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RPD WHS · Quick Guide

Manual Handling & Ergonomics

The injury that ends a career rarely makes a noise. Break the load down, use the aids, and don't muscle through awkward lifts.

Field guideOwner · Site SupervisorRPD WHS Manual V8.0
Start safeControl the riskStop when it changes
Scroll the journey
1

When it applies

If you're doing any of this, this guide is in play.

Materials & buckets
Membranes
Scaffold boards
Tools
Waste
Compressors
Overhead work
2

Before you start

Before the work begins, the Site Supervisor confirms — and you check your own work area.

Weight

Route & access

Frequency

Posture

Team-lift needs

Mechanical aids

3

The controls

Work down the hierarchy — collective protection first, PPE last. PPE never carries the job on its own.

EliminateDesign the hazard out
SubstituteUse a lower-risk method
IsolateSeparate people from the hazard
EngineeringGuard, extract, contain
AdminSWMS, permits, training, signage
PPELast line — fitted & worn

The RPD rule

Break loads down, use trolleys and hoists, rotate tasks, avoid awkward postures and plan waste removal.

Break loads downUse aidsRotate tasksGood posture
Hold point — never skip

Do not lift where the load, route or posture is unsafe without controls.

If the load, the route or the posture isn't safe, fix the access — don't muscle through it.

5

Stop & escalate

See any one of these? The job stops until it's fixed — no exceptions.

  • Access forces repeated awkward lifting
  • Repeated overhead work — escalate
Stop work→ tell the Site Supervisor → don't restart until the control is back and the SWMS is reviewed.
6

What gets recorded

The job isn't done until the evidence exists. Live records go in Breadcrumb.

Breadcrumb · live site

  • Hazard reporting
  • Pre-starts & toolbox talks
  • Corrective-action task tracking for access / handling