Manual Handling Training

Why is manual handling training important?

Manual handling is an absolutely essential skill that all employees should learn, not necessarily just those who will be spending much of their time lifting awkward or heavy objects. Here are some of the main reasons why manual handling training is so important:

• Protection from injury: Learning how to properly lift heavy objects by utilising your leg muscles will ensure that your employees are protected from injury. It’s extremely easy to injure a back or neck through bad technique.
• Legal compliance: According to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, it’s an employer’s duty to try and reduce the risk of injury for employees as far as possible. One way to do this is reducing employee contact with heavy objects, another is by carrying out thorough manual handling training.
• Higher productivity: If your team is properly trained when it comes to handling large objects, then they will be much more efficient at carrying out daily tasks, something that will lead to higher levels of productivity in the long run.

Manual Handling Techniques

To give you an idea of some of the different areas that we will cover on the course, here are some key manual handling techniques that you can learn right now:

• Think before you lift: If you know that you have a heavy lift to do, plan it first. Figure out if there are any potential obstructions on the way to where you’re going, and assess whether you will need any help with the lift. The last thing you need is to get halfway through only to find you’re blocked or it’s too heavy!
• Keep the load as close as possible to your waist: One of the reasons why people injure themselves is because they hold the load too far away, which essentially increases the effective load of the object. Always keep the load to your waist.
• Maintain a stable position: Don’t try to do a heavy lift with your legs closed together, keep them at least shoulder-width apart, if not further, and keep one foot firmly in front of the other. This will greatly reduce your chances of toppling over.

If you think that you already have a good idea about the best manual techniques, why not have a go at our manual handling quiz? We’ve included some pretty testing questions – see if you can get full marks!