FIND OUT ABOUT AND HAVE YOUR SAY ON MANUAL HANDLING IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY

HSC press release: C055:03 9 October 2003

Do you run a printing business or are you employed in one? Are you struggling with manual handling assessments or need help with reducing the risks from lifting and carrying in typical printing activities?

Come along to Leeds Town Hall where the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) is to hold an open meeting of its Printing Industry Advisory Committee (PIAC) on Tuesday, 21 October 2003 at 10.30.

There will be an outline of why ill-health from manual handling is a problem for the printing industry followed by a demonstration of the new Manual Handling Assessment (MAC) Tool. There will be video clips of the activities that cause most injuries to printing workers and you will be given an opportunity to work through an assessment using the MAC tool.

During the feedback there will be discussion of practical solutions and an opportunity to share best practice and seek advice from HSE's manual handling experts and from your fellow printing colleagues. There will also be a similar exercise on dealing with upper limb disorders from repetitive tasks.

Notes for Editors

1. PIAC is a tripartite committee, made up of representatives of the CBI and TUC and HSE. Its primary aim is to reduce injuries and ill-health caused by work in the printing industry. Its purpose is to provide health and safety advice and guidance tailored to the needs of printers. It also promotes acceptable standards of working conditions and welfare in conformity with legal requirements.

2. HSE is seeking to engage with small firms in particular to make sure that their views are fully taken into account in policy formulation. This is one of the key aims of the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety strategy which strives to inject new impetus into the health and safety agenda and to identify new ways of further reducing rates of accidents and ill health caused by work, especially in respect of small firms.

3. The Government and HSC launched the 'Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy' in June 2000. The ten-point strategy, supported by a 44-point action plan, announced tough targets for reducing work-related deaths, ill-health and injury in Britain over the next 10 years.

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