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Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 90

K Parmentier - 15 May 2008

Manual handling injury

Please find below a Global Alliance HSSE alert:-

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Refrigeration engineer injures back whilst manual handling. On 5 February engineers were
attended Mottingham Connect as a two man team to replace a faulty refrigeration compressor.

During the removal of the faulty compressor the engineer complained of back pain and put an entry in
the site accident book. He informed his employer and left site to visit his local GP who diagnosed
sciatica and issued a note signing him off work for a week.

Replacement compressor shown on right.
Findings:

• The restricted space and manual handling was the root cause for engineer suffering back
pain.
• The method statement and clearance cert were adequate and the assigning of a two man
team to work on a 90kg load was correct.
• Its possible engineer has an existing condition but he was not suffering any pain or discomfort
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on the morning of the 5 before removing the compressor.

It is possible that the engineer involved had a previous back injury which may have been a contributory
factor in this incident. Remember: If you have previously suffered with a condition which may have
an impact on your safety at work it is imperative that you inform your employers.

Being safe depends on the choices we make every day. The right choices can save lives. We want to
share safety information and help to raise industry awareness. Safety is not about getting one over on

the competition. We need to talk openly, share what we know and make the right choices.

If you have any queries regarding the Safety Bulletin content or require further information please
contact any staff member of Xmo Strata Ltd.

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