The manual handling of a load may present a risk particularly of back injury if it is:

• too heavy or too large,

• unwieldy or difficult to grasp,

• unstable or has contents likely to shift,

• positioned in a manner requiring it to be held or manipulated at a distance from the trunk, or with a bending or twisting of the trunk,

• likely, because of its contours and/or consistency, to result in injury to workers, particularly in the event of a collision.

A physical effort may present a risk particularly of back injury if it is:

• too strenuous,

• only achieved by a twisting movement of the trunk,

• likely to result in a sudden movement of the load,

• made with the body in an unstable posture.

The characteristics of the work environment may increase a risk particularly of back injury if:

• there is not enough room, in particular vertically, to carry out the activity,

• the floor is uneven, thus presenting tripping hazards, or is slippery in relation to the worker's footwear,

• the place of work or the working environment prevents the handling of loads at a safe height or with good posture by the worker,

• there are variations in the level of the floor or the working surface, requiring the load to be manipulated on different levels,

• the floor or foot rest is unstable,

• the temperature, humidity or ventilation is unsuitable.

The activity may present a risk particularly of back injury if it entails one or more of the following requirements:

• over-frequent or over-prolonged physical effort involving in particular the spine,

• an insufficient bodily rest or recovery period,

• excessive lifting, lowering or carrying distances,

• a rate of work imposed by a process which cannot be altered by the worker.