bag full of homework to mark etc. is a different matter.

I aren't going to get involved in the Friday debate (especially as it is now Saturday) but I do often suppress a little chuckle when I see some kids struggling down the road on the way to school with back packs that appear to be much the same size as they are. Like Steve I would be interested to hear the reason for the question though; I am intrigued.

Chas, there is wealth of study from around the world about the matter of school bags and the effect on young people's health. Do a search and you will get pages and pages as long as you ignore all the links to journalistic fuzz. The link to the HSE website confirms that there is no specific H&S small print. However, seeking to prevent injury is surely a fundamental principle? So maybe no clear duty to protect as such but a duty to educate most certainly. To answer your question, it seems that the most commonly chosen measure for comparative measure is the weight of the bag as % of body weight. The results mostly suggest that a figure of 10% is a lower threshold beyond which there is a measurable effect on back pain/change in posture with some studies putting the threshold at 20%. The younger the child the closer or even as low as 5% is another general conclusion. Clearly the other significant factors include the design of the bag and how the bags are used. There are many schools and education authorities across the world that have published guidance in this area. These generally approach the matter from the health education standpoint and cover key factors that can be used to minimise the risks. So no duty to protect as such but a duty to educate? It may be because there are so many variables that it is seen as OTT or somehow conkers bonkers? But is it a real risk? A fair few research studies have concluded that it is. p48

Are you sure Bob? In my day we had desks where we kept most of our books and only had to carry home what we required for homework. Later I understand many schools introduced lockers. Now I understand most schools have no provision for storing books etc. so pupils must carry all the books required for the day back and forth.

Never had to worry about bags on my back, wore Birmingham Bags, the pockets were the right size for A4 hard backed books. Paperback books rolled up in my blazer pocket. 4 of the strap for doing it but it didn't hurt anyway.

How about writing a letter to the students parents advising them of the risks involved with carrying heavy items on a long term basis. I would have thought it would be better educating them than playing nanny at school and all the over the top legal wrangling involved?

They can't play football, rugby etc. This would add weight to the bag and they wouldn't be able to carry it.

I read it Monday I wish it were friday