What is the maximum weight that can be lifted?
Where possible manual lifting should be avoided.
There is no legal maximum weight that a person can safely lift. Lifting any weight can cause injury and much depends on the object being lifted, the environment, the shape of the object, the physical characteristics of the lifter and the distance of the object from the spine.
An employer must have risk assessments on manual handling as required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, and have developed a safe system of work for manual handling operations as required by the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978. An employee should be able to ask for the findings of a risk assessment. The risk assessment will define the necessary control measures.
Should an employer only consider lifting and lowering?
No, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations also apply to objects being pushed and pulled across a surface.
Is my employer required to provide training for manual handling?
Yes, your employer is required to take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of injury to those employees undertaking manual handling operations.
Also, an employer is required to provide information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to protect a person’s health and safety arising from manual handling tasks.
Does a two person lift mean twice as much can be lifted?
No. Handling by two or more people may make possible an operation that is beyond the capability of one person or reduce the risk of injury to a single handler.
During a lifting operation the proportion of the load that is borne by each member of the team will inevitably vary to some extent. Such variation is likely to be more pronounced on sloping or uneven ground.
What is the correct lifting technique?
There is no single correct way to lift. The technique for lifting will depend on many things such as the weight and size of the object. For example, it would be easier to pick up something that is boxed and has handholds rather than an awkwardly shaped object or where the weight is unevenly distributed.
The content of any training in good handling technique should be tailored to the particular situation or individual circumstances under which the manual handling takes place. Published best practice guidance relating to manual handling can be found in the Resources section below.
Resources
- Back pain
- Reducing the manual handling of roof panels - Information Sheet - (hsa.ie)
- Guidance on the Prevention and Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in the Workplace
- Handling with care - A guide for the healthcare sector
- Reducing manual handling of plasterboard - Best practice guidance
- Assessment of repetitive tasks of the upper limbs (ART Tool) (INDG438) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Getting help with manual handling risks in your business - (hse.gov.uk)
- Full manual handling risk assessment: Examples of assessment checklists - (hse.gov.uk)
- Making the best use of lifting and handling aids (INDG398) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 - Guidance on the Regulations (L23) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Manual handling at work - A brief guide (INDG143) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Manual handling assessment charts (MAC tool) (INDG383) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Manual handling - What you need to know as a busy builder (CIS61) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Preventing injury during plasterboard handling (CIS76) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Preventing injury from handling heavy blocks (CIS77) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Reducing plasterboard manual handling (COH05) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Risk assessment of pushing and pulling (RAPP) tool (INDG478) - (hse.gov.uk)
- Lower limb disorders (LLDs)
- Upper limb disorders (ULDs)
Key Legislation
- Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 - (legislation.gov.uk)
- Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 - (legislation.gov.uk)
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 - (legislation.gov.uk)
- The Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 - (legislation.gov.uk)
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 - (legislation.gov.uk)
Please note that these links are to the original legislation, visitors should verify for themselves whether legislation is in force or whether it has been amended or repealed by subsequent legislation.