Moving and handling techniques in the dental practice

Musculoskeletal injuries can have serious implications for dental nurses. Dental nurses must recognise the importance of ensuring safe moving and handling practices in their workplace, in a proactive, as opposed to a reactive fashion.

Within the dental setting, there are a large number of moving and handling tasks that could be undertaken by dental nurses, such as moving deliveries to the store room, or moving trays of dental equipment to and from the decontamination room.

Manual handling is described as the:

? Transporting

? Supporting

? Carrying

? Lifting or lowering

? Pulling or pushing

? Intentional throwing of an object. (Health and Safety Executive, 2004)

The nature of handling loads can vary considerably; a risk assessment provides general guidance when addressing a range of issues relating to moving and handling an item. It enables the individual staff member to ensure they can safely undertake moving and handling tasks after carefully assessing the situation.