An employee. Photo: Pixabay Staff. Photo: Pixabay
My employees are constantly lifting heavy things. How many hours can warehouse workers lift weights and what is the maximum weight allowed?
There are no specific restrictions on the weight that can be moved. However, approximately 250-300 workplace injuries related to physical exertion (lifting, carrying, holding, pushing, pulling) occur every year, representing 7-8% of all workplace injuries. Furthermore, moving weights also causes musculoskeletal disorders, which is why it is important to evaluate the risks and avoid accidents.
The employer’s role is to assess the possible health risk associated with weight shifting and prevent it. To assess the health risk, the methodology is provided in the appendix of Regulation no. 26 of the Minister of Social Affairs of 02.27.2001 “Occupational health and safety requirements for manual lifting of weights”. The assessment takes into account the weight of the weight to be moved, the time needed to move it and the position of the body.
For example, a job in which a woman moves a weight of 8 kilograms for 8 hours (more than 500 times), doing so with the upper body tilted forward up to 30 degrees, supporting the weight against the body, sitting, standing standing or walking for longer periods of time, in a well-lit work environment where the floor is not slippery, has a risk rating of 32 in this case. However, if the weight weighs 16 kilograms, the risk rating is 72. It should also be taken into account that when employing female workers in removal jobs, the employer must ensure that the weights to be moved do not exceed their expected physical capabilities.
If the health risk assessment shows that the burden is excessive, the employer must take measures to avoid or reduce the health risk. A risk rating of 25–50 means that this is a heavy load and that overload is possible even for a physically strong employee. In this case it is necessary to change the organization of work and ergonomically redesign the workplace. A risk score above 50 means that the load is excessive, it is essential to change the work organization and redesign the ergonomics of the workplace, and the work must be stopped until reorganization is carried out, for example until when technical aids (forklifts, trolleys, etc.) are not provided.) they are introduced.
If the risk assessment has not been carried out in the workplace, the worker has the right to pay attention to it or to carry out the assessment himself according to the instructions and to inform the employer of the results of the assessment. Paragraph 2, paragraph 3 of the aforementioned law also allows the worker to refuse moving work if, despite exact fulfillment of the instructions given by the employer, the moving work is still physically too demanding for the worker. The employer must also be informed of the refusal.
Piret Kaljula,
consultant for the working environment of the Labor Inspectorate
2024-01-16 06:57:30
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