Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff

Transcription

1 Health ad Safety Prevetig back pai ad other aches ad pais to kitche ad food service staff HSE iformatio sheet Itroductio This iformatio sheet was produced by the Hospitality ad Caterig Idustry Liaiso Forum, which has members from trade ad professioal associatios, uios ad eforcemet authorities. Members associatios are free to reproduce ad distribute this guidace to caterig establishmets. The guidace is issued by the Health ad Safety. This guidace is aimed at employers of kitche ad food service staff, but provides useful iformatio to employees ad safety represetatives. It idetifies sigificat risk areas ad offers practical examples of solutios you ca apply i your workplace. Further HSE guidace is available o HSE s website, o maual hadlig, ad prevetig back pai ad other upper limb ijuries. There are also liks to tools that will help you assess the risk ivolved i liftig ad repetitive tasks. Back disorders are the most commo form of ill health disorders at work. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) iclude problems, such as lower back pai, joit ijuries ad repetitive strai ijuries of various sorts. Upper limb disorders (ULDs) ca affect the arms, figers, wrists, shoulders ad eck. I kitches there are may tasks that, without proper cotrols, ca cause back pai or upper limb disorders. Liftig ad carryig heavy items or pushig ad pullig ca be a major source of back pai, while forceful or repetitive activities ad poor posture ca be liked to upper limb ijuries. What the law says The Maual Hadlig Operatios Regulatios 1992 require you to avoid ay maual hadlig operatios at work which ivolve a risk to health so far as is reasoably practicable. If it is ot reasoably practicable to avoid ay maual hadlig operatios, you must carry out a maual hadlig risk assessmet to idetify how the risk is caused, so each factor ca be addressed ad measures take to cotrol the risk. Caterig Iformatio Sheet No 24 Provisio of iformatio, istructio ad traiig to staff are legal requiremets. Advice for employers Key messages You ca easily take actio to prevet or miimise this type of ijury. The prevetive measures are cost effective. Ivolvig staff is key to success. Traiig staff i proper liftig techiques ad the use of hadlig aids ad raisig awareess of the risks will reduce the likelihood of ijuries i future. Early detectio ad reportig of aches ad pais is crucial. Where to start (risk assessmet) You should start by cosiderig the jobs carried out i the kitche ad the staff who work there. Look at the areas of work where there are most likely to be sigificat risks ad prologed exposure examples of commo risks ad suggestios o how to reduce them are provided throughout this iformatio sheet. This iformatio ca form the basis of your risk assessmet ad you should cocetrate o: the hadlig tasks workers are doig; the loads they are liftig; the eviromet they are workig i; the idividual capabilities of each worker; the positios they eed to get i to do the job, eg twistig ad stretchig; the time spet o each task, eg regularity of liftig, break times. Ivolve your staff, their represetatives ad safety represetatives i the process, as they will be able to tell you how tasks are actually doe, ay problem areas ad possible solutios. They may also have idetified hazards or risks you are ot aware of yet. 1 of 6 pages

2 Health ad Safety If you have more tha five employees, record the fidigs of your risk assessmet. You ca fid examples of risk assessmets o the HSE website. store heavy items o shelves at waist height; use team workig for tasks such as movig a heavy pot. If you have fewer tha five employees, you do t have to write aythig dow but it is good practice to keep a record. A easy way to record your fidigs is to use the risk assessmet template. HSE has produced a assessmet guide kow as the MAC tool (maual hadlig assessmet chart) to help you idetify tasks with sigificat risks i liftig, carryig ad team hadlig operatios, ad the ART tool (Assessig Repetitive Tasks tool) which does the same fuctio for tasks that could lead to upper limb disorders. Note that the MAC ad ART tools are ot appropriate for all maual hadlig jobs, eg those that ivolve pushig ad pullig. Avoid the risk Your first priority should always be to avoid the risks etirely, if reasoably practicable. Examples of ways to avoid risks iclude: reorgaisig the layout of the kitche to avoid uecessary stretchig ad/or liftig; usig a dishwashig machie; where a job may be a risk, look at havig breaks or usig job rotatio to miimise the time each idividual speds o it. If the risk caot be avoided You ca improve workplace coditios. For example: replace or repair ueve or slippery floors; provide trolley ramps at chages i floor level; keep all caterig equipmet well maitaied; esure shelvig is ot overloaded; istall automatic doors if staff have to carry thigs through them frequetly. You ca use mechaical aids to make it easier, icludig: four-wheeled trolleys (with adjustable height or lockable castors, if eeded); large mixer bowls o wheeled dollies; sack trucks; providig false bottoms i deep siks to reduce awkward bedig at the waist. You ca redesig idividual tasks. You should try to: reduce the amout of twistig, bedig, stoopig, stretchig, pushig ad pullig; reduce the umber of times it is ecessary to do the task (but without icreasig the load each time); You ca make loads easier to hadle. For example: buyig cookig oil i easier-to-hadle cardboard boxes with sturdy hadles/grips; breakig dow trays of A10 size cas before loadig oto storage shelvig; usig smaller cotaiers for cleaig chemicals ad/or appropriate siphos or pumps to avoid hadlig bulk cotaiers; puttig heavy equipmet such as chest freezers o (lockable) castors to make cleaig routies easier. You ca provide appropriate tools, equipmet ad protective clothig. For example: Dishwashig Provide dishwashers. Provide rollers or coveyors. Provide trolleys to move large quatities of dishes. Provide cleaig tools with good grips whe heavy duty cleaig is required. Provide appropriate gloves ad o-slip shoes where required. Gloves should have extra grip o palms ad figertips to reduce the grippig force eeded to hadle greasy dishes. Provide foot rails or a step to shift body weight ad reduce stress o employees lower back ad legs, whe stadig for log periods. Pot washig Provide pot-washig dishwashers if possible. Provide false bottoms i deep siks to reduce awkward bedig at the waist. Provide water jet sprays. Food preparatio For choppig ad cuttig: provide utesils ad kives with ergoomic hadles desiged for comfort ad those that allow for power grips; make sure kives are i good coditio ad kept sharp to reduce the force required by the user; provide choppig machies for vegetables to reduce maual choppig or buy i pre-prepared vegetables; where practical, cosider workbeches of differet heights. 2 of 6 pages

3 Health ad Safety For mixers: make sure large mixers are placed at a height that allows access to the mixig bowl hadles betwee kuckle ad elbow height. This will reduce bedig at the waist; if a mixer is o a raised platform, esure that the platform is fixed firmly to the floor ad ca hadle the weight of the mixer; provide dollies desiged for mixig bowls to trasport heavy bowls to other areas of the kitche. These should have hadles for pushig ad be high eough that workers do ot have to bed excessively to reach the bowl. Ecourage two workers to lift ad lower the bowl together, each holdig the hadle o oe side. For oves ad steamers: use oves with side-higed doors rather tha bottom-higed doors, as these allow easier access to items i the ove; where possible, use ove racks betwee waist ad elbow height to miimise awkward posture. For soup kettles ad heavy pots: large soup kettles with exteded hadles make it easier to tip the kettle whe pourig soup ito smaller cotaiers. For storage areas: store areas should be as close to the workig area as possible to reduce carryig distaces; cosider keepig food localised, eg istallig chilled storage uder workig surfaces; buy bulk goods i smaller, easier to hadle cotaiers; cosider the height ad situatio of shelvig or racks. For cleaig: provide log-hadled brushes where reachig is required; provide cleaig tools that have soft rubber-like hadles to reduce grippig force; provide a platform of adequate size to miimise excessive reachig. Removig waste Waste removal will ivolve liftig heavy rubbish bags, which carries the risk of forceful exertio: Thermal comfort Heat ad humidity High temperatures ad humidity ca affect the health ad comfort of kitche staff ad cotribute to heat stress. Reduce the risks by: providig good vetilatio systems ad maitaiig air quality by regular cleaig ad maiteace of cooker hoods ad fume extractio/vetilatio systems; istallig air coditioig, or usig fas to icrease airflow; educatig workers o the symptoms of heat stress; providig cool water or soft (o-fizzy) driks for employees ad istructig them to drik small amouts frequetly durig ad after work; providig rest breaks i a cool place; esurig employees clothig ad footwear is suitable for workig i a kitche eviromet, eg slipresistat footwear ad clothig that is ot restrictive. Workig i the cold Kitche workers may be exposed to cold if they store or retrieve food supplies from large walk-i freezers. Cold temperatures ca icrease the risk of muscle strai ad loss of maual dexterity. Reduce the risks by providig: protective clothig, such as thermal gloves ad jackets where appropriate; sufficiet ad suitable breaks to regai warmth. Further iformatio o thermal comfort ad heat stress ca be foud o HSE s temperature website ( ) ad i Heat stress i the workplace. Idividual capability You will eed to cosider a idividual s physical capability to do a particular task, payig attetio to: the age ad size of a idividual; the pace ad itesity of the work if the pace is too high, this ca icrease the risk of ijury through fatigue ad ca be stressful for that idividual; those who have existig health issues or a physical weakess; pregat workers who have icreased risks of postural problems, limitatios of ability, fatigue ad heat stress. Additioal iformatio o risk assessmet for ew ad expectat mothers ca be foud o the HSE website. provide smaller refuse bags; put up sigs ear bis to remid staff ot to overfill them. 3 of 6 pages

4 Health ad Safety Traiig Trai, iform ad supervise staff (icludig agecy workers) o importat poits such as: the risks associated with maual hadlig ad repetitive tasks ivolvig twistig ad stretchig, ad how ijuries ca occur; correct use of ay liftig aids or other equipmet; safe liftig ad hadlig techiques (see the HSE leaflet Maual hadlig at work: A brief guide for employers); reportig procedures ad early detectio of symptoms. Remember to check that staff whose first laguage is ot Eglish have uderstood the traiig ad iformatio. This may mea usig sigs, other visual iformatio, traslatio or iterpretatio. If you have to carry trays, grip them at the midpoit rather tha the frot edge, keepig the tray as close to your body as possible, but bearig i mid ay risks of cotact with hot surfaces. Reduce prologed stadig ad use foot rails or a step to shift body weight ad reduce stress o your lower back ad legs whe stadig for log periods. From time to time, alterate the foot you have o the rail. Use a trolley to move large quatities of dishes. Use cleaig tools with good grips whe heavy duty cleaig is required. Wear gloves that fit properly, with extra log cuffs, that are properly isulated to protect ski from hot water. Wear ay appropriate protective clothig where your employer has decided it is ecessary ad provided it for use, eg o-slip shoes. Keep floors dry ad free from cotamiatio by cleaig up spills immediately (see Prevetig slips ad trips i kitches ad food service). Advice for employees Key messages Take care to protect your ow health ad safety ad that of your colleagues by usig equipmet properly, wearig protective clothig ad followig safe workig practices. Co-operate with your employer i complyig with their legal duties, by reportig health ad safety issues promptly. The followig advice for staff covers the risks that are most likely to cause problems. Dishwashig Risks associated with dishwashig are: repeated liftig ad hadlig of full dish racks or heavy dish trays ad cutlery buckets; repetitive twistig ad bedig of workers backs at siks or leaig over siks; awkward reachig across siks or work surfaces whe maually cleaig dishes; graspig dishes by figertips (pich grips). Reduce the risks: Larger kitche areas may have rollers or coveyors, use these to push dish racks towards the dishwashig machies. Push trays alog couters towards the dishwasher rather tha liftig. Do t overload dish racks. If you have to lift them, use more tha oe rack to spread the load. Pot washig Most pot washig will be doe maually i large deep siks, although some employers may have automatic potwashig machies. Risks associated with these tasks are: liftig heavy pots; awkward bedig ad twistig whe leaig over siks for log periods; repetitive wrist ad shoulder movemets whe scrubbig pots; repetitive reachig ito pots; forceful arm exertios whe scrubbig pots. Reduce the risks by: usig water jet sprayers to remove baked-o food ad avoid the eed to hold the pot uder the tap; usig false bottoms provided by your employer i deep siks to reduce awkward bedig at the waist; usig foot rails to shift body weight ad reduce stress o workers legs ad lower back whe stadig for log periods; usig your arms for support; restig your free arm o the surface of the pot to reduce the grippig force eeded to hold it securely; placig your free had o the side of a soup kettle to support your upper body ad reduce stress o your lower back; keepig items close to your body; movig large diameter pots as close as possible to the frot of the sik ad rotatig them durig washig to reduce reachig across the pot; usig log-hadled cleaig brushes to prevet awkward reachig ito soup kettles or pots; 4 of 6 pages

5 Health ad Safety usig strog-bristled brushes for scrubbig to remove baked-o food stuck to pots. Strog-bristled brushes help reduce the amout of force required; wearig ay appropriate protective clothig your employer has provided, eg o-slip shoes; wearig the gloves provided by your employer. These should fit properly, have extra log cuffs ad be properly isulated to protect ski from hot water. Gloves should also have extra grip o the palms ad figertips to reduce the grippig force eeded to hadle greasy pots; keep floors dry ad free from cotamiatio by cleaig up spills immediately. Lift ad carry pots safely Whe liftig ad carryig: try to assess the weight of a pot before liftig it; use ay relevat liftig or movig aid, eg a trolley; keep pots close to your body whe liftig ad bed your kees rather tha bedig your back; poit your toes i the directio you are reachig to avoid twistig your back; avoid uecessarily liftig large pots with water i them; take extra care i lookig for slip ad trip hazards whe carryig pots. Preparig food The risks may iclude all or some of the followig: repetitive motio of the hads, wrists ad shoulders; forceful liftig or carryig of heavy bowls or pots; awkward bedig ad twistig of the back; awkward reachig. Reduce the risks: Choppig ad cuttig Make sure kives are i good coditio ad kept sharp to reduce the force required by the user. Where possible, use choppig machies for vegetables to reduce maual choppig. Mixers Use dollies desiged for mixig bowls to trasport heavy bowls to other areas of the kitche. Oves ad steamers Where possible, use ove racks betwee waist ad elbow height to miimise awkward posture. Soup kettles ad heavy pots If movig heavy soup kettles/pots is uavoidable, two workers should move them. Storage Dishes, pots ad food will all be stored o shelves i the kitche i dry storage or cold storage areas. Risks associated with storage are: forceful liftig of heavy items; repetitive ad awkward reachig or bedig to either higher or lower shelves. Reduce the risks by: usig liftig aids such as trolleys or carts to move dishes or foods ito storage areas; arragig the storage area so that heavy items are easier to deal with, eg ot up high or dow low. For stores areas: label areas to make it easy to locate items; store frequetly used, heavier items withi easy reach, ie betwee kuckle ad elbow height (see Maual hadlig at work: A brief guide); store frequetly used lighter items betwee elbow ad shoulder height; store ifrequetly used heavy items o lower shelves; store ifrequetly used lighter items o higher shelves; keep storage areas clear ad free from obstructios; storage should take accout of maual hadlig eeds, eg allow eough space to use mechaical aids; use adjustable-height hadlig aids durig shelf stackig ad stocktakig. Cleaig Cleaig tasks i the kitche will ivolve scrubbig the kitche ad dish areas ad saitisig. Risks associated with these tasks are: forceful exertios; awkward shoulder or back postures; cuts, bruises, pressure ijuries ad sore ski. 5 of 6 pages

6 Health ad Safety Reduce the risks by: usig log-hadled brushes where reachig is required; choosig cleaig tools that have soft rubber-like hadles to reduce grippig force; whe cleaig items that are higher tha shoulder level, usig a platform of adequate size to miimise excessive reachig. Keep both feet flat o the platform at all times; whe cleaig items low to the groud, placig oe kee o a padded surface ad usig your opposite had for support to reduce the amout of weight o the kees; alteratively, sittig o a low stool while cleaig low areas; usig power washers. Removig waste Waste removal will ivolve liftig heavy rubbish bags, which carries the risk of forceful exertio. Reduce the risks by: usig smaller bags or bis to keep the weight of each bag dow; moutig waste bis o wheels for easy movemet. Further iformatio Assessmet of repetitive tasks: ART tool Leaflet INDG438 HSE Books 2010 (Priced pack ISBN ) Gettig to grips with maual hadlig: A short guide Leaflet INDG143(rev2) HSE Books 2004 (Priced pack ISBN ) idg143.pdf Heat stress i the workplace: What you eed to kow as a employer Geeral Iformatio Sheet GEIS1 HSE Books Maual hadlig assessmet charts: MAC tool Leaflet INDG383 HSE Books 2003 (Priced pack ISBN ) idg383.htm Prevetig slips ad trips i kitches ad food service Caterig Iformatio Sheet CAIS6(rev2) HSE Books HSE s website provides iformatio, as well as a umber of free leaflets ad iformatio sheets, that will be useful to help maage risks ad comply with legal requiremets, particularly Health ad safety made simple: The basics for your busiess idex.htm ad the caterig ad hospitality web pages: See also risk/casestudies ad For iformatio about health ad safety, or to report icosistecies or iaccuracies i this guidace, visit You ca view HSE guidace olie ad order priced publicatios from the website. HSE priced publicatios are also available from bookshops. This documet cotais otes o good practice which are ot compulsory but which you may fid helpful i cosiderig what you eed to do. This documet is available at: cais24.htm. Crow copyright If you wish to reuse this iformatio visit for details. First published 07/12. Published by the Health ad Safety CAIS24(rev1) 07/12 6 of 6 pages