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Manual handling
Manual handling
in
in the
the textiles industry
industry
 Manual handling
in the textiles industry
What are the What needs to be
problems? done: Assessing
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In textiles, manual handling causes the risk

more than a quarter of the work-related In the Health and Safety Executive
injuries reported each year. Around (HSE) guidance on the Manual
60% of these involve an injury to the Handling Operations Regulations
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back, and some result in permanent 1992, a clear hierarchy of measures
disablement. Many injuries arise from is established:
stresses and strains over a period of time ■ Avoid hazardous manual handling
rather than from a single event. so far as is reasonably practicable.
■ Assess any hazardous handling
What are the operations that cannot be avoided.
causes? ■ Reduce the risk of injury so far as is
Manual handling problems often stem reasonably practicable.
from poor workplace or job design. The Regulations cover ‘the transporting
Among the most common examples of or supporting of loads by hand or by
risky activities are jobs involving: heavy bodily force’. For example, they cover
or awkward loads; difficulty in gripping; bale handling as well as moving drums
excessive use of force; repetition; of chemicals in a dyehouse. See the
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twisting and other awkward postures. guidance booklet on the Regulations for
an example of an assessment checklist.
What is the cost?
Costs to the company can come from: Avoiding manual
loss of production; poor product quality; handling
sickness payments; accident injury Ask the following questions:
claims and higher insurance premiums; ■ Is manual handling necessary?
high staff turnover; and retraining. ■ Could the desired result be achieved
Possible costs to the individual are: pain; in another way?
possible permanent disability; time off ■ Can the operations be mechanised
work; and loss of earnings. or automated?

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 The main risks associated with manual ■ Is excessive force required?
handling activities are: ■ Are there any complaints of aches
■ the task - twisting, stooping, and pains from workers? Also check
strenuous pushing and pulling etc; with safety committees.
■ the load - weight, size, shape, ■ Is there any evidence of
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stability, ease of grasp; improvised changes to controls

■ the work environment - constraints or equipment?
on posture, poor floor surfaces, hot, ■ Are tools or equipment the wrong
cold or humid conditions; size for the user, or for the job to
■ individual capabilities - health be done?
problems, the effects of protective ■ Does the work require awkward
equipment and clothing. postures such as stooping or
The Manual Handling Regulations do stretching?
not cover the physical effort required in ■ Is there sufficient space to move
work which does not involve transporting around?
or supporting a load. For instance, the ■ Are there any reports of accidents
action of lashing down the ropes on a or injuries associated with manual
wagon after loading is not covered, nor handling?
are the operation of controls of weaving ■ Ask the employees which tasks are
or spinning machinery. Nevertheless, if the most arduous.
the weaver or spinner cannot reach the
controls easily, or operating the controls Practical ways to
needs excessive force, injury can result. reduce the risks
These risks would be considered in the A recent study of handling operations
risk assessment required by the in the textile industry identified
Management of Health and Safety several common tasks where
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at Work Regulations 1992. handling injury risk factors were
evident. The following examples
Assess the risks illustrate some of these factors and
In deciding whether an activity presents show possible ways of reducing or
a risk, consider the following: eliminating them.

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 Handling bales bales being moved, and maintaining
Location: Usually in delivery and floor surfaces to reduce risks.
storage areas.
Problems: Bales are generally too
heavy to be handled without mechanical Handling bundles of
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help. The manual movement of bales processed fibre

can present a serious risk of injury and Location: Packaging areas and close
even the use of hand trucks should be to carding and gilling machines.
kept to a minimum. Problems: The size, shape, and
Solutions: Figure 1 shows how the weight of the bundle (typically 9 to
risks to an individual can be reduced by 22 kg); the repetitive nature of the task;
having more than one worker doing the the reaching and stooped postures
adopted when lifting from bins; and the
forces needed to pull and manoeuvre
the bundles before lifting. Figure 2
shows a typical container bin used to
collect bundles before they are
transferred to packing containers. The
worker has to lean and reach into the

Figure 1 Two workers help another

with the difficult task of getting a
bale onto a hand truck

job, particularly when getting the bale

onto a truck. All the workers are using
hand hooks to grip the bale. Also
consider using lift and clamp trucks
more widely, providing roller conveyors, Figure 2 A typical reaching
using appropriate hand trucks for the posture when working at a bin

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Figure 3 One possible improvement

to the handling task that reduces
the need to reach and stoop

bin to grasp the bundle. The build-up lengthen the handling cycle (job
of bundles also adds to the physical enlargement), and providing recovery
effort needed to pull and lift them clear time (where handling is not required)
of the bin. can all reduce the risks.
Solutions: When designing the
workplace, try to improve access to the
bundles (eg with removable sections on Handling rolls
the sides of the collection bins) and Location: Often performed close to
ensure they can be lifted from waist machinery (lifting to and from weaving
height and close to the body (see machines), in storage and despatch
Figure 3). If possible, install a direct areas (lifting to and from shelves, racks,
conveyor belt from the collector bin trolleys and stillages), and in quality
to the packing container. control areas (weighing).
Other factors: For repetitive Problems: The weight and size of
handling tasks, consider carefully the roll; the awkward postures adopted due
way work is organised. For example, to lack of space (reaching, stooping and
moving workers between a number of twisting) especially if lifting from a low
different jobs (job rotation), increasing level; and grasping difficulties (it is
the range of tasks within a job to often necessary to change the grip

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 Solutions: In storage areas, consider
mechanical methods of handling the
rolls. Failing that, organise rolls
according to weight so that heavier rolls
are stored at a convenient height for
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handling. Handling aids like the

adjustable width stacker in Figure 5
may be a practical solution. It has been
specially designed for lifting and
lowering rolls in storage areas. Roller
track attached to the top of two
support arms allows rolls to be passed

Figure 4 Awkward handling of rolls

in a store

during the lift). There may be problems

when lifting and handling in teams of
two or more people, such as the uneven Figure 5 An adjustable width
distribution of weight between stacker
individuals, differences in strength and
stature, and co-ordinating the lift. easily to and from storage racks. The
Figure 4 shows a roll of cloth being height of the trolley is easily adjusted
picked from a storage rack. It shows, for using a foot pump. Resting on wheels,
example, the difficulty of balancing and it can be readily manoeuvred. However,
supporting the weight of the roll at a worker may still need to use a ladder
shoulder height, as well as restricted of some sort when pushing and pulling
and insecure footing. the rolls on or off the lifter.

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Figure 6 Transporting rolled

material on a roller conveyor

Figure 6 shows roller track used for Transferring rolls from the loom to
moving rolls between different other stages of the production process
workstations in a packing department. often results in several handling
Mounting roller track on table tops operations. Figure 7 shows a trolley
means the rolls can be maintained at a specially designed for transporting and
comfortable working height. The rolls manoeuvring rolls about the confined
rest on smooth, flat, lightweight boards, spaces often found close to looms. The
reducing the friction, as well as trolley is small and has two central
preventing the cloth from load-bearing wheels with two smaller
being damaged. wheels at either end which allow it to
be easily manoeuvred. A raised handle
down one side of the trolley ensures the
worker does not have to stoop.
To raise rolls onto a work surface,
consider using a simple lifting arm, as
shown in Figure 8, which is attached to
the edge of the table. In this case, the
lever arm is powered pneumatically.
Consider using an automated
Figure 7 A hand trolley for conveyor system to transport rolls to
transporting rolls despatch. The conveyor delivers the roll

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Figure 8 A table lifting arm used

for lifting rolls from trolleys onto
to an automatic weigh station. Rolls the table
over a certain weight can be sent to a
boom truck pick-up point for loading,
while lighter rolls are diverted to a
manual pick-up point (see Figure 9).
The gap in the conveyor allows the
workers to pick the roll up at its
balance point, before carrying it to the
vehicle. The conveyor can be used by
left- and right-handed people.
See Figure 10 for an example of how
to virtually eliminate manual handling.
Rolls of cloth are handled by lift truck
and loose cloth is transported in large
trolleys towed by a small electric vehicle.
Other factors: Designing the layout
of the work area is most important. The
need to use maximum space in storage
areas often means that access to items is
difficult. Planning and good house- Figure 9 Conveyor pick-up point
keeping will help reduce the likelihood that presents rolls at shoulder height

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Figure 10 How bulk handling has tendency to sag), the difficulties of

helped reduce manual handling in a ensuring a firm grasp on the load and
dyehouse process the problems often associated with
people lifting in teams. Figure 11 shows
of accidents occurring. Consider the tendency for folded cloth to sag
installing a mechanical lifting aid, when held at each end. This often results
particularly in delivery and storage areas. in more effort when lifting onto raised

Handling loosely folded cloth

Location: Common to a number of
intermediate stages of the production
process, for example, moving cloth to
or from machines, inspection and
quality control areas including lifting to
or from weighing scales.
Problems: Risks arise from the weight
of the cloth, its unstable nature (ie a Figure 11 Lifting folded cloth

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 surfaces because the arms must be raised
so much higher than the work surface.
This is demonstrated by the woman on
the right who must raise her arms well
above the work surface, even though it is
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close to waist height.

Figure 13 Scales mounted into the

floor so that material is weighed on
the trolley

a weighing scale mounted into the floor

close to the workstation. Rather than
transferring cloth onto weighing scales
and then putting it onto storage trolleys,
Figure 12 A lightweight stretcher- the loaded trolley can be wheeled onto
board used to carry folded material the scale for the cloth to be weighed,
removing the need to lift the cloth.
Solutions: Figure 12 shows the use of
a lightweight ‘stretcher-board’ which
not only reduces the distance through Box handling
which the load is lifted, but also Location: Mainly in delivery and
improves its stability and provides for a storage areas, including to and from
more even distribution of weight vehicles.
between the two lifters. The board also Problems: The size, shape and weight
has suitably designed hand-holds which of boxes; awkward and constrained
improve grip and the ability to apply postures when lifting to and from
the necessary force during the lift. storage racks; and the difficulties in
The most effective way to prevent grasping the load securely. Figure 14(a)
handling injuries is to avoid the need shows boxes of yarn weighing up to
for handling altogether. Figure 13 shows 30 kg being stacked manually.

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Figure 15 Scales built into a roller

conveyor
Figure 14(a) The original method
of stacking boxes compensate for the weight of the load,
allowing it to be moved with minimal
effort. The device can be adapted to
suit a range of different items
and containers.
Before despatching goods it is often
necessary to weigh boxes, which can
result in them being carried to and
from the weighing scales. Consider
mounting weighing scales in the floor
or, alternatively, increasing the height of
the surrounding work area to bring it in
Figure 14(b) New pneumatic line with the height of the weighing
handling equipment scales. Figure 15 shows boxes being
passed across the weighing scales along
Solutions: Figure 14(b) shows how roller track, removing any need to carry,
the lifting operation has been lift or lower them.
mechanised by installing a vacuum Conveyor belts offer flexible and
handling system. Suspended on an effective means by which to transport
overhead rail, the device is free to move packaged material over long distances.
within the storage area. Pneumatic These can be powered or non-powered
grippers grasp the box securely and and are available with flexible telescopic

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 Lifting to and from bins,
stillages, trolleys and
machinery
Location: Found in most areas but
particularly common close to machinery.
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Problems: Awkward trunk postures

when lifting from the bottom of bins,

Figure 16 An extendable, height

adjustable, powered conveyor
used to help in unloading

arms which can be adjusted to suit a

range of different applications. Figure
16 shows a powered extendable
conveyor belt used to unload boxes of
yarn from the back of a lorry. The angle
of the extended arm can be easily
adjusted to suit the height at which the
boxes are passed to the conveyor belt.
Other factors: Speak to suppliers to
try and identify a packaging design that
best suits the manual handling devices
available. While reducing the weight of
containers has significant benefits for
most manual handling, in some
instances, large, heavy containers may
be more beneficial, discouraging
manual handling and encouraging the Figure 17 A trolley with a
use of mechanised procedures. self-levelling base

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 trolleys and stillages with rigid sides drop-down sides or tilting the trolley
(eg bucket trolleys). towards the worker.
Solutions: To maintain a good trunk Problem: Figure 18 shows cones of
posture, the trolley shown in Figure 17 spun yarn being removed from a
is fitted with a self-levelling base. The conveyor and replaced by empty
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base is suspended from each corner of bobbins. This requires the worker to
the trolley by four springs and, as adopt an awkward posture to bend
material is removed, the suspended base and reach sideways into the bottom
rises, maintaining a constant height of the stillage.
from which to lift. The opposite occurs Solutions: Figure 19 shows how
when material is added. An inner lining tilting platforms enable both trolleys to
be angled towards the worker allowing
easier access to the contents. Raising
the height of the conveyor track and
providing suitable seating also improve
the posture the person adopts
throughout the handling operation.
Problem: Moving drums of dye can
result in some awkward handling.

Figure 18 Handling of cones to

and from boxes

prevents material from being caught in

the springs. The spring tension can be
varied depending on the weight of the
material being carried.
If self-levelling bucket trolleys are
unsuitable, then consider whether Figure 19 Tilting trolleys can
improved access to the base of the reduce reaching and improve
trolley can be achieved by providing working postures

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 Solution: Consider using a simple Figure 21(a)
purpose-made trolley (see Figure 20).
The trolley is built so that its base is at
the same level as the raised storage shelf
making the transfer of the drums easier.
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This kind of trolley can only help where

the floor is suitable, and it will need
some maintenance of the wheels to
ensure that it keeps running smoothly.
Problem: Awkward and forceful
postures often stem from the way people

Figure 21(b) A handling aid for

lifting bobbins

cost-effective alternative. Figure 21(b)

shows how a hand tool, which is
designed to lock onto the head of the
Figure 20 A drum trolley bobbin, allows the hand and arm to
adopt much more suitable positions.
interact with machinery. In Figure 21(a) Problem: The handling of heavy yarn
the person adopts an awkward hand and packages is a common activity.
arm posture while pushing down on the Solution: Figure 22 shows how
bobbin (a similar posture is adopted to reducing the risks associated with this
remove full bobbins). often repetitive task may be best
Solution: Modifying machinery is achieved using a mechanical handling
expensive, but simple tools to assist device. This is suspended from an
handling operations may provide a overhead support or rail, grips the

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 Maintenance
Location: Most areas.
Problems: Maintenance tasks can
lead to some of the most hazardous
handling operations. They are often
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performed in confined and restricted

space in and around machines. While
many are routine and frequently
undertaken, some are more varied and
unpredictable requiring more effort to
plan and control the activity. Some
tasks require workers to support heavy
components while bolts are removed or
replaced. The main risk factors are the
weight of the component parts (often
in excess of 50 kg), restricted access and
Figure 22 A mechanical lifting consequent awkward postures, and
aid for packages of yarn insecure footing.

centre of the package, and by balancing

and supporting the load it helps with
lifting and manoeuvring the packages.
Other factors: It is important to
consider the size of individual users in
relation to the machinery they operate.
If one person has responsibility for one
or several pieces of machinery, then
ensure that the handling aids provided
are suitable for the individual. Where
several operators use the same Figure 23 A hoist used for lifting
machinery, then consider handling aids and manoeuvring heavy parts
which can be easily adjusted. during maintenance

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 requiring changes in height and the
supporting of heavy loads.
Handling tool boxes is often taken
for granted and yet this too can involve
repetitive lifting of heavy loads, usually
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with one hand. Figure 24 shows a

simple tool-box trolley.
Other factors: Good maintenance
also includes the regular upkeep of
machinery, and good housekeeping
practices. This is one of the first line
approaches towards accident
prevention. For example, trolleys are
Figure 24 A tool-box trolley used extensively throughout the
industry and play a major part in
Solutions: Planning during machine reducing manual handling. However,
installation can help, eg by allowing poorly maintained wheels can become
access, providing overhead hoists and clogged with waste material or stick due
lifting points such as eyebolts. However, to wear, increasing the force that must
flexible multi-purpose handling devices be exerted to move them. Systematic
can be more practical than alterations cleaning and maintenance of wheels,
to the workplace. Mobile hoists, similar perhaps including a simple record, will
to the one in Figure 23, and even motor help ensure that risks of injury are
vehicle jacks can provide mechanical minimised. Well-maintained floors will
assistance. Aim to minimise handling also benefit the users of trolleys.

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 References and Further
further reading information

1 Manual handling. Manual Handling HSE priced and free publications are
Operations Regulations 1992. Guidance available by mail order from:
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on Regulations L23 HSE Books 1992 HSE Books

ISBN 0 7176 0411 X PO Box 1999
Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS
2 Management of health and safety at Tel: 01787 881165
work. Management of Health and Safety Fax: 01787 313995
at Work Regulations 1992. Approved
Code of Practice L21 HSE Books 1992 HSE priced publications are also
ISBN 0 7176 0412 8 available from good booksellers.

3 Getting to grips with manual For other enquiries ring

handling: A short guide for employers HSE’s InfoLine Tel: 0541 545500,
INDG143 HSE Books 1993 or write to HSE’s Information Centre,
Broad Lane, Sheffield S3 7HQ.
The future availability and accuracy of
the references listed in this publication HSE home page on the World Wide Web:
cannot be guaranteed. [Link]

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This leaflet was prepared by the Textiles

Industry Advisory Committee and has
been agreed by the Health and Safety
Commission. It contains notes on good
practice which are not compulsory but
which you may find helpful in
considering what you need to do.

This leaflet is available in priced

packs of 10 from HSE Books,
ISBN 0 7176 1516 2. Single free copies
are also available from HSE Books.

This publication may be freely

reproduced, except for advertising,
endorsement or commercial purposes.
The information is current at 3/98.
Please acknowledge the source as HSE.

IACL103 3/98 C150

Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive