What's a safe weight to lift at work?

Employers have differing notions of what is a safe weight to lift at work. Some think it is 15kg. Most think it is about 25kg. Alarmingly, some think it is as much as 50kg. Is there a maximum weight a worker can lift safely?

Musculoskeletal disorders (sprains and strains) account for more than 50% of all workplace injuries in Queensland, and a large portion of those are caused by lifting or the application of force. Surely these injuries could be avoided if there were some guidelines on what is a safe weight to lift?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. What is a safe weight to lift in the workplace is not specified in law or regulation. The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (“WHSR”) contains no maximum weight or force limits. That does not mean however, that an employer can ask or allow workers to lift excessively heavy weights.

The WHSR obligates employers to manage the risk of manual handling injuries through a meaningful risk assessment process. Section 60 of the WHSR states that employers must manage the risks of musculoskeletal disorders associated with hazardous manual tasks, and in doing so they must have regard to “all relevant matters”, including:

“(a) postures, movements, forces and vibration relating to the hazardous manual task;

(b) the duration and frequency of the hazardous manual task;

(c) workplace environmental conditions that may affect the hazardous manual task or the worker performing it;

(d) the design of the work area;

(e) the layout of the workplace;

(f) the systems of work used;

(g) the nature, size, weight or number of persons, animals or things involved in carrying out the hazardous manual task.”

As can be seen from the above provision, weight or force is just one of many factors employers need to consider in ascertaining whether a manual task is hazardous.

There have been a number of decisions over the years in which employers have been held liable for lifting – related injuries to workers where the weights being lifted were not particularly heavy, including:

In Dank v Tabcorp Holdings Limited [2011] QDC 2 an office worker injured her back when picking up a 12kg box of photocopy paper to put it on her desk, but the lift was awkward, involving turning and lifting at the same time;
In McGrory v Medina Property Inc Services Pty Limited [2016] QDC 280 a room attendant injured her shoulder picking up 15kg ice bin, but the bin had no hand grips, causing her to lift it in a “chicken wing” like action;
In Berhane v Woolworths Ltd [2017] QCA 166 an order picker sustained a back injury from lifting boxes which weighed 16kg (mostly), but the job involved frequent lifting away from the body.

Had the employers in the abovementioned cases undertaken risk assessments of the hazardous manual tasks, considering factors such as posture, repetition and movements (amongst others), the injuries to the workers would likely have been avoided.

A “hazardous manual task” is defined in schedule 19 of the WHSR. It is a task that requires a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain any person, animal or thing involving one or more of the following:

repetitive or sustained force;
high or sudden force;
repetitive movement;
sustained or awkward posture;
exposure to vibration.

So clearly, what is a “hazardous manual task” is very broadly defined in the WHSR. Conceivably, the term could potentially apply to any task in the workplace.

So in answer to the question, “What is a safe weight to lift at work?”, the answer is, there is none.

Any weight or force may be a risk to a worker, depending on various factors including posture, movements, repetition and work environment.

In addition to undertaking the risk assessment process that is required of them, we recommend employers manage the risk of manual handling injuries by:

· conducting manual handling training, tailored to the workplace, but focusing on the classic manual handling principles (e.g. plan the lift, lift with the legs, keep the load close to the torso etc);

· repeating that training, at least once per year;

· enforcing that training through toolbox talks, staff meetings and signs in the workplace.

For further information on how to manage manual handling injuries in the workplace, do not hesitate to call us on (07) 3218 1262, or visit the following:

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/news/2016/four-steps-to-manage-hazardous-manual-task-risks-in-the-workplace

https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/news/2016/how-to-minimise-manual-handling-injuries