Presented the update of the technical guide on cargo handling
Recently the INSST has presented the update of the Technical Guide for the evaluation and prevention of risks derived from the manual handling of loads in a day in which expert personnel from the different national centers and the central services of the organization have participated.
It must be remembered that this document includes technical criteria, recommendations and guidelines to facilitate the practical application of legislation on preventive matters in activities that involve the lifting of objects or people in work environments, delving into such important aspects as their placement or positioning, transport or movement, holding or retention and pushing or dragging without the aid of mechanical elements.
The new version of the guide includes significant changes to facilitate the application of RD 487/1997 and e Among the new features, the replacement of the single evaluation method with a variety stands out of applicable methods depending on the different work situations and the inclusion of a new appendix focused specifically on the problems related to the mobilization and transfer of people in sectors such as health and social health.
During the presentation, the director of the INSST, Aitana Garí, highlighted that although there has been a small decrease compared to the previous year, 29% of all work accidents were due to overexertion and that musculoskeletal disorders represented 78% of all diseases professionals in 2024.
Manual handling of loads is common in sectors such as industry, transport and logistics, construction, health, cleaning and maintenance or hospitality and catering, therefore, during the session the need to improve preventive measures against musculoskeletal disorders, which continue to be the main cause of occupational accidents with sick leave during the working day in our country, was highlighted. Last year alone, there were a total of 156,898 work accidents with sick leave caused by physical overexertion.
