Glossary

The Act

The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1984. It provides for the promotion, co-ordination, administration and enforcement of occupational health, safety and welfare in Western Australia.

Cervical spine

The area of the spine where the neck is.

Code of Practice

A document prepared for the purpose of providing practical advice on preventive strategies. It may contain explanatory information. The preventative strategies outlined in a code of practice do not represent the only acceptable means of achieving a standard to which a code refers.

DOHSWA

Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare.

Duration

The length of time anything occurs.

Dynamic

Referring to muscle action, active, or with movement of a body part.

Frequency

The number of times an action is performed in a given period of time.

Hazard

A factor in the workplace that has the potential to cause injury.

Joint

The location where two or more bones meet, and where movement can occur.

Ligament

Tough fibrous tissue in the body which supports a joint, and prevents unwanted movement.

Load

An object or weight handled.

Lumbar spine

The lower back region, often referred to as the "small of the back".

Manual handling

Any activity requiring the use of force exerted by a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or restrain a person, animal or thing.

Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS)

Injuries arising from overuse of muscles and tendons, most commonly affecting the hands, arms, shoulder and neck. The condition was formerly known as repetitive strain injury (RSI).

Posture

Maintenance of the three spinal curves in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions.

Prolonged

The excessive length of time spent doing an action, or holding a posture.

Regulations

These spell out the specific requirements of the legislation, in this case, the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1984. There are no regulations in relation to manual handling.

Risk

The likelihood of a particular hazard causing an injury.

Sprain or Strain

Trauma to a joint, ligament or muscle which causes pain.

Static

Referring to muscle action, without movement of a part of the body. The opposite to dynamic. Muscles which work statically fatigue rapidly.

Thoracic spine

The area of the spine where the ribs are located.

Vertebrae

The small bones making up the spine.

References

Code of Practice - Manual Handling.

Occupational Health , Safety and Welfare Commission of Western Australia. May 1993.

Code of Practice for Manual Handling - the safe handling of people (Draft).

Division of Workplace Health and Safety, Department of Employment, Vocational Education, Training and Industrial Relations, Queensland. May 1992.

Manual Handling in the Meat Industry.

Department of Occupational Health , Safety and Welfare 1992.

Manual Handling Injuries in Western Australia 1992/93.

State of the Work Environment Series Number 14. Department of Occupational Health , Safety and Welfare and WorkCover WA. March 1994.

Manual Handling Trainers Kit.

South Australian Occupational Health and Safety Commission.

Resources for Introducing Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Laws.

Department of Occupational Health , Safety and Welfare.

[Updated 5 July 1995]

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