Policy 8.14 : Manual Handling Procedures

Community Enterprise Inc. is a non-profit organisation established for the purpose of supporting people with disabilities and their families living in the Shire of Hidden Valley.

The services offered by Community Enterprise include group home accommodation, in-home respite, out-of-home respite, home help and community access.

Community Enterprise is a non-profit, community organisation which is governed by a management committee elected annually by the members. Community Enterprise receives all of its operating funds from the Western Australian Government in the form of an annual grant.

The purpose of this policy is to set out specific manual handling procedures and performance standards to reduce the risk of accident, injury or illness of agency employees, volunteers and other unpaid persons involved in agency business (e.g., work experience participants and students on practicum).

This policy provides for the:

• Identification of potential risks and hazards to which employees may be exposed in the course of their manual handling duties.
• Implementation of appropriate procedures to minimise manual handling work related accidents, injuries or illness.
• Development and delivery of specific training programs to educate employees regarding good manual handling practices.
• Investigation and documentation of work-related manual handling incidents or lost hours with a view to future risk minimisation.

The policy has been framed around the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1984), and Standard 8 of the Disability Services Standards (1993).  This policy applies to all of the agency's programs and activities.

The following procedures are to be implemented to ensure that the agency meets its policy objective of ensuring that all employees are properly educated and adequately resourced so as to minimise the risk of illness, accident or injury related to manual handling at work.

The agency will:

1. Provide all agency employees with appropriate information about, and training in, manual handling practices.
2. Take all reasonable steps to determine the appropriate manual handling method for all relevant clients with specific manual handling needs. Methods will be determined by appropriate professional consultants (i.e., physiotherapists, occupational therapists) in consultation with the client.
3. Ensure agency employees have access to equipment necessary to effect safe manual handling practices.
4. Promptly investigate, remedy and document any agency employee grievance regarding any manual handling matter.

The following performance standards must be met to ensure that the procedures specified in Section 4 are implemented effectively:

1. All employees have been provided with a copy of the agency's Policy on Manual Handling Procedures and a staff copy of the policy is kept in each service outlet.
2. All agency employees and volunteers have attended and successfully completed approved training in manual handling (where appropriate to their duties).
3. Manual handling procedures have been developed for all relevant clients in consultation with relevant professionals.
4. All agency employees have been provided with the appropriate equipment necessary for safe manual handling.
5. Any grievances that are lodged are addressed in accordance with the manual handling principles outlined in this policy and the Policy on Staff Grievances.
6. All employees and volunteers are made aware of the contents of the Policy on Manual Handling Procedures.