In the past, there were limits to weights that could be lifted at some workplaces, but the weight of objects is no longer the primary focus for injury prevention.
Are there safe lifting weight limits in Australia?
There is no longer a prescribed weight limit for loads to be lifted by men or women. This is because the weight of a load to be moved is only one of the factors that may contribute to injury. Other factors that increase the risk of strains, sprains or other musculoskeletal disorders are:
- the number of times the load is lifted or moved
- the person's posture when lifting
- the distance the load is to be moved
- the design of the work area and layout of the workplace, e.g. whether the load is to be moved in a restricted space or on an uneven surface
- movements, forces and vibration relating to the task
- the duration of the task
- the systems of work used, and
- the features of the load, e.g. whether it is compact or bulky, and the ease of getting a grip on it.
Work health and safety legislation provides that hazardous manual tasks have to be identified, and the risks of lifting or moving the load must be managed with risk management best practices. That is, the risks of strains, sprains or other injuries must be eliminated or, if that is not reasonably practicable, the risks must be minimised.
In order to do this, the person conducting the business or undertaking must have regard to the weight of the load as well as all the other relevant factors that may contribute to an injury.
Following this process, suitable risk control measures must be implemented.
Safe Work Australia’s Hazardous Tasks Code of Practice
The Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice provides guidance on how to assess the risk of lifting heavy loads, and a range of options for controlling the risk.
The Hazardous Manual Task Code of Practice states that with regard to the weight of a load, control measures for heavy loads include buying products either in smaller, lighter loads more suitable for manual handling, or arranging for larger loads that can be shifted mechanically. Other measures include reducing the size or capacity of containers, using handheld hooks or suction pads to move loads such as sheet materials, and using grip devices adapted to the particular object to be carried. Team lifting may also help to control the risk, but team members need to be trained to prevent workplace injuries by acting in coordination with each other. They should also be reasonably well-matched in size, otherwise it can be too risky.
The code includes in its appendix a link to the 1991 NIOSH Lifting Equation (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health – USA) which provides criteria for defining the lifting capacity of healthy workers.
