Manual handling guide


The HSE has published a revised edition of its guidance on the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (L23). The fourth edition has been restructured into four colour-coded parts, with the regulations and brief guidance in part 1 and more detailed guidance to help carry out risk assessments and control risks in Parts 2-4. However, the full risk assessment checklists are now online only and do not appear in the book. 


It has also published a new risk assessment of pushing and pulling (RAPP) tool. Targeted at safety reps as well as employers and managers, this aims to help identify high-risk pushing and pulling operations and to check the effectiveness of any risk-reduction measures. The RAPP tool can be used for assessing moving loads on wheeled equipment, such as hand trolleys, carts or wheelbarrows, and moving loads without wheels, which might involve actions such as dragging/sliding, churning and rolling. 


The new edition is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l23.pdf

The RAPP tool is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg478.pdf

Risk assessment checklists available at: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ck5.pdf