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What Does Alberta Require for Manual Handling?
Before a worker manually handles a load that could injure them, the employer must assess the hazard. That is section 210 of Part 14 of the Alberta OHS Code. The assessment looks at the load's weight, size and shape, how many times it is moved, and how it is moved.
If the assessment finds a risk of strain injury, the employer must take practical steps to remove or reduce it. When workers move patients, clients or residents, the employer also checks that the worker is fit for the task.
Section 211 adds a second duty. When a worker reports symptoms they believe are caused by their work, the employer must promptly review that worker's tasks, and the tasks of others doing the same work, and fix the causes.
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Step 1: List the Tasks That Move Loads
Walk the site and write down each task where someone lifts, carries, pushes, pulls or holds a load. Include the awkward ones: reaching into a bin, lifting from the floor, twisting to a pallet. Ask the crew which tasks leave them sore. They usually know.
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Step 2: Describe the Load and the Movement
For each task, record the load's weight, size and shape, how often it is moved in a shift, and how it is moved. Note the start height and end height, the reach distance, and whether the worker twists or bends. These are the factors section 210 names.
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Step 3: Watch the Body, Not Just the Box
The same box is a different hazard when it is lifted with a deep forward lean, knees caving in, or one side doing the work. Watch several repetitions and several workers. Look for trunk lean, knee alignment, left and right balance, and pace. Fatigue shows late in a shift, so look then too.
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Step 4: Rank the Risk and Pick Controls
Rank each task by how likely it is to cause injury and how often it is done. Start with controls that remove the hazard: change the height, add a lift aid, cut the reach, split the load. Training and job rotation come after the task itself is fixed.
Assess the lift before anyone lifts, and write down what you found.
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Step 5: Write It Down and Check Again
Record what you assessed, what you found and what you changed. Then check the task again after the change. A before and after record is what shows your system works, and it is what a COR auditor looks for in hazard identification.
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A Simple Checklist
Use this list on the floor. A printable copy is linked at the end of this post.
| Check | What to record |
|---|---|
| Task | Name it and say where it happens. |
| Load | Weight, size and shape. |
| How often | Times moved per shift. |
| Heights and reach | Start height, end height and reach distance. |
| Body | Twisting, bending, trunk lean and balance. |
| Who you watched | Several workers and several repetitions. |
| Risk | Ranked against the other tasks. |
| Controls | Fix the task first, then training and rotation. |
| Workers told | Who was told what changed, and when. |
| Checked again | Date of the follow-up check after the fix. |
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Where a Phone Video Helps
A clipboard catches what one person sees in a few minutes. A phone video can be watched again, slowed down, and compared before and after a change. GRW Movement reads the video and measures trunk lean, knee alignment, left and right balance, and pace for each task. You get a written report to file with your assessment, and the video is deleted once it is read.
The read adds measured evidence to your assessment. Your competent person still reviews it and signs off.
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Why It Matters for COR and WCB
In Alberta, a Certificate of Recognition (COR) shows you run a safety system that finds hazards. Under the Partnerships in Injury Reduction program, COR holders who keep claim costs low can earn up to 20% off their WCB rate. A clear record of lifting checks, and of what you fixed, helps with both.