Safe manual handling at work

Training your employees to lift and carry correctly forms an important part of reducing manual handling risks.

Avoid manual handling

You should look at ways of avoiding manual handling, providing mechanical aids and improving working conditions before you consider training.

Train staff

You should also train staff to recognise which handling activities may be potentially harmful and how to use mechanical lifting equipment if appropriate.

You must make them aware of their health and safety responsibilities in this area, both to themselves and others.

For advice on how you can lift loads safely, see tips for good lifting technique.

You can send staff on training courses to develop good handling techniques - but these can be expensive. However, weighed against the costs of an employee being off work long term due to a work place injury it may be worth it.

Download a guide to manual handling (PDF, 434KB).