What weight can people lift?
One answer I often give to this question is that “an employee can lift whatever he can if it is without risk”. A 10 stone female would be at risk trying to carry 20kg drum in one hand, but to a very strong man lifting 20kg is quite easy and he will feel comfortable moving it with little risk of dropping it. But if the strong man carries it down a series of slippy steps and needs to lift it onto a 5 foot high shelf, then there are increased risks of slipping and/or dropping the weight which could put others nearby at risk. Risks are increased more if the man has the job of moving several 20kg drums, he will get tired, probably strain a muscle and be more likely to drop the weight or slip. In these considerations we are making risk assessments, and this is key to safe manual handling. Each lifting operation has to be considered separately, taking all factors into consideration – the task, the individual, the load and the environment. Take the 10 stone female again. She would be comfortab
