Ergonomics is the practice of designing tasks, equipment and workplaces to enhance comfort, safety and efficiency.
Ergonomic principles play a major role in designing safe and effective manual handling practices. Employers can use these principles to help make manual handling tasks safer and reduce risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
Handling, lifting and carrying remain a leading cause of workplace injury. In 2024/25, they accounted for 17% of RIDDOR-reported non-fatal employee injuries in Great Britain. Poor manual handling is also a major cause of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which affect muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves, often causing pain or reduced movement in areas such as the back, neck, shoulders, arms and legs.
This article will provide you with a brief outline of both manual handling and ergonomic principles and how they can be used together to create safer, more productive manual handling procedures.
Manual handling is defined as “transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force” by the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR).
The regulations require employers to avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable, assess the risk of injury from any hazardous handling that cannot be avoided and reduce that risk to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
Ergonomics is the science of fitting the work to the worker. Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) describes ergonomics as taking account of each worker’s capabilities and limitations, so that the task, the equipment and the working environment suit the person doing the job rather than requiring the person to adapt to them. Ergonomics therefore gives employers a practical way to support these duties.
Much of the risk in a manual handling task comes from how the task is designed. The weight and position of the load, the distances it must be moved, the postures it requires and how often it is repeated all shape the level of risk.
A manual handling risk assessment examines these factors under four headings, often summarised as TILE:
- Task – the movements the work involves, such as reaching, twisting, stooping or carrying over distance
- Individual – the capabilities of the person doing the work, including strength, stature and health
- Load – the weight, size and shape of what is being moved and how easily it can be gripped
- Environment – the space, floor conditions, lighting and temperature in which the work takes place
Where an assessment finds that the demands may increase the risk of injury, the ergonomic response is to redesign the work so that it fits the person.
Applying an ergonomic approach to manual handling entails considering how tasks can be performed with reduced physical strain. This process begins with conducting a thorough risk assessment of the workplace.
A suitable risk assessment should help identify hazardous manual handling tasks and the factors increasing risk. Data gathered from a risk assessment is also crucial in developing a relevant training needs analysis for workers.
The example below shows how an ergonomic approach to manual handling can work in a practical setting.
A risk assessment concluded that:
- The horizontal distance of the load from the lifter at the start of the lift should be reduced
- The horizontal distance of the load from the lifter should be reduced as it is placed on the pallet truck
- Twisting motions as the worker turns to place the load on the pallet truck should be reduced
By using an ergonomic approach to manual handling rather than traditional manual handling techniques, workers and management were able to reduce these risks. Workers were encouraged to take goods one layer at a time to help spread the weight of the load evenly. Workers were also asked to move both their feet as they loaded the goods onto the pallet trucks to avoid unnecessary twisting at the waist.
Figure 3: Picking one layer at a time facilitates a reduction in the horizontal distance between the lifter and the load at the beginning of the lift e.g. the load can be pulled to the front edge before the weight is taken
To avoid unnecessary stretching, workers who were small in stature were allowed to pick goods in such a way as to create a small slope at the front of the pallet. This enabled them to reach goods at the back of the pallet more easily.
A training video was developed to provide new hires with information on how to perform tasks safely using these ergonomic procedures. Signage was put up reminding employees of the correct lifting procedures and observers were used to report levels of compliance. Team meetings were held to assess the level of worker satisfaction with the new techniques.
By focusing on an ergonomic approach to manual handling, the warehouse was able to reduce key manual handling risk factors and support more efficient working.
Manual handling training should help workers understand risk factors, safe systems of work, use of handling aids and good handling techniques relevant to their tasks.
While manual handling training is an essential part of health and safety, it alone will not make manual handling safe.
Many manual handling training courses do not take into account the tasks and hazards that are specific to a particular workplace. Instead, these courses teach trainees a general overview of manual handling techniques that, while useful, are not always applicable to the tasks employees are required to perform. For example, manual handling tasks that healthcare workers must perform differ greatly from manual handling tasks on a building site.
Taking an ergonomic approach can help create safer and more efficient work practices when supported by suitable assessment, controls, training and review. Manual handling training should always be relevant to the required tasks and focus on eliminating or minimising specific workplace risks.
You can find accredited online manual handling training on the Human Focus website. These courses focus on specific sectors, such as construction, warehouse, office and industry. Human Focus courses provide trainees with a solid grounding in the principles of safe manual handling at work.
