Manual Handling Equipment: A Guide to Lifting and Handling Aids

Manual handling equipment can help eliminate or reduce the need for employees to lift, carry, push or pull loads by hand.

From simple sack trucks and pallet trucks to hoists, conveyors and lift tables, the right handling aid can reduce physical strain and make a task safer and more efficient.

However, equipment should be selected as part of a suitable manual handling risk assessment. Employers should first consider whether hazardous manual handling can be avoided and, where it cannot, take practical steps to reduce the risk of injury as far as reasonably practicable.

In this guide, we look at common types of manual handling equipment, when they may be useful and what employers should consider when choosing and using them.

Good practice: Don’t rely on lifting technique alone. Where possible, remove the hazardous manual handling task or use mechanical assistance before relying on training and technique.

• What is manual handling equipment?
• Why use manual handling equipment?
• Common types of manual handling equipment
• How to choose the right manual handling equipment
• Manual handling equipment and risk assessment
• Does manual handling equipment come under LOLER?
• Training employees to use manual handling equipment
• Manual handling equipment FAQs

Manual handling equipment is any equipment or mechanical aid used to help people lift, lower, carry, push, pull or move loads more safely.

It ranges from simple aids such as sack trucks, trolleys and lifting straps to larger equipment such as pallet trucks, hoists, lift tables and conveyors.

The purpose of manual handling equipment is to reduce the physical effort required to move a load and, where possible, remove or reduce the need for hazardous manual handling altogether.

The type of equipment needed will depend on the task, the load, the working environment and the people carrying out the work. Equipment should therefore be selected as part of a suitable manual handling risk assessment rather than simply added to a task without considering whether it is appropriate.

Manual handling equipment is designed to reduce the physical strain on individuals, minimise the risk of injury, and enhance overall efficiency when moving, lifting, or transporting objects. By using the right tools, you can significantly improve workplace safety and productivity.

Benefits include:

• reducing or removes the need for hazardous manual handling;
• lowering physical strain and risk of musculoskeletal injury;
• helping employees handle awkward or heavy loads more safely;
• improving efficiency and control during handling tasks;
• may allow the task to be redesigned so less manual effort is needed.

The right handling aid will depend on the load, the task, the people carrying it out and the working environment. Equipment that is suitable for one manual handling task may introduce additional risks in another.

Before selecting equipment, consider:

• The load: How heavy, large, unstable or difficult to grip is it?
• The task: Does it need to be lifted, lowered, pushed, pulled or transported?
• The distance: How far and how often will the load be moved?
• The environment: Are there slopes, steps, uneven floors, confined spaces or restricted access?
• The user: Does the employee need particular training or instruction?
• The equipment: Is it suitable for the load, properly maintained and safe to use?

A manual handling risk assessment can help determine whether the task can be avoided altogether or whether mechanical assistance or other changes are needed to reduce the risk.

The right equipment can remove the need for some manual handling tasks altogether or substantially reduce the physical demands placed on employees.

However, simply providing a trolley, hoist or other handling aid is not enough. Employers should ensure that equipment is suitable for the task, maintained correctly and used by employees who have received appropriate information, instruction and training.

Where manual handling cannot be avoided, a suitable risk assessment should consider the task, individual, load and environment and identify the most effective ways of reducing the risk.

Some manual handling equipment is also classed as lifting equipment and may therefore be subject to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

LOLER applies to equipment used for lifting or lowering loads, such as certain hoists, cranes and lifting accessories. Where LOLER applies, lifting operations must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely, and equipment may require periodic thorough examination.
Not every handling aid falls within LOLER, so the requirements will depend on the equipment and how it is used.

Providing manual handling equipment is only effective if employees know how to use it safely and correctly.

The level of training required will depend on the type of equipment, the task and the risks involved. Employees should understand:

• how to use the equipment correctly;
• its limitations and safe working capacity;
• how to position and secure loads;
• any checks that should be carried out before use;
• the risks associated with the equipment and working environment; and
• what to do if equipment is damaged or defective.

More complex equipment may require specific operator training, instruction or supervision.

Training should also form part of a wider risk-control approach. Employers should first consider whether hazardous manual handling can be avoided or reduced through changes to the task, load, working environment or equipment, rather than relying on training and lifting technique alone.