Safe manual handling: the principles and techniques that prevent injuries

Good manual handling techniques prevent most of the back, neck and shoulder injuries that come from lifting at work. This guide covers the principles of safe manual handling, what the law asks of employers, and the lifting technique HSE recommends, step by step.

What counts as manual handling?

Manual handling means moving or supporting a load by hand or with your body. Lifting a box is the obvious example, but pushing a trolley, carrying a toolbox, pulling a cage and helping a patient out of a chair all count too. That is why it shows up in almost every job, from warehouses and building sites to offices, shops and care homes.

What the law asks of employers

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 set out the principles of safe manual handling in a fixed order. First, avoid manual handling that could injure someone, as far as is reasonably practicable. Where you cannot avoid it, assess it. Then reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable.

You also need to tell staff roughly how heavy each load is, and which side is heavier when the weight sits off centre. Employees have a duty of their own, too: they must make full and proper use of any safe system of work you put in place.

There is no legal maximum weight in the UK. Instead, the right limit depends on the task, the load, the place and the person, which is what an assessment looks at. It also shows which manual handling techniques staff need for each job.

The principles of safe manual handling: TILE

Most assessments use TILE to make sure nothing gets missed. The regulations list the same four areas.

• Task: does it involve twisting, stooping, reaching up, carrying a long way or repeating the same lift many times?
• Individual: does it need unusual strength or height, and is anyone more at risk, such as a new or expectant mother or someone with a back problem?
• Load: is it heavy, bulky, hard to grip, unstable or sharp?
• Environment: are there steps, slopes, wet floors, tight spaces, poor light or extreme heat or cold?

Each answer points to a fix, and often to better manual handling techniques. For example, you can split a load, raise a shelf, use a trolley, clear a route or share the lift.

Manual handling techniques for a safe lift

HSE’s advice on good manual handling techniques comes down to a handful of habits. They work for most lifts, from a box of paper to a sack of compost.

• Think before you lift. Plan where the load is going, clear the route and decide whether you need help.
• Keep the load close to your waist, with the heaviest side next to your body.
• Stand stable, with your feet apart and one leg slightly forward.
• Get a good hold, hugging the load close if you can.
• Start in a good posture. A slight bend of the back, hips and knees is better than stooping right over or squatting all the way down.
• Do not bend your back further once you start to lift.
• Do not twist or lean sideways. Keep your shoulders level and facing the same way as your hips, and turn with your feet.
• Keep your head up once you have hold of the load.
• Move smoothly, without jerking or snatching.
• Do not lift more than you can easily manage.
• Put the load down first, then slide it into place.

Notice that the old rule of a dead straight back and a full squat is not on the list. A full squat often puts more strain on the knees and makes it harder to keep the load close. Our article on the dangers of incorrect lifting covers the habits that cause the most harm.

When to use equipment or a second person

Good manual handling techniques only go so far. When a load is heavy, awkward or has to travel any distance, a trolley, sack truck, hoist or lifting table is safer than any technique. Staff need to know how to use that kit, though, or it brings risks of its own.

A team lift helps with bulky items, but only when one person leads and everyone moves together. In addition, short breaks and a change of task help with repetitive work, because tired muscles are where most strains start.

Common manual handling injuries

Back pain is the best known, but poor manual handling also causes neck and shoulder strain, sprains, hernias, and cuts or crushed fingers from dropped loads. Many build up slowly over months of the same lift, and they are easy to ignore until someone is off work. That is why good manual handling techniques matter even for light loads.

Training your team in safe manual handling

The regulations do not name training as a separate duty, but it is how most employers meet the reduce step in practice. Staff learn the techniques, and they also learn to spot a risky task before they start it.

Our Manual Handling Training covers the principles and techniques in this guide. For people who carry out the assessments, there is TILE Assessment. In addition, Correct Lifting Techniques Training goes deeper on the lift itself.