Health & safety bulletin
Manual Handling Injury
15th May 2008
Please see below a Global Alliance HSSE alert:
REFRIGERATION ENGINEER INJURES BACK WHILST MANUAL HANDLING.
On 5th February, engineers attended Mottingham Connect as a two man team to replace a faulty refrigeration compressor.
During the removal of the faulty compressor one engineer complained of back pain and put an entry in the site accident book. He informed his employer and left site to visit his local GP who diagnosed sciatica and issued a note signing him off work for a week.
Replacement compressor shown on right.
Findings:
- The restricted space and manual handling was the root cause for the engineer suffering back pain.
- The method statement and clearance certificate were adequate, and the assigning of a two man team to work on a 90kg load was correct.
- It is possible that the engineer had an existing condition; however, he was not suffering any pain or discomfort on the morning of the 5th before removing the compressor.
It is possible that the engineer involved had a previous back injury which may have been a contributory factor in this incident. Remember: If you have previously suffered a condition which may have an impact on your safety at work, it is imperative that you inform your employers.