Why are safe moving and handling principles so important?

Anybody who regularly cares for a person with mobility problems should be trained in safe moving and handling principles to avoid accident or injury to either patient or carer.

If a person has difficulty with mobility, they may need help with everyday tasks like bathing, getting in and out of bed, using the toilet, repositioning themselves, or simply moving around their home.

Helping to lift or move a person can be a strenuous job and should always be carried out according to safe moving and handling principles.

Moving and handling principles help individuals to lift and manoeuvre people safely and gently, using the correct techniques and equipment, and without putting too much pressure on their spine.

It is important that anyone lifting or moving another person uses safe moving and handling principles to avoid injury to either themselves or the person they are moving. You can help businesses by taking our Moving and Handling Train the Trainer Course.

In this article, we will explore what moving and handling principles are and why they are so important.

What are the principles of safe moving and handling?

Moving and handling principles describe the best ways to move or handle people who require help with mobility in line with nationally recognised best practices and manual handling regulations.

We’ve listed the basic principles of safe moving and handling below to help anyone involved in caring for patients who need help with mobility. Whether you’re an individual caring for a family member or a health and social care worker, these basic principles can help you to carry out your role safely and efficiently.

Plan

If you are going to be moving or handling a patient for the first time, a risk assessment should be carried out and a brief plan should be formulated. During the risk assessment, you should identify any risks with performing the lift and assess the person’s moving and handling needs. Once you have identified any risks involved, precautions can be introduced to reduce the risk.

Once you know more about the person’s needs and any risks involved with moving them, you can then choose the most appropriate equipment and techniques for the job. There are plenty of different types of handling equipment available to make the job easier, including hoists and slings.

Some important factors to consider when planning how best to lift, move, or handle a patient include:

• The strength and fitness of the person who will be carrying out the moving and handling.
• Any health conditions the patient or person carrying out the moving or handling has.
• Any risks associated with moving the patient.
• The weight that is being lifted.
• The distance the person needs to be moved.
• If there is enough space to carry out the lift.
• The best posture, techniques and/or equipment for safely moving or handling the patient.

Prepare

If you are helping to move a person a considerable distance, then before you begin, you should map out the route and reduce the distance wherever possible. Next, check your route for hazards and remove any obstructions from your path. You should also make sure that you are wearing comfortable and suitable clothing if you are going to be helping to lift or move people. Flat, stable footwear and loose, comfortable clothing are best.

Safe manual handling principles

If you are moving or handling a person without the help of equipment, then it’s essential to assume the correct posture and use the appropriate technique to avoid putting strain on the spine or otherwise injuring yourself.

Your feet should be positioned comfortably apart and pointing in the direction that you will be moving. Before lifting, you should ensure that you have a secure grip. During the lift or whilst moving the person, you should hold their weight as close to your body as possible to avoid straining your spine. You should also keep a good posture, with your head up and neck and back straight. Always remember to brace your abdominal muscles to support your spine, avoid twisting motions, and lift as smoothly as possible. Using your leg muscles and body’s momentum when moving or handling a person can help to reduce stress on the spine and make movement smoother. Never attempt to lift a person above shoulder height.

Know your limits

Finally, it’s important to know your limits and never try to lift or manoeuvre a person that is too heavy for you without the help of lifting equipment. Taking on too much could be very risky for the health and safety of both you and the patient.

Why is safe moving and handling so important?

Ensuring that anyone who moves or handles people is trained in safe moving and handling principles is very important to the health and safety of everyone involved, both patient and carer. Let’s take a look at some key reasons why safe moving and handling principles are so important.

Patient

People may need help with mobility for many different reasons, sometimes their need is temporary, whilst they are recovering from illness or injury, others may need help with mobility their whole life. Those that require help, rely on those moving and handling them to know how to do so safely without causing them discomfort or injury.

• Dignity – Using professional techniques and equipment makes moving a person simple, quick, and efficient, helping the patient to feel comfortable, at ease, and dignified.
• Comfort – Using the appropriate techniques or equipment to move patients helps to minimise their pain and discomfort.
• Avoid injury – Many people that require help with mobility are already injured, unwell, or otherwise frail. Failure to handle them according to safe moving and handling principles and regulations could cause damage to their skin, injury to their shoulders or neck, bruises or cuts, setback their recovery, or even result in serious injury.

Carer

Following moving and handling principles and regulations is equally as important to the health and safety of the carer or healthcare worker who will be carrying out the lifting. Benefits of using safe moving and handling principles for the carer include:

• Comply with regulations – Complying with lifting and handling regulations is compulsory for healthcare workers as they are responsible for the health and safety of the patients in their care. Failure to understand or comply with manual handling regulations could result in prosecution.
• Prevent injury, aches, and pains – Moving and handling people can be strenuous and repetitive work. If carers do not use the correct principles, equipment, or techniques during manual handling tasks, they may find themselves suffering from aches, pains, or damage to their muscles or spine over time. Back injuries caused by incorrect manual handling techniques can limit movement, making it difficult and uncomfortable to continue providing effective care. Poor health or long-term aches and pains can also take their toll on a carer’s mental health and wellbeing.
• Reduce work-related sickness – Did you know that around 40% of work-related sickness in the health and social care industry is down to moving and handling injuries? Sick days can be inconvenient and expensive for both the employee and the organisation they work for.

How often should carers be trained in moving and handling?

Because of the importance of moving and handling training, thorough training should be carried out for all new employees and high-quality refresher training should then be completed regularly to ensure that expected standards continue to be met.

At a minimum, it is recommended that all health and social care employees involved with people moving and handling complete annual training.

If any new manual handling equipment is acquired or if manual handling regulations, techniques, or best practices are updated, then staff should receive additional training to ensure that their knowledge and skills are up-to-date.

Ensuring the quality of moving and handling training

Many healthcare organisations opt to carry out moving and handling training in-house to ensure the quality and consistency of staff training. Carrying out training in-house is also a cost-effective and convenient option.

In-house trainers should complete a professional ‘Train the Trainer’ course in moving and handling patients to equip them with the practical skills and up-to-date theoretical knowledge they need to competently deliver effective moving and handling training to the workforce.

Here at Care Business Associates, we run a four-day, professional, train the trainer course in moving and handling.

The course covers a mixture of theory and practical training. The practical training is carried out face-to-face at your workplace.

On completion of the course, individuals will have the knowledge, practical skills, and confidence they require to provide effective moving and handling training to your organisation’s workforce.

Find out when our Moving and Handling: Train the Trainer course is next running and book your place on the course online today. Alternatively, if you’d like to find out more about the course, give our team a call on 01772 816 922 or email admin@cba-training.co.uk.