We’re pleased to introduce our new online course: Advanced Manual Handling Risk Assessment Training.
Manual handling remains one of the most common causes of workplace injury, and it is not limited to heavy lifting. Carrying, pushing, pulling, sustained postures, awkward reaches, repetitive tasks, and poor workstation design can all pose significant risks.
If your workplace involves any transporting or supporting of loads by hand or bodily force, duties apply under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Where manual handling cannot be avoided, employers must make a suitable and sufficient assessment and take reasonably practicable steps to reduce risk.
The course equips managers, assessors, and duty holders with the practical skills to accurately assess risk, select effective improvements, and maintain robust controls over time, supporting both compliance and lasting performance improvements.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), handling, lifting, or carrying accounted for 17% of all non-fatal injuries in 2023/24. For many organisations, these risks are frequent, varied, and easy to underestimate, especially when tasks have “always been done this way”.
To meet legal duties and genuinely reduce injury risk, assessors need more than awareness. They need the methods, tools and practical judgement to:
- Identify the real risk level in day-to-day tasks
- Evaluate contributing factors (task, load, environment, equipment and individual capability)
- Prioritise improvements that actually reduce exposure
- Record and review controls to keep standards consistent and defensible
The course provides structured guidance for planning and conducting assessments using recognised HSE tools such as:
- Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC)
- Risk Assessment of Pushing and Pulling (RAPP)
- Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)
- Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS)
Learners also develop the ability to select proportionate controls using the hierarchy of control, covering task redesign and equipment improvements through to supervision, procedures and training standards.
By the end of the course, trainees will have the knowledge and confidence to lead assessments, support legal compliance, and drive lasting improvements in workplace safety, completing with an IIRSM-approved digital certificate.
This training is ideal for:
- Line Managers and Supervisors
- Health and Safety Managers
- Risk Assessors and Ergonomists
- HR and Training Leads
- Contractors and Team Leaders
- Facilities and Operations Managers
By the end of this course, trainees will understand:
- What manual handling is and how injuries happen
- The UK legal duties that apply to manual handling
- Factors and considerations when planning manual handling risk assessments
- Ways to identify and assess lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling and posture risks
- How to select appropriate measures using the hierarchy of control
- Steps for recording, reviewing and maintaining risk controls over time
Need a more robust approach to managing manual handling risks? Enrol in Advanced Manual Handling Risk Assessment Training today to build assessors’ capability, strengthen compliance, and support lasting reductions in injury risk.
Enrol Now
For more details about this course, please contact us.
