Safe Manual Handling

Manual handling is a routine part of construction work, but poor planning, awkward loads, unsafe postures and difficult site conditions can cause serious or long-term injury. This short, practical course helps general construction workers recognise manual handling risks and choose safer ways to move materials and equipment. It covers employer and worker responsibilities, the Avoid, Assess and Reduce approach, the TILEO risk assessment method, safer lifting and lowering techniques, team handling and the use of mechanical aids. Construction examples include handling bags, scaffold boards, pipes, plasterboard and doors, as well as working on uneven ground, in confined spaces and near work at height. The course also explains how to use the HSE lifting and lowering guideline chart correctly. These guideline weights are screening values, not guaranteed safe lifting limits. The course concludes with a five-question knowledge assessment. Learners also receive a downloadable Manual Handling Toolbox Talk Template that can be adapted for workplace briefings and site records. This is an awareness-level course suitable for induction and refresher training. It does not replace task-specific risk assessments, RAMS, practical instruction or competent supervision where these are required.