What Is TILEO and Why Do I Need to Know It?

Table of Contents

• What does TILEO stand for?
• What is the difference between TILE, TILEO and LITE?
• Is TILEO a legal requirement?
• Avoiding, assessing and reducing manual handling risks
• Task: What does the activity involve?
• Individual: Who will carry out the task?
• Load: What is being handled?
• Environment: Where will the task take place?
• Other factors: What else could affect safety?
• A practical TILEO example
• When is a more detailed assessment needed?
• Frequently asked questions

TILEO is a simple way to remember the main factors that should be considered when assessing a manual handling task. It stands for Task, Individual, Load, Environment and Other factors. It helps you identify hazards before lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling or moving a load.

TILEO is a useful memory aid, but it is not a substitute for a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.

In practice, there is little difference between TILE and LITE. TILEO is slightly broader because it prompts the assessor to consider factors that do not fit neatly into the original four categories.

These acronyms are useful memory aids, but none is a risk-assessment method in its own right. They help identify hazards; the assessor must still evaluate the risks, introduce suitable controls and record or review the assessment where necessary.

No. The law does not specifically require employers to use TILEO. It is a practical memory aid for considering the task, individual, load, environment and other relevant factors when assessing manual handling risks.

Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, employers must:

1. Avoid hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable.
2. Assess hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided.
3. Reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable.

TILEO can help structure this assessment, but completing a TILEO checklist does not automatically make an employer legally compliant. The assessment must reflect the actual work, lead to suitable control measures and be reviewed when circumstances change.

See HSE Manual handling at work

TILEO should be used within the wider approach required by the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Before assessing how a load should be handled, consider whether the hazardous manual handling operation can be avoided altogether.

For example, could you:

• Eliminate the need to move the load?
• Have materials delivered closer to where they will be used?
• Use a conveyor, hoist, pallet truck or other mechanical aid?
• Change the process so that goods are stored at a more suitable height?

If the operation cannot reasonably be avoided, assess the risk of injury. TILEO helps you examine the task, individual, load, environment and any other relevant factors.

The findings should then be used to reduce the risk to the lowest level reasonably practicable. This might involve redesigning the task, reducing the load, improving the workplace layout or providing suitable handling equipment. Information and training may also be required, but they should not be relied upon as the only controls when the task itself can be made safer.

Observe the complete manual handling operation rather than considering only the moment when the load is lifted. Manual handling also includes lowering, carrying, pushing, pulling and supporting a load.

Consider whether the task involves:

• Stooping, twisting or reaching.
• Lifting from floor level or above shoulder height.
• Holding the load away from the body.
• Carrying loads over long distances.
• Frequent or repetitive handling.
• Pushing or pulling with significant force.
• Sudden or unpredictable movements.
• Long periods without sufficient rest or recovery.
• Seated handling or restricted movement.
• Team handling.
• Precise placement of the load.
• A work rate controlled by machinery, targets or deadlines.

Possible improvements include reducing the frequency or distance of handling, changing the height at which the load is picked up or put down, introducing mechanical aids and reorganising the work to remove twisting or excessive reaching.

Team handling should not automatically be treated as a safe solution. It requires sufficient space, good communication and a coordinated method. Differences in height, strength or visibility may also make the task more difficult.

People differ in their physical characteristics, experience and capabilities. A task that presents little difficulty for one person may create a significant risk for another.

Consider whether:

• The task requires unusual strength, height or reach.
• The person has received suitable information, instruction and training.
• They are familiar with the task and equipment.
• An existing injury or health condition could affect their ability to carry it out safely.
• Pregnancy or a recent return from absence creates additional risk.
• The person is young, new to the job or inexperienced.
• Clothing or footwear restricts movement.
• The task needs assistance, adjustment or specialist equipment.

Workers should be encouraged to report difficulties, discomfort and concerns at an early stage. Individual circumstances must be considered sensitively and confidentially, without making assumptions about someone’s abilities.

The aim is to make the task suitable for the worker wherever reasonably practicable—for example, by changing the equipment, adjusting the working height, reducing the load or providing assistance.

Weight is important, but it is not the only characteristic that can make a load hazardous. A lighter object may still present a considerable risk if it is bulky, unstable or difficult to grip.

Consider whether the load is:

• Heavy or excessively large.
• Bulky or difficult to see over.
• Unstable or likely to shift unexpectedly.
• Difficult to grip or lacking suitable handholds.
• Sharp, hot, cold, slippery or otherwise hazardous.
• Unevenly balanced or has an off-centre centre of gravity.
• Fragile or likely to break.
• Difficult to control in windy conditions.
• A person or animal that may move unpredictably.
• Marked with its weight and, where relevant, its heaviest side.

Possible controls include breaking the load into smaller units, reducing container size, adding handles, securing moving contents or providing information about its weight and centre of gravity. Mechanical equipment may be necessary where the load cannot be handled safely by people alone.

There is no single legal maximum lifting weight. The risk depends on the load and the conditions in which it is handled, including its position, frequency of movement and the capability of the person involved.

The working environment can turn an otherwise straightforward activity into a hazardous one. Assess the entire route, including where the load is picked up, carried and put down.

Look for:

• Restricted space or narrow doorways.
• Cluttered routes and trip hazards.
• Slippery, damaged or uneven floors.
• Steps, slopes or changes in floor level.
• Poor lighting or glare.
• Extreme temperatures, rain or strong air movement.
• Insufficient headroom.
• Doors that must be opened while carrying the load.
• Crowded areas or moving vehicles.
• A lack of space around the load’s destination.
• Conditions that make it difficult to communicate during team handling.

Possible improvements include clearing and marking routes, repairing flooring, improving lighting, creating more space and positioning loads closer to where they are needed.

The route should be checked before handling begins. A worker carrying a load should not discover halfway through the task that the destination is blocked or that there is nowhere safe to put it down.

The “O” in TILEO provides a prompt to consider relevant factors that do not fit neatly under the other four headings. These will vary according to the workplace and the activity.

They may include:

• Whether suitable mechanical aids are available.
• Whether handling equipment is appropriate and well maintained.
• Whether workers have been trained to use the equipment.
• Whether PPE or work clothing restricts movement or grip.
• Time pressure, staffing levels and workload.
• Communication and supervision.
• The availability of help when it is needed.
• Maintenance and fault-reporting arrangements.
• Changes to the task, equipment or workplace.
• Previous accidents, near misses or reports of discomfort.
• Psychosocial factors such as low control over the work or demanding deadlines.

PPE can sometimes introduce additional handling difficulties. Gloves, for example, may protect against sharp or hot objects but could also reduce grip or dexterity. The assessment should consider both the protection provided and any additional risk created.

Mechanical aids must also be suitable for the task. Providing a trolley will not adequately control the risk if its wheels are damaged, its handles are at an unsuitable height or it cannot be used along the intended route.

Once these factors have been identified, record the necessary controls, assign responsibility for completing them and set a review date. The assessment should also be reviewed if the task changes, new equipment is introduced, an injury or near miss occurs, or workers report that the controls are not effective.

A warehouse employee needs to move 20 kg boxes from a delivery pallet at floor level to shelving approximately ten metres away. The task is carried out several times during each shift.

Task

The employee must bend to pick up each box, turn while holding it and carry it to the shelving. The repeated lifting, twisting and carrying distance all increase the risk of injury.

Individual

The task may present different risks depending on the employee’s height, reach, experience and physical capability. New employees may also need instruction in using the available handling equipment.

Load

Each box weighs 20 kg, has no handles and is difficult to grip. Some of the contents may move during handling, making the box unstable.

Environment

The route is narrow and occasionally obstructed by packaging. Part of the floor is uneven, and the boxes must be placed on shelves above shoulder height.

Other factors

A trolley is available, but it is stored in another area and one of its wheels is damaged. Employees are also under pressure to unload deliveries quickly.

What controls could be introduced?

The assessment shows that teaching employees a safer lifting technique would not be enough on its own. The employer could reduce the risk by:

• Asking the supplier to provide smaller or lighter boxes.
• Using a pallet truck or suitable trolley to move the boxes.
• Repairing the uneven floor and damaged trolley.
• Keeping the handling route clear.
• Storing frequently moved boxes between knee and shoulder height.
• Allowing enough time to complete the task safely.
• Providing employees with appropriate information, instruction and training.

This example demonstrates how TILEO helps identify hazards and suitable control measures. The aim is not simply to help someone lift the box more safely, but to redesign the task so that hazardous manual handling is avoided or reduced as far as reasonably practicable.

TILEO is a useful starting point, but it does not measure the level of risk or determine whether existing controls are adequate. A more detailed manual handling assessment may be needed when:

• The task presents a foreseeable risk of injury.
• Loads are heavy, unstable, difficult to grip or handled frequently.
• Workers must bend, twist, reach or lift from an awkward position.
• The task involves long carrying distances or significant pushing or pulling.
• Handling conditions or load weights vary.
• Workers report pain, fatigue or difficulty completing the task.
• An accident, injury or near miss has occurred.
• The task involves team handling.
• Existing controls may no longer be effective.
• The activity has changed or new equipment has been introduced.

Some straightforward, low-risk activities may not require a full written assessment. However, where significant risks are identified, the assessment should be proportionate to the task and record the hazards, people at risk, existing precautions and any further controls required.

The Health and Safety Executive provides several tools for assessing different types of manual handling activity:

• The MAC tool covers lifting, carrying and team handling.
• The V-MAC tool is intended for more complex operations involving variable load weights.
• The RAPP tool covers pushing and pulling activities.
• The ART tool covers repetitive tasks involving the upper limbs.

These tools can help assessors identify higher-risk elements of a task and prioritise improvements. Workers should also be consulted because they often know which parts of an activity are difficult, tiring or impractical.

If you are unsure whether an activity requires a detailed assessment, take a precautionary approach and seek advice from a competent person. The assessment should be reviewed whenever the task changes, an incident occurs or there is reason to believe that the existing controls are no longer effective.