Manual Handling Courses

Manual handling training is about teaching your workers how to move heavy goods safely, either by raising, holding, lowering, moving, or pulling.

All employers must avoid manual handling as far as reasonably practical if there is a risk of injury. If this is not possible, they must minimise the risk of injury as much as possible. A thorough risk assessment and an understanding of secure manual handling can be used to do this. 

Staff engaged in manual handling should be given training in safe handling techniques. By training your employees on how to conduct manual handling safely, you are complying with your legal requirements. 

The Safety, Health, and Welfare at Work, (General Applications) Regulations specify the requirements that must be adhered to concerning manual handling. The key requirements include:  

• Carrying out a manual handling risk assessment of existing manual handling tasks before making an informed decision on what manual handling tasks need to be avoided or reduced.  

• Organising tasks to allow the use of mechanical or other means to avoid or reduce the need for the manual handling of loads by employees in the workplace. The hazards can be avoided or reduced through the introduction of appropriate organisational measures for example improved layout of a work area to reduce unnecessary long carrying distances; or the use of appropriate means, in particular, mechanical equipment  

• Providing instruction and training to relevant staff.  

Manual Handling is a physical activity that takes place in every workplace, and the activity does not pose a problem in some situations. It can, however, be a possible occupational hazard if the employee is forced to bear extremely heavy loads, which may result in back injuries.

A third of all workplace injuries reported are caused by manual handling activities, and those injuries are a leading cause of work disability. t is within the best interests of employees and employers to carry out this kind of training to minimise the risk of injuries resulting in absences. According to HSE, 28.2 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury in 2018/2019.  

Are manual handling courses for you?  

This training is aimed at anyone who is engaged in manual lifting in their job. Manual handling courses provide participants with the knowledge to conduct all manual handling activities in a way that will prevent injury.  

Not only will manual handling training help increase employees’ awareness of risks involved with lifting, but employees will also recognise that their welfare is a top priority, and the course will lead to fewer people taking time off work due to injury.