Is manual handling training a legal requirement?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Manual handling is one of those things that we do every single day and quite often, because the task is so familiar, we don’t even recognise that it is manual handling. When it comes to the work environment, though, it isn’t just a case of getting on with it and employers need to ensure that they comply with the law. In this article we give a brief overview of what Manual handling is, why it is important and answer the question: is manual handling training a legal requirement?

What is Manual Handling?

Manual Handling is defined as the transporting or supporting of a load (including lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving) by hand or by bodily force. The term “Load” is not limited to inanimate objects – it includes people and animals.

What Laws cover Manual Handling?

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 cover the legal requirements which an employer must comply with when their employees are carrying out manual handling tasks within the workplace. Bear in mind here, that the workplace can be outside, so road workers, lorry drivers and any other employees who do not have a formal fixed workplace are still covered under the Regulations. The law also applies to self-employed people too.

Issues with Manual Handling

According to the Health and Safety Executive, over a third of all workplace injuries are caused by manual handling. Quite often people only really see manual handling as an issue when it comes to lifting heavy loads and the sudden back injuries this often causes, but that really isn’t the case. Manual handling injuries can happen to arms, legs and joints and can be caused by repetitive movements as well as sudden movements. These lead to sprains, strains, hernias, hand and foot injuries and also musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders build up over a period of time and lead to arm, back and leg pain.

Legal Duties

As you would expect, the legislation places several legal obligations on employers:

• so far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured; or

• where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the need for employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured:

• make a suitable and sufficient assessment of all such manual handling operations to be undertaken by them
  • take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of injury to those employees arising out of their undertaking any such manual handling operations to the lowest level reasonably practicable, and
  • take appropriate steps to provide any of those employees who are undertaking any such manual handling operations with general indications and, where it is reasonably practicable to do so, precise information on—
    • the weight of each load, and
    • the heaviest side of any load whose centre of gravity is not positioned centrally

Cutting through the legal speak this all simply means that an employer should, in the first instance, avoid the necessity for employees to do the manual handling task. If this is not possible then a risk assessment should be carried out taking into account the task, individual, load and environment, reduce all significant risks and provide anyone carrying out any manual handling the correct information about the load being handled.

Is manual handling training a legal requirement?

Now we get back to the question: Is manual handling training a legal requirement? Well, if you look at the legislation, it doesn’t specifically mention training so doesn’t that mean that training isn’t legally required? Well, no is the answer. The law requires that any manual handling risk is reduced to the lowest level reasonably practicable. One way to ensure the risk of injury is reduced is to train your employees in manual handling. The HSE even mention this on their Manual handling at work guidance page. So, although the law does not specifically say that training is required, the fact that all risks have to be reduced to the lowest they possibly can be, given that training is a recognised way of ensuring that people handle any loads safely and so reduce the risk of injury, means that, by default, training is a legal requirement.

Manual Handling Training

At Chris Garland training we offer online and face-to-face Manual Handling courses. Please feel free to contact us directly about any manual handling or any other training requirements that you have and will be happy to assist. We look forward to hearing from you. 

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