Manual handling is part of everyday working life in many Irish workplaces, from lifting and carrying loads to pushing, pulling and moving equipment.
Using safer manual handling principles can help workers assess tasks before starting them, recognise potential hazards and choose appropriate ways of moving loads while reducing the risk of injury.
While good handling technique is important, safer manual handling is not simply about learning how to lift correctly. Employers should first consider whether hazardous manual handling can be avoided or reduced and whether mechanical aids or other control measures can be used.
In This Guide
- What Are the Principles of Safer Manual Handling?
- Why Is Safer Manual Handling Important?
- Assessing a Manual Handling Task
- Safer Lifting Techniques
- Carrying Loads Safely
- Pushing and Pulling Loads
- Team Lifting Principles
- Using Manual Handling Equipment
- Identifying and Controlling Manual Handling Risks
- Manual Handling Responsibilities in Ireland
- Creating Safer Manual Handling Practices
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are the Principles of Safer Manual Handling?
The principles of safer manual handling are designed to help workers approach lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling and other handling tasks in a planned and controlled way.
Before carrying out a task, consider the nature of the load, the task involved, the working environment and your own ability to carry it out safely.
Where a task presents a risk of injury, consideration should also be given to whether it can be avoided, altered or carried out with the assistance of suitable equipment.
2. Why Is Safer Manual Handling Important?
Poor manual handling can contribute to musculoskeletal injuries affecting the back, shoulders, muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.
Some injuries can result from a single incident involving a heavy or awkward load, while others can develop gradually through repetitive handling, poor posture or repeated physical strain.
Taking time to assess a task and use appropriate handling methods can reduce unnecessary physical stress and help prevent workplace injuries.
3. Assessing a Manual Handling Task
One of the most important principles of safer manual handling is to assess the task before attempting it.
Consider the weight, size, shape and stability of the load and whether it can be comfortably handled.
The route should also be checked for potential problems such as stairs, uneven or slippery surfaces, obstacles, restricted space or poor lighting.
If a load is too heavy, bulky or awkward to move safely, consider whether mechanical assistance or help from another person is required.
4. Safer Lifting Techniques
Where manual lifting cannot reasonably be avoided, good handling technique can help reduce unnecessary strain.
Position yourself close to the load and establish a stable stance before lifting.
Get a secure grip, keep the load close to your body where possible and avoid unnecessary twisting or sudden movements.
Carry out the lift smoothly and under control, remaining aware of the load and the surrounding environment throughout the task.
Avoid attempting a lift if you are unsure whether the load can be handled safely.
5. Carrying Loads Safely
Safer manual handling principles continue to apply after a load has been lifted.
Maintain a secure grip and keep the load close to your body where practical.
Make sure you can see where you are going and avoid carrying loads that obstruct your view.
If you need to change direction, move your feet rather than twisting your body while carrying the load.
Long carrying distances should also be considered when assessing the task, as suitable equipment may provide a safer alternative.
6. Pushing and Pulling Loads
Manual handling does not only involve lifting and carrying.
Pushing and pulling trolleys, equipment and other loads can also place considerable demands on the body.
Consider the condition of the floor, weight of the load, type and condition of the equipment, distance involved and amount of force required.
Where possible, equipment should be suitable for the task, properly maintained and used on an appropriate surface.
Good visibility and a clear route are also important when moving loads using trolleys or other handling equipment.
7. Team Lifting Principles
Some loads may require more than one person to move them safely.
Team lifting requires planning and good communication, as differences in height, strength, grip and movement between handlers can create additional risks.
Everyone involved should understand how the lift will be carried out before it begins, with one person taking the lead where appropriate so that lifting, moving and lowering are co-ordinated.
Team members should communicate throughout the task and avoid sudden or unexpected movements.
However, adding more people is not automatically the safest solution, and consideration should first be given to whether suitable mechanical equipment could provide a safer way of moving the load.
8. Using Manual Handling Equipment
Mechanical aids can eliminate or significantly reduce the physical demands associated with many manual handling tasks.
Depending on the workplace, these may include trolleys, sack trucks, pallet trucks, hoists, conveyors and other lifting or moving equipment.
The equipment selected should be appropriate for the particular load and task.
Employees using handling equipment should understand how to operate it correctly, observe its safe working limits and report defects or damage.
Equipment should also be inspected and maintained as appropriate.
9. Identifying and Controlling Manual Handling Risks
Manual handling risks can vary considerably between workplaces and even between individual tasks within the same workplace.
Potential hazards include heavy, bulky or unstable loads, repetitive lifting or carrying, awkward postures, reaching or twisting, restricted working areas, long carrying distances, uneven or slippery floors and poorly maintained handling equipment.
Employers should first consider whether hazardous manual handling can be avoided.
Where this is not reasonably practicable, risks may be reduced by changing the task, reducing the weight or size of loads, improving workplace layout or introducing suitable mechanical aids.
Safe systems of work, appropriate information, instruction and training can then form part of the overall approach to controlling any remaining risk.
10. Manual Handling Responsibilities in Ireland
Irish workplace health and safety legislation places responsibilities on employers in relation to manual handling where there is a risk of injury.
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, employers must take appropriate organisational measures or use appropriate means to avoid the need for manual handling where possible.
Where manual handling involving a risk cannot be avoided, employers must assess the risk and take appropriate measures to reduce it.
Information, instruction and training should be appropriate to the work being carried out and the risks identified.
11. Creating Safer Manual Handling Practices
Safer manual handling requires more than remembering a lifting technique learned during a training course.
Employees should be encouraged to assess tasks, report hazards, use appropriate equipment and ask for assistance when a load cannot be handled safely.
Employers should also review working practices when tasks, equipment or workplace conditions change.
Creating an environment where employees can stop and reconsider an unsafe handling task can help prevent avoidable injuries.
12. Frequently Asked Questions
What do the principles of safer manual handling help you to do?
The principles of safer manual handling help you assess a task, identify potential hazards and choose an appropriate way of handling a load while reducing the risk of injury.
What are the main principles of safer manual handling?
They include assessing the task and load before starting, considering the working environment, avoiding unnecessary manual handling where possible, using suitable equipment and applying safer handling techniques where manual handling is required.
Which parts of the body can be injured during manual handling?
Manual handling can contribute to musculoskeletal injuries affecting areas including the back, shoulders, neck, arms and joints, depending on the task, load, posture, repetition and physical demands involved.
Is team lifting always safer?
No. Team lifting may be appropriate for some loads, but it introduces additional considerations such as communication and co-ordination, and suitable mechanical equipment may provide a safer alternative.
Should you push or pull a load?
The appropriate method depends on the particular task, equipment, environment and forces involved, so the task should be assessed rather than relying on a single rule for every situation.
Can manual handling equipment reduce the risk of injury?
Yes. Suitable mechanical aids such as trolleys, pallet trucks and lifting equipment can reduce or eliminate some of the physical demands involved in moving loads when they are appropriate for the task and used correctly.
Manual Handling Training with SafeHands
SafeHands Health & Safety Solutions provides practical, onsite Manual Handling training for businesses and organisations throughout Ireland.
Our face-to-face training gives participants the opportunity to learn and practise appropriate Manual Handling techniques under the supervision of an experienced instructor.
SafeHands Manual Handling training is delivered onsite for groups of up to 12 participants, with certification valid for three years.
Find out more about our Manual Handling Training Course or contact SafeHands to arrange onsite training for your workplace.