Manual Handling Risk Assessment Checklist

There is no single number. The assessment asks you to record maximum load weight, lifting frequency, and transport distance, then weigh these against task, load, environment, individual, PPE, and work organization factors. The combination matters: a small load handled repeatedly with twisting, in poor light, without adequate recovery time can present more risk than a single heavy lift performed with good technique and support.

The task section covers postures and movement — holding loads away from the torso, twisting, bending or stooping, reaching upward, vertical movement, long carrying distances, and strenuous pushing or pulling — as well as unpredictability, repetitive handling, insufficient rest, and work pace imposed by a process or machinery. The load section covers whether a load is excessively heavy, bulky, difficult to grip, unstable or shifting, or inherently harmful. The environment section covers restrictions on posture or movement, uneven or slippery floors, changes in floor level, extreme temperature or humidity, strong air currents, and inadequate lighting. A good assessment also checks whether the task demands unusual strength, whether it poses particular risk to workers with existing conditions, to pregnant workers, or to new, inexperienced, and young workers, whether special training is required, and whether clothing or PPE hinders movement or whether the right PPE is in use. Finally, the work organization section looks at scheduling and rest breaks, communication between management and workers, sudden or seasonal workload changes, and whether workers feel they have received sufficient training and information.

Start by recording the pre-assessment details: date, who prepared the assessment, location, task name, a detailed description of the task, maximum load weight, lifting frequency, transport distance, and the personnel involved. Work through the task-related factors, load characteristics, working environment, individual capability, PPE, and work organization honestly, choosing the rating — Low Risk, Medium Risk, High Risk, or N/A — that reflects what you actually see and hear, not the rating you would prefer. Document the hazards you identify with photographs and detailed annotations so the areas of concern are clear to anyone reading the record later. Assign corrective actions to designated personnel or teams with a deadline for review, then sign, close out the assessment, and record the real start and end dates. Remember that the assessment informs the work; it does not replace the step where you sit down with the people who do the task and agree on what will change.

Train workers to recognise and mitigate manual handling hazards. Where moving a load manually cannot be eliminated or replaced with mechanical assistance, design the task so it stays within safe limits, and provide handling aids where they will genuinely help. The assessment supports that work by giving you a structured way to test each task against the factors that cause injury, to record what you found, and to track what was done about it.

Keep the completed assessments with your other health and safety records, and revisit them when the task, the load, the environment, or the people doing the work change. The closing items on this checklist — the overall risk rating, the summary of findings and recommended actions, the signature, and the real start and end times and dates — give you a dated record that shows what was assessed, what was found, and who took responsibility for it. That record is useful both for demonstrating due diligence and for spotting recurring problems that need a more fundamental fix.