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September 2010

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MANUAL HANDLING - 22.09.2010

Q&A - must we provide back belts?

Q. One of our employees is demanding that we provide him with a lumber support belt because his job involves heavy lifting. Are we obliged to do so?

A. No you’re not. In fact, there is no clear evidence that using back belts prevents injury. According to the HSE they may actually have long term detrimental effects by weakening the back support muscles. In this instance, the best option is to look at the tasks and reduce the amount of manual handling involved where possible.

Providing a back belt has not been shown to reduce industrial injuries from manual handling. In fact, it may cause, rather than reduce, problems. Seek to reduce the risk of injury by other means.