Free manual handling risk assessment template (Word download)
Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling cause more workplace injuries than almost anything else on site. This template walks you through the factors that matter for each handling task and records how you're controlling them.
Download the manual handling risk assessment template (.docx)
[DISCLAIMER — DRAFT, FOR SOLICITOR REVIEW] This template is a starting point only. You are responsible for assessing the risks of your own work, and for making sure any document you produce from it is suitable and sufficient for the task, the site and the people involved. It is not health and safety advice.
What's in the template
- Document control
- Task description — what's moved, where, how often, by whom
- Can the task be avoided?
- Assessment of risk factors — task, individual, load, environment and other
- Risk rating — before and after controls, on a 5 × 5 scale
- Control measures
- Lifting aids and equipment
- Training
- Briefing record — sign-off sheet
What the law requires
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 set out three steps for employers: avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable; assess the risk of injury from any handling that can't be avoided; and reduce that risk so far as is reasonably practicable. The regulations don't set a maximum weight — the risk depends on the whole task, not just the load.
The factors to assess
| Factor | What to look at |
|---|---|
| Task | Holding loads away from the body, twisting, stooping, reaching up, carrying distance, repetition and rest |
| Individual | Whether it needs unusual strength, whether anyone is more at risk, training needed |
| Load | Weight, size, grip, stability, sharp or hot surfaces |
| Environment | Space, floor condition, steps and slopes, temperature, wind, lighting |
| Other | PPE that restricts movement, team handling |
Controls that work on site
- Get materials delivered as close as possible to where they'll be used.
- Use trolleys, sack trucks, hoists or vacuum lifters rather than carrying.
- Order materials in smaller or lighter units where you can.
- Plan routes to avoid stairs, steps and rough ground.
- For team lifts, agree beforehand who co-ordinates and what the signals are.
For repetitive lifting and carrying, the HSE's Manual handling Assessment Charts (the MAC tool) give a more detailed scoring method you can attach to this assessment.
Record manual handling as a hazard in your RAMS and reference this assessment there.
Answer a few questions about the job and get a completed RAMS in Word, ready to send.
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