Posted By AMelrose If there are "generic" items to be lifted e.g. photocopier paper, box files containing paper etc then one risk assessment for that particular activity should be fine (maybe just mention under "similar activities"). Any unusual items e.g. exceptionally bulky, hot, cold etc then I'd do an assessment for that task. IMHO it's better having maybe 5-10 really good assessments that people will read (for that environment I hasten to add!!) than 200 rubbish ones that they won't... Good luck!

Posted By Andrew Shaw Thanks both for the responses so far. I had seen the RA on the HSE site but was hoping to reduce the frankly enormous task of Risk Assessing every possible item in the warehouse that the warehouse manager may have to lift. I have completed separate RA for Table tops, Pedestal draws, Chairs, Storage units etc as all have their peculiarities of shape, size and weight. I have done the bagged building materials that tend to be 20-25Kg and the various panel products and was hoping to call it a day there.

Posted By Brian Hagyard Andrew If you go back to the guidance on the Manual Handling regulations, a DETAILED assessment need only be done for those items where there is a possibility of injury and avoidance is not practical. So a generic assessment (as in the HSE example quoted above) is OK to begin with, then you should detail the high risk ones - hopefully that will reduce your paperwork. Brian

Posted By Andrew Shaw Thanks again everyone for your responses. Its all gratefully received being fairly new to H&S. I take it all on board and file it away for later use. I have a rather specific question if anyone would care to offer their opinion:- We have a Furniture delivery job coming up in January to supply and install 1000 employee workstations. All the furniture will come on the back of a lorry with no tail lift and will be manually off-loaded. Once off the lorry, trolley and dollies etc. come in to play but its getting the stuff of the lorry. Pedestal Draws - the thing you probably have under your desk cause me concern. These are Bulky, Heavy (some have concrete in the base to aid stability) and difficult to carry. Some expensive ones can weigh 40Kg. I have created my own Manual Handling assessment tool albeit based on the HSE MAC tool, but giving numerical figures to the level of risk a task involves. According to this method, lifting a couple of pedestals off the back of a lorry would be an acceptable, if high risk activity, but 1000 thousand entire workstations over a 2 week period is just off the scale. We do have a team of 15 young fit guys doing the lifting all having had MH training recently. I've spoken to the installations manager about the use of mechanical aids or insisting that the delivery lorry has a tail lift but these are seen as delaying the off-loading process and he feels that, short of standing at the back of the lorry for the 2 week period watching everyone, they would not be used anyway. Anyone had any experience of the off-loading of bulk orders manually ???

Posted By Paul Leadbetter Definitely a job requiring a tail lift. Paul