(Office Christmas Party 2016)
INTRODUCTION
In the comical 2016 Christmas film, “Office Christmas Party” Carol, the CEO of Zenotek, a technology innovation firm, announces bonus and job cuts as well as the potential closure of her brother Clay’s branch. Clay and his chief technical officer, Josh, rally their co-workers together and host a grand office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale in order to save their jobs. This in itself was risky business, in addition to the major hazards caused by their extravagant Christmas Party but they definitely partied like their jobs depended on it.
Moreover, Occupational Health and Safety Regulations are put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of not just employees in a work environment, but also customers and visitors. Ignoring the OSH Act and its regulations can result in businesses facing serious consequences such as being fined, sued, losing staff, injuries and even fatality just to name a few (Weakley n.d.).
A hazard is defined as any source of potential harm, damage or unpropitious health effects to something or someone (Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety 2020). Take a sleigh ride with us through the five types of hazards in the Office Christmas Party; physical hazards, biological hazards, psychosocial hazards, chemical hazards and ergonomic hazards.
Clay on a Sleigh (Office Christmas Party 2016)
PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Physical hazards are any factors which can cause bodily harm even without coming into direct contact with them (Gislason 2018).
Ice Slide Hazard
In the movie, Clay and the company throw an extremely over the top Christmas Party in an attempt to seal the deal with a client that could save their branch from shutting down. Of course, staff members are overjoyed by the news of a party, but things went a little too far. The staff members go wild and create a slide on the floor with snow and ice. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen right? Persons go down this slide with no protection, some even bare bodied, while they are all intoxicated from alcohol and have been exposed to cocaine.
With no barricades bounding the slide, persons could have easily slid off the course into dangerous objects and furniture in the office and badly injured themselves. As was the case with their client, swinging from Christmas lights on the ceiling and colliding with a cabinet in the office, leading to him being hospitalized. Going down any slide is dangerous, much less for one that was made by intoxicated people who aren’t professionals. It is not secure and yields a high risk. Persons could have gotten stabbed with ice on their body while going down the slide. Additionally, the level of coldness on their bodies could have affected them, leading to mild colds, other flus and viruses, assuming that they stayed in the wet, cold clothes for the entire party. Let’s not forget it’s a slide made out of ice which would eventually melt onto the floor and cause a slipping hazard.
A Very Cold Slippery Slide (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Recommendations:
Instead, the company could have hired a business to build them a slide or rented a water slide that was professionally made. This would increase safety and decrease the risk involved. With renting a slide, the company would also have to ensure that there are employees from the slide business present at all times, who are knowledgeable about the slide and the protocols involved. This is to ensure that the staff members are not putting themselves in danger. Furthermore, a janitor should be hired to ensure that the melted ice is mopped up.
Fire Hazard
At the Christmas Party, after the news that workers are getting laid off, the emotion and fury of the employees led them to trash the entire office. One instance was when they lit Christmas trees on fire and charged them at each other. Crazy right? They did this on carts with people in the carts as well. This was probably the riskiest hazard in the movie, for obvious reasons.
The people in the carts as well as everyone in the building could have suffered first, second and third degree burns depending on their exposure and proximity to the inflamed trees. Subsequently, the inhalation of smoke expanding in the enclosed area could be hazardous to the health of the exposed persons in various ways. Some of which include shortness of breath, respiratory irritation and can worsen current conditions like heart disease and asthma. To add to this, there was also alcohol, other flammable liquids and items all over the office that could’ve rapidly increased the spread of the fire and possibly increase the severity of injuries to people.
Burning Christmas Trees to the Ground (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Recommendations:
Under no circumstances should an intentional fire be lit in an office setting. This can be treated as attempted arson and is not in accordance with the fire regulations of the OSH Act of Trinidad and Tobago. The staff members should have treated their uproar of emotions differently rather than risking their lives, lighting trees of fire and crashing them into each other. They could have simply left the party and dealt with the matter in a sober, more calm and controlled state. In addition to this, there should have been fire extinguishers somewhere that was easily accessible for someone to use in order to prevent the fire from spreading and causing harm to everyone in the building.
Falling Christmas Tree Hazard
A hazard which stuck out in the movie is the falling Christmas tree when Josh and Clay went shopping in a store decked out with some superb Christmas décor. Who doesn’t love some Christmas décor to get into the Christmas spirit? While it was a comical scene seeing them act like children running around the store with nerf guns, accidentally throwing down the tree and making a run for it, this could have been seriously detrimental if people were in the vicinity of the falling Christmas tree.
Around Christmas time malls and stores put up some extravagant and beautiful decorations which is always fun to see but this can lead to some serious injuries such as cuts, bruises or fractured bones if preventative measures are not taken. It is not uncommon for children to play with toys and run around in stores and even adults can accidentally bump into a decoration with the hustle and bustle during Christmas shopping. One can observe that some malls leave their decorations as is and do not put in place a lot of measures to ensure the safety of their customers, but rather to maintain the aesthetic and to allow for beautiful pictures.
The Falling Christmas Tree (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Recommendations:
Some simple yet effective measures could be put in place to prevent such an event from occurring again such as placing a barricade around the base of the Christmas tree in order to prevent people from being close enough to accidentally bump into the tree. Additionally, In order to prevent such a large tree from tipping over easily, the base of the tree should be properly secured and bolted into a stand which should be composed of heavy duty materials to stabilize the height of the tree if someone were to bump into it.
Biological Hazard Warnings (Gifsoup n.d.)
BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Biological hazards refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. These organisms can enter the body through inhalation, absorption, ingestion and injection.
Reindeers in the Workplace
Reindeering it up (Office Christmas Party 2016)
One major biological hazard in the movie is when Josh, Clay and Tracey were in the process of planning their office Christmas party which consisted of getting several party necessities. One of those necessities happened to be two real life reindeers which were brought up to the office area in the elevator by Clay and they were left to wander.
Food can become contaminated when the reindeers saliva comes in contact with the food at the table. These reindeers with little to no impulse control would inevitably make their way to the food area. Any person who then consumes the food can be presented with a high risk of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
Considering the reindeers are in a confined party environment, they can harm the people at the party who try to engage with them by scratching or biting, this can lead to infections as well as exposure to rabies if the animal is infected.
Lastly, the reindeers’ dander, hair, fur, saliva or waste contains allergens and bacteria. These can cause respiratory disorders, skin disorders and diseases such as food poisoning to humans. Any persons who may have interacted with these animals at the party and may unknowingly be allergic would have been at risk. These reindeers may not be professionally trained to be around people so we can’t hold it against them if they are not the best party guests.
Recommendations:
The reindeers should have been placed in a specific area at the party where they could not contaminate the food or beverages that were being served. In addition to this the food items at the party should have been covered properly and not left uncovered/exposed. Additionally, the reindeers were left unsupervised, where they were free to roam about. If Clay really wanted the reindeers to be a part of the party, he should have hired someone to monitor and take care of the reindeers during the party to reduce the risk of persons becoming attacked or infected. In any instance, animals on the whole should not be allowed in the workplace. Many people are allergic to animals which places them at potential risk.
Loitering in the Restroom
Private Bathroom Zess (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Another part of the movie which showed a major biological hazard was in the scene where Tracey and Josh went running into an overcrowded bathroom where there were people outside of the stalls loitering, drinking alcohol and people in the stalls engaging in intimate activities. Any restroom can be considered a high risk environment since it is filled with germs and bacteria due to the fact that it is a waste transfer station. The bathroom is not a place to engage in socializing and drinking activities as it can pose serious health threats to your body. During and after using the restroom, your hands become contaminated with germs. There is then a transfer of germs when you come into contact with the toilet flush handle, the hand soap dispenser, the tap as well as any other touch points. Restrooms often have waste spillage on the floor. This can be considered as another release of biocontamination which happens on a normal basis along with the air spread of urine and faecal toxins with every flush. When persons step into these spillages and walk around the office, they are also spreading the bacteria and germs on the floor. The bathroom is also home to substances such as mucous, vomit and menstrual fluids which are rich in odors and disease-causing bacteria. Everyone loitering in the bathroom is therefore at risk of becoming infected through direct contact with contaminated objects or surfaces and inhalation of infectious microorganisms and disease-causing bacteria. They are putting themselves and others at risk since these bio-hazards can leave the restroom via contaminated hands, clothing, shoes as well as the air vents.
Recommendations:
Given that it was an office party and a lot of people were indulging in consumption of beverages, completely closing off the bathroom would be very inconvenient as during the party there would be times that people may need to use the restroom. Therefore, hiring a bouncer to ensure that only two to four persons were allowed in the restroom at a time is also an effective measure to put in place so that they can regulate the inflow of people into the restroom. A restroom attendant should have also been hired to assist in ensuring that cleanliness of the restrooms is maintained throughout the night to reduce the health risk to persons becoming contaminated by germs and bacteria.
Saliva Transfer Hazard
Shots, Shots, Shots, Shots (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Another major biological hazard that was present in the movie were people drinking from the same bottles and cups and sharing drinks. People were pouring alcohol straight from the bottle into the mouths of others and then proceeded to grab the bottle and drink from it for themselves. This can be considered very hazardous as it is advised to not consume any drinks from the same bottles or cups as others because you may be susceptible to any diseases the person may have such as the flu, common cold or strep throat which can adversely affect the immune system. The residual saliva on cups and bottles also acts as a disease carrier from one person to the next. When ingested, saliva can transmit harmful bacteria and germs from one person’s mouth into the other person’s mouth, nose and throat. Most people believe that alcohol can kill almost all germs or bacteria but this is actually a myth. In order for alcohol to kill bacteria and germs, the concentration of the alcohol must be between 50% – 70%. If persons at the party were drinking alcohol with a lower percentage, they can still become infected when their lips touch the surface of a contaminated cup or bottle.
Recommendations:
While it is advised to not drink from other people’s cups and bottles inevitably, you cannot prevent intoxicated people from drinking each other’s drinks, however you can reduce the risk of germs and bacteria being transmitted from contaminated hands. The restroom attendant can help in reducing this risk by ensuring that people that use the bathroom wash their hands or use hand sanitizer after using the bathroom. This can help to reduce the transmittance of germs and bacteria from persons contaminated hands. Lastly, temperature checks should be done at the door to be allowed to enter the party in an attempt to reduce the risk of them spreading certain diseases to others at the party.
PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
Psychosocial hazards are occupational hazards of the work environment that have the potential to negatively affect a person’s mental health and well-being. Psychosocial hazards can be exhibited in different ways such as in physical, mental and emotional problems. Furthermore, they have the possibility to exacerbate into the physical harm of the employee or others (Goetsch 2014).
Job Insecurity
The Big Boss Making Decisions (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Job insecurity involves the risk of unemployment (Goetsch 2014). This is the main psychosocial hazard in Office Christmas Party and is essentially what the movie is centered around. Carol, Clay’s older sister and interim C.E.O. of Zenotek visits Clay’s branch and announces that she will be laying off 40% of their staff due to their underperformance. This causes a major upset among all staff members. In response to the news they crowd Clay and begin questioning him about the layoffs and voicing their concerns and various expenses. Clay then promises them that no one will be laid off and along with Josh and Tracey, they devise a plan that leads to the office party.
Stress and anxiety are the two most common responses displayed when faced with the threat of losing one’s job. The accompanying threat of losing one’s economic stability and privileges further increases stress and potentially worsens its effects. The consequences of stress as it relates to job insecurity range from illness, poor well-being, undesirable behaviour and negative job attitudes (Mathebula et al. 2015). Since workers’ ability to perform optimally is directly related to the company’s growth and success this is a recipe for disaster. Apart from reduced performance, vital employees may now decide to look for other jobs with better opportunities further lowering productivity and development of the entire company.
Office Christmas Party was an ideal manifestation of these negative attitudes. In the first instance, after Clay, Josh and Tracey leave the party things get out of control. During all the madness the party goers decided that since everyone is going to be fired they are going to “burn this place to the ground” and begin wrecking the office. Additionally, after the announcement of layoffs, Josh, a vital employee to the branch, considers quitting his job to work for Clay’s sister Carol in New York because she promised him a salary increase and job security.
Recommendations:
Managing the negative effects of job insecurity means managing workplace stress. Managers must recognize that there is stress in the workplace and take steps regularly to reduce stress. This can be done by including mental health benefits in employee health insurance plans and encouraging open conversation between management and staff. In addition to this, introducing work and personal support groups or stress-reduction classes to the organization or even informing employees in a timely manner of changes that affect them (Goetsch 2015). The organization should also involve employees in decision making with regards to the restructuring/ change process. This may result in the organisational changes being executed in a manner that produces a lower increase in job insecurity. (Probst 2005).
Bullying
Another psychosocial hazard highlighted is bullying, Tim and Drew continuously taunt and belittle Nate about his “girlfriend”. They bullied Nate by asking him if he is going to bring his fake girlfriend to the Christmas Party later so they’ll know if they would have time to inflate her and also by saying things like they hope she isn’t imaginary (Office Christmas Party 2016). Nate became stressed, vulnerable and frustrated which negatively affected his self-esteem. His solution was to almost drain his bank account to hire a pretend girlfriend in order for Tim and Drew to stop bullying him. It should be noted that Nate is their boss and younger than them, so he may feel the need to prove himself. Bullying is not just physical, it also involves repeated incidents intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate someone. Without a doubt bullying has negative long term impacts on an individual physically and mentally. This leads to a dysfunctional workplace atmosphere as it could cause absenteeism, stress, tension, decreased productivity, motivation and morale just to name a few (Government of Canada n.d.).
Different Types of Bullying (“Emotional Well Being” n.d.)
Recommendations:
A proactive approach to improve any company’s atmosphere at work and prevent workers from falling victim to bullying are to develop a clear policy to deal with workplace bullying, introduce an educational program to make all members of the organization better aware of what bullying involves. Also, introduce a system to encourage witnesses to come forward and make a report if an employee is being bullied without them facing any repercussions. For example, in the movie when Josh, a senior manager of the company, witnesses Tim and Drew bullying Nate he tells Nate not to talk about his girlfriend so much at work. If he had instead made a report to HR, Tim and Drew would have been penalized and the bullying may have stopped. This proactive approach shows employees that senior management cares for their well being (Bullying in the workplace 2017).
CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Chemical hazards can be defined as a type of occupational hazard mainly caused by exposure to toxins and chemicals within the workplace that are flammable, corrosive, oxidizing or self reactive. These chemical hazards typically include any type of exposure to acids, drugs, paint, cleaning products and caustic substances such as strong corrosives. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2018)
Drug/Substance Abuse
Special Snow Blast (Office Christmas Party 2016)
In an attempt to ‘get the party started’ , Savannah tried to sell drugs to the employees at the party. Cocaine, the drug in question was accidentally left by the snow flake machine. With the packaging being similar to that of the fake snow, Mary unknowingly inserts the bag of cocaine into the machine, thinking it was the snow. Now that’s a recipe for disaster! Inevitably, the cocaine was blasted throughout the entire party, which could have had adverse effects to anyone that was subjected to the inhalation. Cocaine is known as a stimulant drug that increases the levels of dopamine in your body, speeding up the messages sent from your brain to the rest of your body (WebMD n.d.).
The use of cocaine creates a mixture of psychological and physical effects to the human body. This includes short-term effects such as irritability/anger, extreme sensitivity to sound, touch and sight, paranoia and intense happiness. It was eminent in the movie that Walter’s character and mood was amplified after being blown in the face with cocaine for instance, he tried to swing across the room on Christmas lights. Other party goers and employees may have also unknowingly inhaled cocaine from the machine, and this may have resulted in their erratic behavior as it creates hallucinations. The exposure to cocaine can result in trouble breathing, anxiety, increased heart rate and in some rare cases, could even lead to death after just one use. Cocaine can lead to long-term effects such as damages to the brain and body like seizures and heart attacks. Lastly, in the movie’s workplace, there is an age differential and the inhalation of cocaine could have led to more catastrophic effects like strokes for the older persons at the party.
The Effects of a ‘Cocaine High’ on the Human Body (Seong 2018)
Recommendations:
Cocaine is illegal and a very dangerous drug that could lead to death. This should have never been able to pass through security and be brought into the office in the first place as it could lead to serious short-term and long-term health effects on the human body. As such, there should have been ample security checking everyone’s pockets/belongings before entering, to avoid any illegal drugs or items from being brought onto the compound.
Exposure to Radiation
Photocopying After Hours (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Did you think this office party couldn’t get any wilder? Well, during this scene in the movie, some of the employees were highly intoxicated and decided to use the photocopy machine to ‘photocopy’ parts of their bodies. While this may have been intended to be a joke to them, this unsafe act could pose multiple threats to their bodies as the copying machine was used openly without a lid and could have caused adverse health effects.
Radiation can be described as a type of energy that travels in the form of energy waves or particles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015). Once a photocopying machine is in operation, it emits toner particles, toxic gases such as ozone gas as well as radiation. Employees are seen during this wacky scene pressing their bare bodies against the machine to make paper copies of their body parts. This can have serious harmful effects as the direct exposure to radiation can lead to headaches and breathing issues. Furthermore, due to the lid on the machine not being closed before copying, the intense bright light used during the photocopying process could have caused intense irritation to their eyes. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier, they move from using the photocopying machine to the 3D printer to continue ‘copying’ themselves. This could expose the employees to the emissions of the filament to powdered metal materials that the printer gives off.
Recommendations:
A photocopying machine should only be used for photocopying paper and the lid should always be covered before copying. In addition to this, one should never try to make a copy of their bare body on this machine due to the serious health implications. In this case, the company should have locked these printing rooms to ensure that employees could not have gotten in to use the company’s printers for their recreational use. In addition, both printers were seen during this scenario in a single room however, proper ventilation was not present. Ventilation is crucial in that it helps mitigate any emissions given off from printers. As such, the office should invest in ventilated racks to place the printers on so that the hazardous emissions given off could be filtered outdoors.
ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
Ergonomics is the science used to enhance the human anatomy and well being to effectively adapt to the external environmental and working conditions that may pose a threat to the safety of an individual (Chukwu 2017).
Visual Difficulties and Poor Lighting
Clay Zessing Instead of Stressing (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Clay Vanstone was having the time of his life, dancing and singing on the stage constructed for the Christmas party bringing pure joy to the crowd, not understanding that a breach of a major safety violation was happening on the dancefloor and other areas . The main lighting source were the two adjustable, extremely dull spinners in the background and flashes of blinding instances due to the fast spiraling effect. Poor lighting creates a misjudged perception of the position of the object that is travelling towards your body and hence the eyes and central nervous system cannot react in time to prevent an injury from occurring (Katabaro 2019). Additionally, members of the crowd were intoxicated which further created a safety issue as the poor lighting causes lack of vision and the alcohol inhibits their senses, creating a formula for disaster at the Christmas party. Furthermore, the range of illumination was extremely low for the clustered space that housed approximately 200 people for the party. Moreover, poor lighting in the organizational setting of a business has the following effects: eye strains, headaches, fatigue and tiredness. In an ordinary workplace setting the aforementioned effects has the potential to negatively affect the overall productivity in the workplace.
Symptoms of Headaches That Affect Vision (Wang 2020)
Recommendations:
While we all know the dimmed lights on the dancefloor is part of the party atmosphere that doesn’t mean that we don’t need to see where we are going. Have you ever tried walking in the dark? Hence, well lit walkways, bathrooms and the outskirts of the dancefloor should have an appropriate amount of luminosity. To achieve this, they can use international standards as a benchmark and compare the current illumination levels in the building and benchmark it to the regulated standards demanded in order to protect the party goers. Before the party starts, they should ask for feedback from employees on the lighting and how to improve the safety of the patrons.
Lit Hallway (Kaczelnika n.d.)
Poor Posture Hazard
Sleepy Sam With The Ham (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Let’s talk about posture. Sam can be seen sleeping on a chair in a terrible position with his head resting on a ham. I’m sure we all love ham for Christmas but do we love it that much? Research from reputable institutions have shown that fatigue, poor circulation, digestive issues, heartburn and neck, back and shoulder pains are all effects of poor posture at the workplace (Page 2020). Sam will definitely be experiencing some of these negative effects as he is hunched over and his vertical structure is placing unwanted pressure on the spine and neck. Therefore, Sam’s back is being placed under pressure. Maybe Sam should stick to eating the ham instead of using it as a pillow.
A Normal Person’s Spine vs. Kyphosis (Freutel 2020)
If Sam continues hunching it can potentially lead to kyphosis in the long term. Kyphosis is the excessive forward curvature of the spine and it can occur at any age (Freutel 2020). After the party, Sam could also experience muscle tightness from stretching and bending to acquire the office material strewn across the floor and table. This places a further strain on the ligaments and tears in the cartilage. Improper stretching and bending techniques causes the aggravation of these parts of the body which leads to immense pain and freezes the motion in the knees, elbows, joints and shoulders.
Just for your knowledge, at a cramped workstation the recommended sitting position cannot be achieved and there will be poor body posture. The recommended position at your workstation is sitting not sleeping, at a 90 degree angle with your arms parallel towards the floor and feet flat. Sitting incorrectly over time causes the body shape to be tremendously altered from its previous form. Poor sitting posture has the long term effect of causing the head to always be tilted, shoulders shrugged and spine bent.
Are you sitting the right way? (Stein 2018)
Recommendations:
After the party, they should hire a professional cleaning company to sanitize and organize the working environment to make it suitable for work again. Sam should follow the scientific research and acquire the designated 8 hours of sleep at home in the comfort of his bed, rather than cramping himself and discomforting his posture. Instead of a desk to rest at work, the organization should provide a confidential room/staff room for employees to disengage in work related activities and relax in the event of fatigue overpowering the body.
Employees are given the rights in the OSH act to refuse to work based on the working conditions. Hence, Sam’s fatigue, may have arisen from the clustered and cramped environment, leading to his muscle tightness and body pain taking a toll on his physical capacity. Therefore, he should seek medical attention to get a full diagnosis on his health. He should also consider wearing a back brace to keep his physical structure upright which will correct any deficiencies in slouching, bending and pressure on the head, back and spinal areas.
Lifting Hazard
Carla and Tim Lifting Beer Kegs (Office Christmas Party 2016)
Clay began to make excessive orders of alcohol for the party; Carla and Tim were appointed to collect and transport the alcohol to the office. In this scene, we observe Tim and Carla carrying what looks to be kegs of beer. However, it is apparent that Tim is struggling to secure a comfortable and tight grip of the keg as it is quite heavy, bulky, tall and wide. Tim is lifting the load at knuckle height whilst his torso is twisted and he is lifting his leg to support the keg. This contributes to a less stable posture which can cause him to either fall or lose grip of the load and contribute to further injuries to himself and those around him. Carla’s demonstration is more secure as the load is close to her offering a more stable and closer grip. Also, Carla’s body is in a more rigid posture and the keg is grasped with both hands therefore she has more control of the keg. However, her neck is awkwardly bent and her entire body is leaning to the left.
“A standard beer keg when full can weigh at least 160 pounds” (Dolly 2016). Therefore, carrying one of these in the way Tim demonstrates can have a significant strain on his arms, shoulder, back, wrists and his legs. Also, Carla’s method of carrying the keg can result in stress on her neck, spine and shoulder. This scene demonstrates that this load was excessive and unsafe for both individuals and should not be handled manually. This can result in both individuals contracting musculo-skeletal diseases which can result in muscle strains and lower back injuries. If both individuals were to lose grip, they can suffer a broken toe as PPE was not distributed and possibly having the keg fall onto them which would collapse their torso and cause severe bodily injuries due to the weight of the load.
Recommendations:
Firstly, a detailed description of the task and proper equipment should have been provided for Tim and Carla to complete the task at hand. (Health and Safety Executive 2020). The strain on both workers was unnecessary and they could have used a lifting aid such as a folding hand truck/ dolly to transport the kegs by pushing them to the van. Dollies can easily transport 200+ lbs and the object being transported can be tied onto it which will prevent them from losing a grip on the object. However, if this alternative is unavailable, both individuals should carry one of the kegs together to ensure that the load is evenly distributed. Each person should have a rigid posture and a close grip to the object being carried so that the likelihood of muscle strain is reduced. Also, both Tim and Carla should take frequent breaks if they are required to carry the item a far distance and or if the load becomes too overwhelming.
Dolly/ Hand Truck (Amazon n.d.)
The Correct Way to Lift an Object (Manual Handling Assessment Charts 2019)
The illustration above represents lifting methods that display risk levels from as low as reasonably practicable (green) to the likelihood of high risk (red). The first demonstration displays the method that Tim and Carla should have utilized by ensuring; that their back is straight, there is a close grip and the worker’s lifting height is aligned with their lower back. The horizontal distance between the worker’s hands and lower back while carrying the load should be minimal. Therefore, Clay should have done a risk assessment to understand the risks involved and developed an alternative to counteract those risks as the severity of this one was high.
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