Workplace manual handling is one of the biggest drivers of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Australia, and safety and training managers are pivotal in turning the tide. In 2022–23, Safe Work Australia Data (preliminary), “Body stressing”, which includes many workplace manual handling injuries, accounted for 32.7% of serious workers’ compensation claims nationally, underscoring both the scale of the issue and the opportunity for prevention.
Why Workplace Manual Handling Demands a Design-First Approach
Workplace manual handling covers lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, holding or restraining objects, people or animals. Australian regulators classify hazardous manual tasks by the postures, forces, movements and vibration that can cause MSDs, and they expect PCBUs to identify and manage those risks systematically, not rely on slogans about “lifting with your knees.”
Read our article, Safe Manual Handling: Have We Got It Wrong?
The Legal Basics for Workplace Manual Handling
Under the Model WHS Act (s19), a PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, workers’ health and safety includes safe systems of work for workplace manual handling. The Model WHS Regulations, Part 4.2 (Hazardous manual tasks), require duty holders to identify hazardous manual tasks, assess risks, and eliminate or minimise them; the Model Code of Practice explains how to apply that risk process in practice.
There is No Single “Safe Weight”
Managers often ask for a maximum lifting weight, but Australia uses a risk-based approach rather than a fixed kilogram limit. Jurisdictions explicitly state there’s no universal safe weight because risk depends on factors like posture, reach, frequency, and environment, so focus on redesign and mechanical assistance rather than numeric thresholds alone.
What the Research Really Says About Workplace Manual Handling Training
Decades of research, including Cochrane reviews, show that teaching “how to lift” or generic technique training does not prevent low back pain on its own. Australian regulators (via HWSA) have adopted this stance: don’t rely on “how to lift” training as the primary control for hazardous manual tasks. Training is still essential, but for using controls and equipment correctly, not as the sole safeguard.
Effective Controls (With Examples)
In workplace manual handling, prioritise controls that change the task, tools or environment. Below are some proven strategies you can adapt:
1) Eliminate or Substitute the Task
Redesign workflows so heavy items aren’t moved at all (e.g., direct-to-line delivery instead of storeroom double-handling). In healthcare, “no-lift” policies with patient handling equipment substitute high-risk manual transfers. These elimination/substitution steps remove the exposure inherent in workplace manual handling.
2) Engineering Controls
Use devices that bear the load: powered pallet jacks, tugs, conveyors, vacuum lifters, turntables, height-adjustable trolleys, and scissor-lift tables. In workplace manual handling, raising work to between mid-thigh and elbow height reduces trunk flexion and force, often the single biggest win you can buy.
3) Administrative Controls
Set mechanical-assist triggers (e.g., “>12 kg or <mid-thigh height requires device/second person”), redesign rosters to avoid peak-load spikes, and use job rotation thoughtfully to avoid adding cumulative exposure. These measures help control patterns that aggravate workplace manual handling risks.
4) Procurement and Packaging
Write ergonomics requirements into contracts: specify maximum carton weights, handholds, stable packaging, and pallet heights that keep loads within safe reach. This upstream leverage prevents high-risk workplace manual handling from arriving at your gate.
Training that Actually Helps
Shift training to hazard awareness, use of mechanical aids, and safe work procedures created from your risk assessments. Avoid stand-alone “lifting technique” refreshers; instead, teach staff to recognise early risk indicators (awkward reach, fast pace, sustained bend) and to choose the right device for the job in workplace manual handling.
See our courses, Safe Manual Handling, Manual Handling in the Warehouse, Manual Handling in Aged Care, Manual Handling Materials, Hand-Picking Stock, Hand Excavation, and Hazard Identification.
Building a Practical, Defensible Program for Workplace Manual Handling
Use the risk management cycle from the Code of Practice as your blueprint: identify, assess, control, and review. For workplace manual handling, start with targeted walk-throughs of tasks with recurring MSD symptoms or high turnover, then analyse posture + force + repetition to prioritise fixes.
Step 1: Identify Hazardous Tasks
Pull data from incident reports, claims, first-aid logs and worker input. Worker consultation is a legal requirement and often reveals quick wins for workplace manual handling (e.g., moving a frequently used item from floor level to waist height).
Step 2: Assess Risks
Use simple tools (e.g., task observation checklists) to rate posture, force, duration and pace. For workplace manual handling, video short task snippets to see hidden twists, reaches and pauses.
Step 3: Control Risks using the Hierarchy
Trial engineering options with end users, document SOPs, and build device availability into your scheduling so the control is always at hand for workplace manual handling.
Step 4: Review and Verify
Check that controls are used and effective. For workplace manual handling, monitor both lead indicators (e.g., % of deliveries moved by powered equipment; number of high-reach picks eliminated) and lag indicators (injury rates, claims profile).
Read our article, Manual Handling Injuries Are a Top Safety Theme.
See our course to train and refresh the Hierarchy of Controls.
What about Exoskeletons and “New Tech”?
Early studies on industrial exoskeletons indicate potential to reduce peak loads in certain tasks; however, the results are mixed and context-dependent. Treat them as supplementary, never a substitute for elimination and engineering controls, in your workplace manual handling program.
Sector-Specific Quick Wins
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Warehousing & Retail: Break down pallets to safe heights; require powered movement beyond set distances; spec lighter cartons; add roller conveyors at docks to reduce carrying in workplace manual handling.
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Healthcare & Aged Care: Maintain a no-lift approach with hoists/slide sheets; standardise patient transfer assessments; embed two-person protocols where needed in workplace manual handling.
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Construction: Plan crane/dogging so materials arrive close to point-of-use; avoid floor-level storage; use material lifts for plaster/steel to tackle workplace manual handling risks.
Measuring Success in Workplace Manual Handling
Tie your plan to business outcomes. For workplace manual handling, track reductions in high-risk postures, device utilisation, and time lost to MSDs. Remember that improvement cycles are iterative; each change should make the task easier to do right than wrong.
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Anchor workplace manual handling programs in law and code: PCBU primary duty (WHS Act s19), WHS Regulations Part 4.2, and the Model Code’s risk process.
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Don’t chase “perfect technique”: research and HWSA guidance say technique training alone doesn’t prevent injuries in workplace manual handling. Invest in redesign and devices.
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Use data to focus effort: “Body stressing” accounts for the largest share of serious claims, so your ROI is highest here for workplace manual handling.
By leading with design, backed by Australian legislation and robust evidence, you’ll cut risk, claims and fatigue, while making workplace manual handling safer, faster and easier for your people.