This week one of my customers was approached by an employee asking that the company procure a lumber support belt because his job involves heavy lifting; they were asking me whether they had to purchase this and if so would that mean that they should make them available to all ….
My response? STOP. Discuss with the operative why does he need a lumber support? Is the required lifting outside his individual capabilities? Hate to say it but this is a case where assessment is needed and not a time to be purchasing ‘gadgets’. Always try to reduce the need for manual lifting as far as is possible and always ensure it is within the capabilities of the individual.
There is no clear evidence that using back belts prevents injury in-fact, according to the HSE, they may actually have long term detrimental effects by weakening the back support muscles.