Manual Handling

Safe manual handling is vital for the well-being of both patients and carers. Injuries in health, aged care, rehabilitation and disability services due to the handling of people continues to be a significant OHS issue. At Ability Health Solutions, our experienced and dedicated Occupational Therapists are leaders in providing Manual Handling training and Assessments to ensure safe manual handling practices. Reducing the incidence of injury due to manual handling is a key focus for our team.

Ability Health Solutions can support your manual handling needs and objectives, including:

Provide high quality and safe patient care
Provide a safe work environment and help meet OHS Act requirements
Reduce the risk of injuries and compensation costs
Drive industry best practice manual handling solutions
Improve staff empowerment and instil a safety culture
Meet accreditation requirements

Manual Handling Training

Ability Health Solutions provides comprehensive and industry best practice manual handling training for health, aged care and disability services. Training is delivered by highly experienced professional facilitators and is available to a wide range of client groups and competency levels.

Ability Health Solutions primarily provides group training that is booked by a workplace/ organisation for multiple members of their staff – we do not provide ‘open’ training sessions for an individual to book directly. If you are interested in receiving manual handling training as an individual please speak with your employer to see if they would be interested in booking a group session.

Training is provided at your workplace. Ability Health Solutions does not provide a training room, however we can help identify a suitable training room if required.

Why choose Ability Health Solutions?

Choose from a range of standard training packages or design your own to meet the exact training needs of your workplace
Training can range from basic to advanced techniques and principles
Sessions are practical, hands-on and interactive to engage staff
Sessions focus on applying handling techniques using risk assessment and safe handling principles
Training is completed on-site (where possible) to improve transferability to the environment, equipment and systems of the workplace
Participants are provided with professional training booklets or handouts
Highly experienced, expert and professional facilitators
Training can include competency assessments
Train-the-trainer options are also available

AGED 1

Level

ESSENTIALS

Duration

3 hours

Specifically designed to meet the needs of aged and residential care facility staff who care for patients. It provides staff with the essential knowledge and skills in MH injury minimisation, hazard and risk management principles, and application of safe patient handling techniques.
Meets accreditation requirements.
Practical components include: sit to stand transfers, standing & lifting hoists, bed mobility including slide-sheets, mobility, falls management, & basic object handling.

Target

Aged & Residential Facility Staff – Care Workers, Nursing, OT, PT, AHA, + others

AGED 2

Level

ADVANCED

Duration

6 hours

Designed for aged and residential care staff to provide the knowledge and skills to become a patient manual handling leader in the organisation.
Includes the content of the Essential package, whilst further developing more in-depth knowledge and skills in risk management and injury minimisation, and application of a more comprehensive range of safe patient handling techniques. Also includes integration of bariatric handling considerations and case scenarios.
Additional practical components include: Transfers (slide-board, lateral & car), repositioning in a chair, advanced slide-sheet use, steps/ stairs, wheelchair use in the community, specialist MH equipment (as appropriate for facility).

Target

Aged & Residential Facility Staff - Care Workers, Nursing, OT, PT, AHA, + others

NON-CLINICAL

Level

Duration

1.5 hour

Specifically designed to meet the needs of non-clinical staff.
Covers key safe manual handling principles and practical techniques related to object handling, workplace setup and risks.

Target

Non-clinical staff (e.g. Admin staff)

CARE & DISABILITY 1

Level

HOME SUPPORT

Duration

2.5 hours

Specifically to meet the needs of staff who work in home support services.
Provides theory and practical object handling, domestic tasks, and basic patient handling skills and principles, as well as understanding of safe handling, hazard and risk assessment principles.
Tasks include: lifting and moving objects, domestic tasks (e.g. Vacuuming, mopping, bed making), equipment in/out of car, sit to stand transfers, walking, falls management, basic community tasks.

Target

E.g. Home Support Workers, MOW’s, Care Workers, Volunteers etc.

CARE & DISABILITY 2

Level

LOW CARE

Duration

3 hours

Specifically to meet the needs of disability & community care workers (low care), with greater emphasis on patient (client) handling skills compared to home support.
Provides theory and practical object, personal care tasks, and basic patient handling skills and principles (e.g. patients are able to assist with transfers & needing only one person to assist), as well as understanding of safe handling, hazard and risk assessment principles.
Tasks include: sit to stand transfers, bed mobility, walking, falls management, wheelchair & community tasks, personal care tasks, object handling, equipment in/out of car, domestic tasks (e.g. Vacuuming, mopping, bed making),

Target

Low care needs: Care Workers, Disability Workers

CARE & DISABILITY 3

Level

HIGH CARE

Duration

4 hours

Specifically to meet the needs of disability & community care workers (high care).
Provides theory & practical object, personal care tasks, and higher level patient handling skills to safely assist patients that may be more dependent (e.g. 2 x staff &/or equipment)
Tasks include: sit to stand transfers, standing & lifting hoists, bed mobility including slide-sheets, walking, stairs, falls, personal care, object handling, domestic & community tasks.

Target

High care needs: Care Workers, Disability Workers

COMMUNITY 1

Level

ESSENTIALS

Duration

2 hours

A basic level session to meet the needs of general community staff who work with patients/ clients.
Provides skills in essential patient & object handling to deal with situations that staff will often encounter when working with clients in the community, as well as understanding of safe handling, hazard and risk assessment principles.
Tasks include: sit to stand transfers, lying to sitting, walking, stairs, falls management, community tasks (car transfers; wheelchair in & out of a car), basic object handling.

Target

E.g. Case Managers, SW, Speech, AHA’s, Podiatry, any community staff

COMMUNITY 2

Level

THERAPY ESSENTIALS

Duration

4.5 hours

Specifically to meet the needs of therapy & nursing staff requiring higher level patient handling skills & equipment use relevant to community environment.
Provides increased understanding of safe handling, hazard & risk assessment principles.
Tasks include: transfers (sit to stand, slideboard, standpivot, car), hoisting & slings, bed mobility, walking & stairs, falls management, wheelchair & community tasks, object handling.

Target

OT’s, PT’s, Nursing, Allied Health Assistants

COMMUNITY 3

Level

THERAPY ADVANCED

Duration

6.5 hours

Advanced level course specifically to meet the needs of therapy & nursing staff who require more in-depth patient handling skills & equipment relevant to community environment.
Provides increased understanding of safe handling, hazard & risk assessment principles.
Comprehensive range of tasks (in addition to essentials package) – advanced slide sheet use, case scenarios & problem solving, bariatric management & equipment as appropriate.

Target

OT’s, PT’s, Nursing

Individual Client Assessment & Intervention

We provide individual client (patient) assessments and intervention for complex manual handling needs or challenges. Ensuring a safe manual handling environment for clients and carers is a key focus. The services we offer include:

Individual risk assessment & manual handling plans
Equipment assessment & prescription
Environment and home assessment
Carer training

Please contact us to discuss your manual handling requirements and find out how Ability Health Solutions can assist.

Services