Risk Management Guidelines – Ergonomics

and Manual Handling

Scope and Purpose
These guidelines are designed to assist users with assessing risks and determining appropriate control
measures associated with ergonomic or manual handling hazards. These guidelines must be read in
conjunction with the OHS Risk Management Procedure.

All risk assessments must be documented using the online system - SARAH.

Abbreviations
OHS Occupational Health and Safety

PPE Personal Protective Equipment

SARAH Safety and Risk Analysis Hub

Definitions
A comprehensive list of definitions is provided in the Definitions tool.

When to do a risk assessment

A risk assessment must be undertaken for all activities where ergonomic or manual handling hazards present
a risk to health and safety.

How to complete a risk assessment

Tutorial videos on how to use SARAH to complete risk assessments, are available on the Risk Management
and Safe Work Instructions page.

If the activity that is being assessed is common at Monash University, there may be an existing risk assessment
available in SARAH, which could be adopted using the cloning function.

To complete a risk assessment:

1. Follow the OHS Risk Assessment Guide to complete the risk assessment in SARAH.

2. Describe the activity that is being assessed. Refer to any existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
or protocols relevant to the activity.

3. Determine who are the people that know about the process and the hazards associated with the activity
(e.g. Supervisors, Safety Officers, Subject Matter Experts, OHS Consultant/Advisor).

4. Select the most appropriate Mechanism of Injury and the Agency of Injury associated with the risk factor
being assessed.

Risk Management Guidelines Responsible Officer: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager Page 1 of 4
Ergonomics and Manual Handling, v2.2 Date Effective: January 2023 Date of next review: 2026

For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/

 5. Describe how the risks associated with the Mechanism and Agency can lead to injury or disease in the
context of the activity that is being assessed.

6. Consult with your risk assessment team on the risk factors identified.

7. Examples of available resources include:

• Monash University Ergonomics and Manual Handling webpages;

• WorkSafe Compliance code: Hazardous manual handling;

• Worksafe Officewise: A guide to health and safety in the office handbook;

• Safe Work Australia Lifting, pushing and pulling (manual handling) page; and

• Australian Standards (e.g. AS/NZS 4442:2018: Office desks, office workstations and tables
intended to be used as office desks - Mechanical, dimensional and general requirements and test
methods)

8. Identify and describe the existing controls currently in place.

9. From the Risk Matrix in SARAH, select the Likelihood of injury or disease occurring with consideration
given to the existing controls. Refer to the table below to identify relevant risk factors.

The manual task involves repetitive or Likelihood of Injury

sustained forces, sustained awkward
postures or repetitive movements.

• Repetitive means the movement or Almost Certain

force is performed more than twice a
minute; and
• Sustained means the posture or force
is held for more than 30 seconds at a Likely
time. OR
The task involves high force.
AND Possible
RISK

RISK

The task is performed for a long duration:

• More than 2 hours over a whole shift;
or Unlikely
• Continually for more than 30 minutes at
a time.

Rare

There are contributing environmental factors (e.g. vibration, poor lighting, working in hot/cold environments).

Risk Management Guidelines Responsible Officer: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager Page 2 of 4
Ergonomics and Manual Handling, v2.2 Date Effective: January 2023 Date of next review: 2026

For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/

 10. Select the Consequence of the injury with consideration given to the existing controls. Refer to the table
below for consequence descriptors.

Consequence
Near Hit/Miss – No Injury requiring Injury requiring medical Serious injury requiring Fatality or multiple
injury or minor medical treatment treatment/counselling and admission to hospital serious injuries. Major
injury requiring with no lost time. time away from and significant time destruction to
minor First Aid. work/study. away from work/study. facility/infrastructure.
Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic

11. The risk rating will be assigned automatically once the Likelihood and the Consequence are selected.
Refer to the Risk Matrix below.

12. Determine if additional controls are required that could further reduce the risk level. Refer to Table 1 for a
list of common ergonomic and manual handling controls based on the Hierarchy of Controls.

13. Nominate a person responsible and the due date to implement each control.

14. Re-assess the residual risk level with the proposed controls implemented.

Risk Management Guidelines Responsible Officer: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager Page 3 of 4
Ergonomics and Manual Handling, v2.2 Date Effective: January 2023 Date of next review: 2026

For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/

 Table 1: Hierarchy of Controls
Ergonomics and Manual Handling Hierarchy of Controls
Elimination Automate the manual task.
Deliver goods directly to the point of use to
eliminate multiple handling.
Alter the workplace layout, workstation or work
area design.
Substitution Replace heavy items with lighter, smaller or easier
to handle items.
Replace hand tools with power tools to reduce the
level of force required to do the task.
Isolation Isolate/enclose vibrating machinery.
Engineering Manual or powered trolleys.
Height adjustable workstations.
Conveyor belts and turntables.
Lifting devices and hoists.
Access equipment and work platforms.
Load shifting equipment; forklifts, pallet trucks,
stackers and pallet jacks.
Ergonomic computer equipment; keyboards, mice,
height adjustable monitors, footrest.
Administration Workstation assessments
Job rotation & additional help
Safe Work Instructions and training in the use of
engineering controls
Training in manual handling/lifting techniques
Safe Weight Limit indicated on equipment and
weight information on loads.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Heat-resistant gloves.
Comfortable and shock-absorbent footwear/fully
enclosed footwear.
Gloves with extra grip.

Document History
Version Date of Issue Changes made to document
2.2 January 2023 1. Applied new format
2. Updated hyperlinks throughout
3. Updated Consequence descriptors
4. Updated Risk Matrix table to align with SARAH.
5. Updated title of Responsible Officer in footer.

Risk Management Guidelines Responsible Officer: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager Page 4 of 4
Ergonomics and Manual Handling, v2.2 Date Effective: January 2023 Date of next review: 2026

For the latest version of this document please go to: http://www.monash.edu.au/ohs/