Help us to improve the website - give your feedback.

Risk factors associated with pushing and pulling loads

There are a number of risk factors associated with pushing and pulling of loads, which can be categorised into Task, Individual, Load and Environment (TILE). The following are some risk factors within these categories that could contribute to a pushing and pulling related injury. You should consider these risk factors when carrying out your risk assessments.

Task

  • Large amounts of effort are required to start or stop the load moving or to keep it moving.
  • The risk increases over longer distances or at high speed.
  • Obstacles can create risks as workers try to avoid colliding with them.
  • The worker needs to move suddenly or twist to manoeuvre the load.
  • Repetitive pushing and pulling without sufficient recovery time.
  • The position of the hands should be comfortable for the worker. They are best positioned between hip and shoulder height.
  • The worker has to push or pull the load with only one hand.

Individual

  • Workers have different characteristics and capabilities. For example, a tall worker may have to adopt an awkward posture to push a trolley with low handles, while a shorter worker may have difficulty seeing over the load.
  • Individual factors such as pregnancy may temporarily reduce the amount of force a worker can safely handle.
  • The task may require unusual capability. If this is the case, think about who should carry out the task and how.
  • Specialised training or instruction may be needed.
  • The task may pose a risk to those with a physical or learning difficulty, or to new and young workers.

Load

  • Consider the weight of the load and the weight of the equipment being used by the worker.
  • Good handholds will help apply force and control the load.
  • Ensure the load is sufficiently stable for negotiating any slopes, corners or rough surfaces.
  • Plan the route and ensure the worker can safely see over the load.
  • Check if the route is wide enough for the load and wheeled equipment.
  • Wheeled equipment needs suitable and well-maintained wheels or castors. Any brakes need to be effective.

Environment

  • Steep slopes and rough surfaces can increase the amount of force required to push/pull a load.
  • Environmental factors such as temperature, lighting and air currents can increase the risks of pushing/pulling.
  • Floor surfaces that are clean and dry can help reduce the force needed to move a load.
  • Lack of space can force the worker to adopt awkward postures.
  • Handling in confined spaces and narrow passages/doorways could cause a trapping/abrasion injury.

As well as the above, there are other factors which should be considered:

Equipment

  • Ensure the correct equipment is provided for the task and it is fit for purpose.
  • There should be a maintenance programme and a well-promoted fault-reporting system.
  • Ensure that the wheels suit the flooring and environment, eg are the wheels on the device suited to a hot environment or carpets?
  • Look at the handle height in relation to the different users as this can be a risk factor for their posture. Vertical or sloped handles may help.
  • If the equipment has no brakes or poor/ineffective brakes it could be difficult to stop.
  • Is posture hindered by personal protective equipment? If so, is it really needed or can the task be done in a different way?

Work organisation and psychosocial factors

  • These affect the worker's psychological reaction to work and the environment, eg high workload demands, short deadlines and lack of control over working methods.
  • Poor communication between managers and employees can lead to an unhappy workforce which could have an effect on production.
  • Organisational 'change' can affect the motivation of the workforce.

Link URLs in this page

  1. MSDshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/msds.htm
  2. Back painhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/backpain/index.htm
  3. Upper limb disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/index.htm
  4. Lower limb disorders https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/lld/index.htm
  5. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  6. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  7. Overview - MSD toolkithttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/toolkit.htm
  8. Overview - MAC toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/index.htm
  9. Introduction to MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/introduction.htm
  10. Developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/development.htm
  11. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/scoresheet.htm
  12. Overview - Liftinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftintro.htm
  13. Lifting from pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid1.htm
  14. Lifting creels of wire videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid2.htm
  15. Lifting control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance01a.htm
  16. Overview - Carryinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryintro.htm
  17. Carrying from conveyor videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid1.htm
  18. Carrying task in pastry factory videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid2.htm
  19. Carrying control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance02a.htm
  20. Overview - Team handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamintro.htm
  21. Team handling pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid1.htm
  22. Team handling container videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid2.htm
  23. Team handling control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance03a.htm
  24. Psychosocial risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/psychosocial.htm
  25. Individual differenceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/individuals.htm
  26. MAC assessment tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/tips.htm
  27. MAC FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/faq.htm
  28. Overview - V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/index.htm
  29. Advantages and limitationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/1-advantages-limitations.htm
  30. What you need to knowhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/2-what-you-need-to-know-before.htm
  31. How to use the V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/3-how-to-use.htm
  32. Which jobs and workers to assesshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/4-which-jobs-workers-to-assess.htm
  33. Entering datahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/5-entering-data.htm
  34. What does the V-MAC tell you?https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/6-what-does-vmac-tell-you.htm
  35. Values in the summary tablehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/7-summary-tables.htm
  36. Recording and usinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/8-recording-and-using.htm
  37. Worked exampleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/9-worked-examples.htm
  38. V-MAC FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/10-faqs.htm
  39. Overview - ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/index.htm
  40. What is the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/whatis.htm
  41. Overview - Learning to use the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/learning.htm
  42. Preparationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/preparation.htm
  43. Risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/riskfactors.htm
  44. Observationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/observation.htm
  45. Overview - Making an assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessment.htm
  46. Task descriptionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/task.htm
  47. Overview - Assessment guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessguide.htm
  48. A. Frequency and repetition of movementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/freqrep.htm
  49. B. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/forceassessment.htm
  50. C. Awkward postureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/awkpostures.htm
  51. D. Additional factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/addfactors.htm
  52. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/score.htm
  53. A walkthroughhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/walkthrough.htm
  54. Overview - Try it outhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/try.htm
  55. Book bindinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/bookbinding.htm
  56. Jogging sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/jogging.htm
  57. Collating papershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/papers.htm
  58. Whisky carton assemblyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/cartonassembly.htm
  59. Croissant curlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/croissant.htm
  60. Overview - Analysis and actionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/analysis.htm
  61. What the scores meanhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/scoresmean.htm
  62. Analysing task rotationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/rotation.htm
  63. Overview - Taking actionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/action.htm
  64. Repetitionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/repetition.htm
  65. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/force.htm
  66. Posturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/posture.htm
  67. Durationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/duration.htm
  68. Physical environmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/environment.htm
  69. Psychosocial issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/psychosocial.htm
  70. Art Tool Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/resources.htm
  71. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/faq.htm
  72. Overview - RAPP toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/index.htm
  73. Push/pull riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/risks.htm
  74. Push/pull risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/assessment.htm
  75. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/legislation.htm
  76. Health monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/health-monitoring.htm
  77. Workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/workers-msds.htm
  78. Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/resources.htm
  79. More information on psychosocial issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/mac/psychosocial.htm
  80. Manual handling at work: A brief guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.htm
  81. Managing upper limb disorders in the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg171.htm
  82. Manual handling assessment charts (the MAC tool) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg383.htm
  83. Risk assessment of pushing and pulling (RAPP) tool https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg478.htm
  84. Assessment of repetitive tasks of the upper limbs (the ART tool)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg438.htm
  85. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  86. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm

Is this page useful?

Updated 2020-03-21