Common Workplace Manual Handling Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Manual handling injuries are possibly among the most common causes of harm in UK workplaces, and most of them are preventable with the right training and controls. Even a single accident during a lift can leave a worker off sick for weeks. Manual handling means transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force. It includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving loads. A load can be anything from a single object to a person or animal. Because manual handling activities appear in almost every industry, a manual handling course is an absolute necessity for most industries that require some kind of physical work and there’s a good reason why. 

Key points

• handling, lifting and carrying account for 17% of all non-fatal workplace injuries reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• back injuries, sprains, hernias and musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common types of manual handling injuries
• employers must avoid, assess and reduce the risk of manual handling injuries under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; and
• formal training, such as the Astutis IIRSM Approved Manual Handling Course, teaches workers safe lifting techniques and how to complete a manual handling risk assessment.

How Many Manual Handling Injuries Happen at Work and Why?

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), handling, lifting, and carrying are some of the  most common workplace accidents . They accounted for 17% of non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2022/23. Many manual handling injuries occur because of poor training, poor liting technique and an incomplete understanding of the dangers involved. More generally, employers and employees often need to better understand who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace .

We recognise the need to address manual handling risks, which is why we developed the Astutis IIRSM Approved Manual Handling Course  to help drive down the number of manual handling injuries by providing comprehensive training for workers involved in manual handling activities.

It received approval from the International Institute of Risk & Safety Management (IIRSM) because it provides both theoretical knowledge and practical application in the workplace. By addressing legal obligations, providing insights into anatomy and biomechanics, and offering hands-on training in safe lifting techniques, the course contributes to creating workplaces where manual handling is not a risk, but a mastered skill.

Manual Handling Injury Statistics

The scale of the problem is easy to underestimate until you look at the manual handling injury statistics. RIDDOR data shows that handling, lifting and carrying consistently sit among the leading causes of workplace injuries year after year, alongside slips, trips and falls from height. Many of these are manual handling accidents that could have been avoided with a proper risk assessment, better equipment or clearer instruction, rather than genuinely unavoidable mishaps. A manual handling accident does not need a dramatic cause: an awkward grip or a rushed lift is often enough.

Not every one of these manual handling incidents makes it into the official figures, either. Sprains, strains and other soft-tissue injuries are frequently under-reported because workers assume they will simply recover, even though repeated minor accidents at work of this kind often add up to long-term musculoskeletal disorders. That pattern is one of the strongest arguments for prevention over cure: many injuries never need to happen at all if the right controls are in place before a lift begins.

Most Common Workplace Manual Handling Injuries

While there are several common types of manual handling injuries, it is important to remember that there are potential mitigations that can be implemented to protect workers:

Back Injuries

Ranging from muscle strains to more severe issues like slipped discs. Back pain is one of the most frequently reported manual handling injuries among workers. Prevention methods include:

• Training: Proper training in lifting techniques, emphasising lifting with the legs, not the back.
• Use of Equipment: Use lifting aids like trolleys, forklifts, or hoists for heavy loads.
• Team lifting: When possible, team lifting can distribute the load and reduce strain on any one individual.

Poor lifting technique, combined with poor posture at a desk or workstation between tasks, is one of the biggest contributors to chronic back pain in physically damaging roles. A single back injury from an otherwise remarkable accident can put a worker out of action for weeks.

Strains and Sprains

These injuries occur when muscles or ligaments are stretched or torn. They can happen in any part of the body but are most common in the back, shoulders, and wrists. Prevention methods include:

• Stretching: Encourage employees to stretch before and after lifting or carrying loads.
• Proper posture: Maintain a straight back and avoid twisting motions while lifting.
• Breaks: Allow employees to take regular breaks to avoid fatigue.

Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps can occur due to overexertion or holding a position for too long. Prevention methods include:

• Warm-up: Ensure muscles are warmed up before engaging in heavy lifting tasks. Some examples include shrugs, shoulder rolls, arm circles and bodyweight squats.
• Hydration: Maintain proper hydration levels, as dehydration can contribute to muscle cramps.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs)

These injuries occur due to repetitive movements over time, leading to strain on muscles and tendons. Prevention methods include:

• Job Rotation: Rotate employees through different tasks to vary the strain on muscles and reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
• Ergonomic Equipment: Provide ergonomic tools and equipment that reduce strain on muscles and joints.
• Regular Breaks: Encourage employees to take regular breaks to rest and stretch muscles.

Crush Injuries

These injuries occur when body parts are caught between objects or crushed by heavy loads. Prevention methods include:

• Proper storage: Store heavy items at waist height to reduce the risk of items falling and causing crush injuries.
• Use of guards: Use guards and barriers to prevent contact with moving machinery or equipment.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Wear appropriate PPE, such as steel-toed boots, to protect against crush injuries.

Hand Injuries, Shoulder Injuries, and Foot Injuries

Hand injuries, shoulder injuries and foot injuries are common types of manual handling injuries that are often overlooked in favour of back pain, yet they can be just as disabling. Hand injuries typically occur from gripping sharp, rough or unstable loads, while shoulder injuries build up from repeatedly lifting above waist height or reaching to carry a load. Foot injuries usually happen when a load is dropped or when workers slip while carrying something heavy.

Prevention for all three follows a similar pattern: use the correct PPE, including gloves and protective footwear: keep loads close to the body rather than held out at arm's length; and use a trolley or other aid rather than carrying a load that is awkward to grip.

Neck Injuries and Trip and Fall Injuries

Neck injuries commonly result from awkward carrying positions, twisting the neck to see around a load or holding an unbalanced weight for too long. Trip and fall injuries, meanwhile are often a manual handling problem in disguise; a worker carrying a load cannot see the floor ahead of them as clearly, and cluttered walkways or trailing cables turn an ordinary trip into an accident at work.

Clear walkways, good lighting and loads that do not obstruct the carrier's view all reduce the risk of both neck injuries and trip and fall injuries at the same time.

Hernias and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Hernias occur when an organ or tissue pushes through a weak point in the surrounding muscle, most often in the abdomen, and repeated heavy lifting is one of the recognised triggers. Left unaddressed, hernias generally need surgical repair rather than simply resolving on their own.

More broadly, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) cover a wide range of conditions affecting the muscles, joints and connective tissue, including chronic back pain, limb disorders and long-term joint damage. MSDs rarely result from a single incident: they usually build up gradually from repeating poor lifting, awkward postures and insufficient recovery time between tasks, which is exactly why prevention has to be built into everyday working practices rather than treated as a one-off exercise.

Preventing manual handling injuries requires a combination of proper training,  ergonomic practices , the use of appropriate equipment and fostering a culture of safety in the workplace. Regular  risk assessments and employee feedback can also help identify potential hazards and implement effective prevention measures.

Manual Handling Risk Assessment

Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from manual handling injuries under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR), the main piece of UK legislation covering this area. The regulations set out a clear hierarchy: employers must avoid hazardous manual handling operations as far as reasonably practicable, assess the risk of any manual handling operations that cannot be avoided, and reduce that risk to the lowest level reasonably practicable.

A proper manual handling risk assessment looks at four things: the task itself, including posture, distance and how often it is repeated; the load, including its weight, shape and stability; the working environment, including floor surfaces, lighting and available space, and the individual worker's capability, including strength, fitness and any relevant medical history. There is no single legal weight limit that makes a lift automatically safe. HSE guidance offers weight and posture benchmarks to help identify high-risk tasks, but every load and every workers still needs a proper assessment rather than a rule of thumb. 

Once high-risk tasks are identified, safe lifting comes down to applying the right manual handling techniques consistently: planning the route before starting, keeping the load close to the body, bending the knees rather than the back and avoiding twisting while carrying. Where a task cannot be made safe through technique alone, mechanical aids, team lifting or redesigning the task altogether should be considered before anyone is asked to carry out the work.

Manual Handling Course Syllabus

The  Astutis IIRSM Approved Manual Handling course is divided into four detailed areas:

• Safe Handling Techniques.
• Risk Assessment.
• Manual Handling for Trainers.
• Manual Handling for Assessors and Trainers.

In each of these areas, the following topics are covered:

Introduction to Manual Handling : The course begins by building a foundational understanding of manual handling, emphasising the importance of safe practices in various work environments. Participants gain insights into the risks associated with manual handling and the potential consequences of poor practices.

Legal Frameworks and Compliance: Navigating the legal landscape is crucial for organisations and individuals involved in manual handling. Doing your due diligence from a legal perspective is paramount. Learners will explore the manual handling operations regulations and compliance requirements related to manual handling, ensuring that participants understand the legal obligations and standards that shape their practices.

Anatomy and Biomechanics: Understanding the human body's mechanics is pivotal for safe manual handling. Learners will delve into the biomechanics relevant to manual handling tasks, providing participants with insights into how the body functions during lifting, carrying, and other activities.

Manual Handling Risk Assessment: Effective risk assessment is a cornerstone of manual handling safety. This module explores methodologies for assessing manual handling risks, empowering participants to identify potential hazards, evaluate the associated risks, and implement mitigation measures.

Safe Lifting Techniques: Practical skills in safe lifting are central to the course. Participants learn the proper techniques for lifting, lowering, pushing, and pulling objects, ensuring that manual handling tasks are executed with minimal strain on the body and reduced risk of injury.

Use of Manual Handling Aids: In some instances, manual handling aids can significantly reduce the risk of injury. This module provides insights into the types of manual handling aids available and instructs participants on their correct usage, contributing to more efficient and safer manual handling practices.

Ergonomics in Manual Handling: Understanding ergonomics is crucial for preventing musculoskeletal disorders. This module explores ergonomic principles, guiding participants on how to design workstations and tasks to fit the capabilities and limitations of the human body.

Practical Application and Assessment: The course culminates in a practical application and assessment module. Participants engage in simulated manual handling scenarios, applying the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course. The assessment ensures that individuals can demonstrate their understanding of safe manual handling practices.

Manual Handling Training for Businesses

As we have mentioned, organisations' first and foremost priority should be investing in quality training for the workforce. The  Astutis IIRSM Approved Manual Handling course empowers employees to navigate manual handling challenges safely, ensuring a workplace where every lift is managed and executed in the correct way. Upon completing the course, learners will be able to:

• Identify and understand types of injuries caused by manual handling.
• Summarise the legal responsibilities of both the employer and their fellow employees.
• Plan and carry out manual handling tasks safely using the best possible practices they learnt through practical application and theoretical learning.

The course below is for any employees working in any sector who may be required to lift and move items as part of their day-to-day.