Our Manual Handling Courses

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHOR) of 1992 were created as rules for businesses to follow when it comes to the risks that can be involved when manual handling occurs, this is so there is a straight forward, standardised way of managing risks in the workplace. Wherever there are risks, the regulations apply.

Firstly, they define manual handling as “any transporting of a load by hand or bodily force”. In other words, if you are ever moving or holding something without the use of a machine, then you are carrying out manual handling. They class the “load” as an object, person or animal.

The Contents of MHOR

The MHOR sets out a ranking system that measures the risks from manual handling for employers to follow. These measures are:

• First: Avoid hazardous manual handling operations as much as is reasonably practicable
• Second: Assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided
• Third: Reduce the risk of injury as much as is reasonably practicable

Structured into four sections, the MHOR starts off with a brief guidance on the regulations, and then follows with a detailed coverage on how to carry out risk assessments and control risk. Additionally, the appendix includes a risk filter to help readers identify the tasks to do without needing to trawl through a lengthy assessment.

The 1992 regulations reflect the changes introduced by the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, covering the general duties of self-employed persons, and what their responsibilities are.

Who do they Impact?

These guidelines are aimed at employers, managers and safety representatives. Whoever is in a position of responsibility of the employees can be held accountable for injuries caused from manual handling. The regulations are there to help them avoid, assess and reduce the risk of injury from manual handling, therefore they need to make sure they are following them closely to ensure they keep a healthy and happy team.

The employees have duties too though, everyone has a part to play if accidents happen. They should:

• Follow systems of work in place for their safety
• Use equipment properly that is provided for their safety
• Cooperate with their employer on health and safety matters
• Inform their employer if they identify hazardous handling activities
• Take care to make sure their activities don’t put others at risk

Why are they Needed?

Incorrect manual handling is one of the most common causes of injuries at work. It causes damage to the individual’s back, or work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), if carried out incorrectly – such as picking up something heavy without bending your knees to reach it. The result in mistakes like these has resulted in manual handling equating to over a third of all workplace injuries.

Manual handling injuries can happen anywhere people are at work – on farms and building sites, in factories, offices, warehouses, hospitals, banks, laboratories, and out-and-about whilst making deliveries. Heavy manual labour, awkward postures, manual materials handling, and previous or existing injuries are all risk factors in developing MSDs. There is more information and advice on MSDs on the HSE website, including advice on managing back pain at work.

Manual handling management could not be more important in the workplace, which is why these regulations need to be a top priority. Remember the three steps – avoid, assess, reduce.

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Manual handling refers to the process of an employee transporting or supporting something. This could mean lifting something, putting something down, pushing, pulling, or carrying something; if something is being moved, it is being manually handled.
The nature of how things can be moved means that it can involve risks in the form of injury to the employee, which is why it is such an important topic for employers to be aware of. Paying close attention to this issue means that you can avoid any potential problems, and keep a fit and healthy workforce as a result.
The manufacturing sector is where the problem remains prominent. The tasks conducted require people to engage in different physical activities to get the work done, one of which is manual handling. Not all manual handing is hazardous, but in some cases the employee may have to take on a considerable amount of handing such as lifting something heavy above shoulder height – these cases are where problems can happen.
Why are there Risks in Manual Handling?
Manual handling incidents account for 33% of all accidents reported to the Health and Safety Authorities every year, with half of these injuries occurring due to someone lifting or carrying something.
Not only are manual handling accidents a hindrance to the individual, as they are left injured and unable to work for a considerable amount of time, but they cause a massive drain on resources for the employers. This is because they have to cover costs towards the days lost, a decrease in productivity, legal fees, and the cost of training or retraining. The manageability and preventability of manual handling means that it represents an opportunity for cost reduction.
These problems can occur in the first place for these five reasons, all areas that can easily be dealt with by employers:
1. No risk assessment of work activities
2. Lack of safe system of work plans
3. Mechanical aids were not provided and maintained
4. Adequate training was not provided
5. No evidence of work supervision
There are certain characteristics that can result in something being seen as risk-prone when it comes to manual handling:
• The lifting of the load requires repeated manipulation of the load at a distance from the individual
• The lifting of the load requires repeated bending of the individual
• The load is very large and difficult to grasp
• The handling repeatedly takes place at floor level or above shoulder height
• The physical effort can only be achieved by a twisting of the individual’s body
• The load is carried over a long distance and there is poor organisation leading to an unsafe route with obstacles

Reducing These Risks
The injuries that can come from these manual handling activities are primarily to the back. These repetitive actions that strain the individual over and over again can result in compression of the disc, facet joint or ligaments damage. Twisting and bending are two movements that are perhaps the greatest strain on the spine.
A bad back inevitably isn’t something that can go away over time, it can only really get worse, so to avoid it from struggling in the first place, workplace regulations need to be followed. These regulations can govern the management of a hazard in manual handling to avoid employee injuries becoming ‘the norm’. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulations of 2007 explain what employers need to be doing in relation to manual handling.
The basic principle of the regulation is that if a manual handling activity could involve a risk of injury, the employer must take measures to avoid or reduce this risk. The employer needs to do this by implementing a manual handling risk assessment process and preventative measures based on the outcomes of the risk assessments.
They may do this in the form of having a safe system of work plan for site-specific tasks, providing information on the use of mechanical aids, the reorganisation of a work activity to allow loads to be handled at a safe height, or instructions to workers on how to use handling aids and handle loads safely.
Risk assessments obviously vary between each business, but below is a brief summary of a five-step risk assessment process that can be used to assess individual manual handling tasks.
Step 1: Task description
Collect information on how the task is carried out. Identify the key stages of the task and summarise all information collected.
Step 2: Collect technical information
This means information such as the weight of the load, physical measurements of it, postures observed during the activity, the amount of work space available, the duration of the task, the number of handling activities and the employee’s knowledge of a task.
Step 3: Identify the risk factors
This could be that the load is too heavy, it’s being handled as an unsafe height, or it causes the body to be in an uncomfortable posture. These risk factors need to be supported with evidence.
Step 4: Identify the Improvements to be put in place
This requires consultation with staff and an objective review of the information collected. The improvements put in place should avoid or at least reduce the risk of injury, and may be a combination of the following:
• Use of mechanical aids for all or part of the activity
• Reorganisation of work area or materials
• Where handling will still take place, instruction in safe lift techniques
• Development of a safe system of work plan
• Communication of improvements to staff
Step 5: Review the Effectiveness of the Improvements
This could involve simple checks or supervision to ensure that lifting techniques are being conducted in line with the instructions given, or that appropriate handling aids are being used.

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Manual handling might not seem like a high risk worry for people in the workplace. This is because when the task in hand is something as straightforward as picking something up, it can seem tedious to look into how you’re doing it, and instead you just crack on with it to get it done – but it is this attitude that causes people trouble as it’s actually one of the most common causes of workplace injuries. The importance of safe manual handling techniques can mean the difference between a productive day at work or being off with a bad back – all the more reason to attend manual handling training.

Manual handling is an everyday task in most workplaces, whether you are stacking shelves, filing paperwork, or bricklaying. Whatever your job, goods and materials, tools and equipment, all have to be moved, lifted and carried each and every day.

While work involving heavy manual labour such as construction work is higher risk, it is not always what you carry but how you carry that matters. Awkward postures and poor lifting techniques will all increase the risk of injury during manual handling tasks. Knowing these risks really can determine the health of your workforce, and consequently the overall health of your business.

Why is it Needed?

Employers have a legal obligation under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations of 1992 to carry out a sufficient risk assessment of the various manual handling tasks their employees are faced with. This is a legal requirement and the regulations must be complied with.

Looking after your employees is one thing, but providing them with training in manual handling means that you can make sure they know how to best look after themselves too. Various training out there can increase understanding of manual handling risks, teach employees how to recognise risks, and from there they can learn how to spot when to use equipment to help them avoid any injury to themselves.

Training Content

Practical exercises and group work tend to be the training techniques to expect, which then improves general workforce relationships even more due to the shared responsibility for everyone’s safety.

Safe manual handling techniques tend to focus on the way someone lifts something – bent legs, straight back, and having the load close to your body all mean you can avoid straining the back muscles.

However, safe manual handling should not stop there, which is exactly why training can reduce the chances of people injuring themselves through the basic manual handling tasks they do every day.

Manual handling is one of the most common causes of injuries in the workplace. If carried out incorrectly, it can cause damage to the individual’s back, otherwise known as work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). An example of this could be picking up something heavy without bending your knees to reach it, and failing to keep the load close to your body as you are carrying it. The result in mistakes like these has left in manual handling equating to over a third of all workplace injuries.

Injuries from manual handling can happen anywhere that people are at work; it isn’t something restricted to certain industries. Whether you’re on farms and building sites, in factories, offices, warehouses, hospitals, banks and laboratories, manual labour that entails awkward postures and repetitive actions are all risk factors in developing MSDs.

Manual handling management could not be more important in the workplace, which is why regulations need to be a top priority.

1. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations (MHOR) of 1992 are the primary set of rules out there that need to be followed. Businesses use them as a straight forward, standardised way of managing risks in the workplace. Wherever there are risks, the regulations apply.

The MHOR measures the risks from manual handling by creating a ranking system for employers to follow. These measures are:

• First: Avoid hazardous manual handling operations as much as is reasonably practicable
• Second: Assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided
• Third: Reduce the risk of injury as much as is reasonably practicable

The MHOR starts off with a brief guidance on the regulations, and then follows with a detailed coverage on how to carry out risk assessments. Additionally, the specialised appendix includes a risk filter to help readers identify the tasks to do without needing to trawl through a lengthy assessment.

2. Safe Use of Work Equipment 1998

Also known as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), it is aimed at employers, and anyone else that may have responsibility for the safe use of work equipment, which is something that can be frequently used to avoid manual handling injuries occurring in the first place.

The regulations place duties on people and companies who own, operate, or have control over work equipment. It also places responsibilities on businesses and organisations whose employees use work equipment.

3. Safe Use of Lifting Equipment 1998

This code of practice and guidance is for those that work with any equipment provided at work, those who employ such people, those that represent them and those people who act as a competent person in the examination of lifting equipment, also known as the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) – and works hand-in-hand with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER).

The guidance clarifies which equipment is subject to the provisions of the regulations and the role of the competent person as well as giving contextual examples to show why LOLER applies across every sector using lifting equipment.

Who do they Impact?

These guidelines are all aimed at employers, managers and safety representatives. Whoever is in a position of responsibility of the employees can be held accountable for injuries caused from manual handling. The regulations are there to help them avoid, assess and reduce the risk of injury from manual handling. It is for these important reasons that it means they need to make sure they are following the rules closely to ensure they keep a healthy and happy team.

The employees have duties too, as everyone has a part to play if accidents happen. They should:

• Follow systems of work in place for their safety
• Use equipment properly that is provided for their safety
• Cooperate with their employer on health and safety matters
• Inform their employer if they identify hazardous handling activities
• Take care to make sure their activities don’t put others at risk

Having a manual handling policy in place means that a business has a formal structure ready to deal with the subject of manual handling, something that definitely cannot be ignored. Manual handling is the process of an individual moving something without the use of a machine to help them – something that can result in injury if carried out incorrectly.

This isn’t a rare problem either, as a third of incidents reported to the Health and Safety Authorities every year are due to manual handling accidents. Not only are these manual handling injuries a hindrance to the individual involved, it causes a massive drain on resources for the employers. They have to cover costs towards the days lost, a decrease in productivity, legal fees, and the cost of training and retraining staff members. Manual handling is manageable and can be easily prevented, which is why every business needs a policy in place.

Policy Objectives

The objectives of a policy can vary between the company in question and their own priorities. However, it is safe to say that the following points are definitely a focus no matter what business and industry.

• Maintain a safe and healthy working environment for all parties involved.
• Reduce the costs of manual handling injuries to the organisation and the individual.
• Assess and address any workplace factors that may increase the risk of manual handling injuries.
• Provide access to everyone on the safe work procedures and resources in place.

What Makes a Good Policy?

A policy needs to cover all possible situations. By doing this the business can show that they are prepared for anything that should go wrong, highlighting a consistent level of understanding between the employer and their staff members too.

Having sections to summarise the duties of everyone involved means that there are no areas that shouldn’t be understood by all parties. This means detailing the duties of the managers and supervisors, as they are the figures that are responsible for their team members. However, employees are just as relevant when it comes to manual handling, arguably more so due to the fact they are the ones that are injured should things go wrong.

Employers should include the arrangements they have made to secure the health and safety of employees. This could include:

• The elimination of hazardous manual handling activities
• Assessment of risks by looking at the task in hand, the load in question, the individual involved, and the working environment

Information around training on offer, as well as safe systems of work that the company has all need to be included too, showing employees what is on offer to them to improve their working life.

A good policy is all about being thorough. Missing things out could result in injuries that could otherwise be avoided.

A manual task refers to any activity requiring a person to use any part of their muscular or skeletal system within their work environment to get jobs done. This includes:

• Lifting
• Carrying
• Striking
• Pushing
• Pulling
• Throwing
• Holding

All these actions are relevant, and if it means repeating something, maintaining a sustained posture, or exposing yourself to vibrations, then you are carrying out manual handling tasks.

The nature of some jobs means that these activities are frequent every working day, which is why manual handling is so relevant to the workplace. If these actions involve particularly heavy loads, or straining the individual, this is when incidents happen and injuries occur.

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) are the particular problems that come from manual handling. An MSD is an injury affecting the bones or soft tissue structure of the body. Examples include sprains of ligaments, strains of muscles or tendons, and injuries to the spine, joints, bones or nerves.

Costly Problem

Manual handling incidents equate to 33% of all accidents reported to the Health and Safety Authorities every year, affecting one million people a year and costing the economy billions of pounds in the meantime.

Not only are manual handling accidents an inconvenience to the individual left out of work and in pain, but it also causes a massive drain on resources for the employers. This is because they have to cover costs towards the days lost, a decrease in productivity, legal fees, and the cost of training or retraining staff members. The manageability and preventability of manual handling means that it can easily be avoided, saving everyone a lot of pain and money – so everybody wins!

These problems can occur in the first place for these five reasons, all of which are areas that can be dealt with by employers:

• No risk assessment of work activities
• Lack of safe system of work plans
• Mechanical aids were not provided and maintained
• Adequate training was not provided
• No evidence of work supervision

Real Life Story

A 54-year-old library assistant had to move 80,000 books from one area of the library to another over a four-month period. She had to pack the books into boxes that would reach weights of 22kg each! She then had to load them onto trolleys and take them to the new destination.

The librarian hadn’t been trained in manual handling techniques so developed back pain as a result of the persistent heavy lifting. She told her manager about the pain and took three days off to rest. On returning to work she was told to carry on with moving the boxes.

This pain increased to such level that her back eventually seized up altogether, and despite seeking treatment to help her to manage the discomfort, she continued to suffer from chronic back pain which prevented her from working. Her employer didn’t offer her alternative light duties so she was dismissed on grounds of medical incapability.

“I never had any problems with my back before lifting those boxes but now I have to adapt my life around managing the pain.”

Three Steps to Reducing Manual Handling Injuries

1. Identify the manual task hazards
2. Assess the risk of those manual task hazards identified causing injury
3. Eliminate the risk, or if not practicable reduce the risk to the lowest practicable level

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The term ‘manual handling’ refers to the process of an employee transporting or supporting something. This could mean lifting something, putting something down, pushing, pulling or carrying something – if something is being moved, then it is being manually handled.
The nature of how things can be moved means that it can involve risks in the form of injury to the employee, which is why is it such an important topic for employers to be aware of, and why risk assessments need to be carried out. Prioritising these issues can avoid any potential problems, keeping a fit and healthy workforce as a result.
Manual handling is an everyday task in most workplaces, whether you work in an office or a building yard. Whatever your job, there are things that have to be moved, lifted and carried each and every day. The importance of safe manual handling can therefore mean the difference between a productive day at work or being off with a bad back.
Awkward postures, poor lifting techniques, and failing to plan your route will all increase the risk of injury during manual handling tasks. Assessing these risks before they occur really can determine the health of your workforce, and consequently the overall health of your business.

Why are Risk Assessments Needed in Manual Handling?
The risks increase depending on the way a job is done just as much as type of load involved. There are certain characteristics that can result in something being seen as risk-prone when it comes to manual handling:

• The lifting of the load requires repeated manipulation of the load at a distance from the individual
• The lifting of the load requires repeated bending of the individual
• The load is large and difficult to grasp
• The handling repeatedly takes place at floor level or above shoulder height
• The physical effort can only be achieved by a twisting of the individual’s body
• The load is carried over a long distance and there is poor organisation leading to an unsafe route with obstacles

The injuries that can come from these kinds of manual handling activities are primarily to the back. These repetitive actions, with twisting and bending being the greatest strain, can result in compression of the disc, or damage to the facet joint or ligaments.
It is for the severity of these injuries that means that workplace regulations need to be followed closely. These regulations, otherwise known as the Manual Handling Operations Regulations of 1992, govern the management of a hazard, and explain what employers need to be doing to avoid injuries in their teams.
The basic principle of the regulation is that if a manual handling activity could involve a risk of injury, then employers must take measures to avoid or reduce it. The employer needs to do this by implementing a manual handling risk assessment process and preventative measures based on the outcomes of a risk assessment.
By assessing the potential risks, they can then implement a safe system work plan for site-specific tasks, providing information on the use of mechanical aids, the reorganisation of a work activity to allow loads to be handled at a safe height, or instructions to workers on how to use handling aids.
This is a consistent matter that should be carried out by the employers too. Far from a quick fix to check off the list of things to do, risk assessments need to be written every time a new action needs to be carried out that could pose a risk to the staff members; risk assessments are therefore a regular addition to the working day.
Example Risk Assessment –
Risk assessments obviously vary between each business and each individual task in question, but below is a brief summary of a five-step risk assessment process that can be used to assess individual manual handling tasks.
Step 1: Task description
Collect information on how the task is carried out, identifying the key stages.
Step 2: Collect technical information
Information such as the weight of the load, physical measurements of it, postures observed during the activity, the amount of work space available, and the duration of the task.
Step 3: Identify the risk factors
This could be that the load is too heavy, it’s being handled at an unsafe height and it causes the body to be in an uncomfortable posture. These risk factors all need to be supported with evidence.
Step 4: Identify the Improvements to be put in Place
This step requires clear communication with staff and a review of the information collected. The improvements put in place should avoid or at least reduce the risk of injury, and may include:

• Use of mechanical aids for all or part of the activity
• Reorganisation of work area or materials
• Where handling will still take place, instruction in safe lift techniques
• Development of a safe system of work plan
• Communication of improvements to staff

Step 5: Review the effectiveness of the improvements
This could involve simple checks or supervision to ensure that lifting techniques are being conducted in line with the instructions given, or that appropriate handling aids are being used.

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Manual handling is the process of an employee moving or supporting something. This could mean lifting something, putting something down, or pushing, pulling, and carrying something.
The nature of how loads are moved means that there are potential risks involved, predominantly in the form of injury to the employee, which is why it is such an important topic for employers to be aware of.
Not all manual handing is hazardous, but in some cases the employee may have to take on a considerable amount of handling such as lifting something heavy above shoulder height – this is when injuries can happen.
A third of all accidents reported to the Health and Safety Authorities are manual handling incidents, with half of these injuries occurring due to someone lifting or carrying a load. This means that one million people every year are affected, costing society £5.7 billion in the process. Not only are manual handling accidents a hindrance to the individual because of the inconvenience of being out of work, but it causes a massive drain on resources for the employers. They have to cover costs towards the days lost, a decrease in productivity, legal fees, and the cost of training or retraining.
The injuries that can come from these manual handling activities are primarily to the back. These repetitive actions that strain the individual over and over again can result in compression of the disc, facet joint or ligaments damage. Twisting and bending are two movements that are perhaps the greatest strain on the spine. Here are three examples of manual handling injuries in the workplace:
1. Librarian
A 54-year-old library assistant was instructed to help move 80,000 books from one area of the library to another over a four-month period. She had to pack the books into boxes that would reach weights of 22kg each! She then had to load them onto trolleys and take them to the new destination.
The librarian hadn’t been trained in manual handling techniques so developed back pain from the persistent heavy lifting. She told her manager about the pain and took three days off to rest. On returning to work she was told to carry on with moving the boxes.
The pain became so severe that her back seized up altogether, and despite seeking treatment to help her to manage the discomfort, she continued to suffer from chronic back pain which prevented her from working. Her employer didn’t offer her alternative light duties so she was dismissed on grounds of medical incapability.
“I never had any problems with my back before lifting those boxes but now I have to adapt my life around managing the pain.”

2. Farmer
Irish farmer, Pat Maher, was working one day when he needed to move a pillar out of the way. He felt going to get the tractor to move it would have wasted time, so instead he set to move it himself.
He bent over without bending his legs, and as he tried to move it, his back suddenly started to get very hot and he felt sweat pour from him – he knew he had pushed himself too far this time.
It turns out he has pushed out the joint between the hip and the back bone, leaving him with excruciating pain. For years, Pat couldn’t even take a few steps before feeling the inflammation of the back.
He still needs days of rest now, something that makes running a farm extra difficult. The nature of the work means that he needs to call out extra help for the more physically demanding jobs, as well as people to cover him when he needs days off – all causing a great financial impact on him to go alongside his physical pain.
Pat’s advice to people now is to take a few seconds to ask yourself:
• How am I going to move this?
• Do I have to move it? Or can I get a machine to do it?
• If I have to do it, how exactly am I going to do it safely?
3. Kitchen worker
Tina Bowen, a kitchen worker at a school in Wales, was left in agony after repeatedly lifting sacks of potatoes onto a trolley.
The potato peeling machine in Tina’s school kitchen had been broken for a long period of time. Because of this, she had to use a machine at a different school. This meant that she would manually lift the heavy sacks of potatoes onto a trolley and push them across a car park. Once they were peeled, she would then load the clean potatoes back onto the trolley and take them back to school to be cooked.
One particular day, Tina felt severe pain in her left shoulder. She was then off work for six months, during which time she lost vital earnings and struggled to complete even the most simple day-to-day tasks.
“I can barely describe how unbearable the pain in my shoulder was during those six months. My movement was so restricted that I could hardly even dress myself. I wish that the management had fixed the potato peeler earlier or provided me with a safe alternative; this could all have been avoided.”
Availability
Manual handling is so manageable, that it means it can easily be avoided by following the Manual Handling Operations Regulations of 1992. These regulations can govern the management of a hazard in manual handling to stop employee injuries becoming a frequent occurrence.
The basic principle of the regulation is that if a manual handling activity could involve a risk of injury, the employer must take measures to avoid or reduce this risk. The employer needs to do this by implementing a manual handling risk assessment process and preventative measures based on the outcomes of the risk assessments.
They may do this by having a safe system of work plan for specific tasks, providing information on the use of mechanical aids, the reorganisation of a work activity to allow loads to be handled at a safe height, or instructions to workers on how to use handling aids or handle loads safely.

Related Courses