Avoiding Injuries During Lifting at Work

A box does not need to be especially heavy to cause an injury. A poorly placed delivery, a rushed movement, an awkward twist or a load that blocks someone’s view can be enough. Avoiding injuries during lifting is therefore not simply about teaching people to bend their knees. It starts with planning the task properly and giving staff the confidence to stop when a lift is not safe.

For employers, this matters beyond meeting health and safety duties. Manual handling injuries can lead to pain, time away from work, reduced confidence and disruption for the wider team. In schools, care settings, warehouses, offices, retail premises and community organisations, good practice protects people while helping everyday work run more reliably.

Avoiding injuries during lifting starts before the lift

The safest lift is often the one that does not happen. Before asking someone to move an item, consider whether it can be delivered closer to where it is needed, stored at a better height, split into smaller loads or moved using equipment. A trolley, sack truck, pallet truck, wheeled bin or height-adjustable surface may remove much of the risk.

Where handling cannot be avoided, the task should be assessed. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations require employers to avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assess unavoidable tasks and reduce the risk of injury as far as reasonably practicable. This is not a paper exercise. The assessment should reflect the work people genuinely do, including the awkward one-off jobs that arise during busy periods.

A useful way to think about a lift is to consider the task, the individual, the load and the environment. Is the item bulky, unstable, hot, sharp or difficult to hold? Does it need to be carried any distance or placed above shoulder height? Is the route clear, dry and well lit? Does the person have a health condition, injury, pregnancy-related consideration or lack of experience that changes the level of risk?

Conditions can change quickly. A load that is manageable in a clear storeroom may become unsuitable when carried up stairs, through a narrow doorway or across a wet entrance. Staff should know that they can pause and ask for support without feeling they are delaying the job.

Use a safe lifting technique, not a fixed script

There is no single posture that makes every lift safe. The right approach depends on the object, the starting position and where it needs to go. However, a few principles apply to most routine lifting tasks.

Start by getting close to the load, with feet positioned to give a stable base. Test the weight and balance before committing to the lift. Keep the load close to the body where possible, use a secure grip and move smoothly rather than jerking it upwards. Maintain the natural curve of the back and use the legs to help generate force.

Avoid twisting while holding a load. Turn with the feet instead, taking small steps to face the direction of travel. If an item is being moved from floor level to a high shelf, it may be safer to use a step platform, split the task into stages or use handling equipment rather than reaching and lifting in one movement.

The instruction to “lift with your legs” can be helpful, but it is incomplete. Squatting deeply is not always appropriate, particularly in a confined space or when the item starts at a mid-level height. What matters is adopting a stable, comfortable position, keeping the load close and avoiding sudden movement, excessive reaching and twisting.

Putting a load down deserves the same attention as picking it up. Check that fingers and toes are clear, lower the item under control and do not rush to release it. Many minor injuries happen at this final stage, especially when people are working in tight spaces or trying to stack items quickly.

Plan routes and work areas properly

A good lifting technique cannot compensate for a poor environment. Routes should be checked before a load is moved, not while someone is already carrying it. Remove trailing leads, packaging, trip hazards and obstructions. Open doors in advance where practical, and make sure there is enough space to turn without twisting.

Storage design also makes a real difference. Frequently used or heavier items should generally be stored between knee and shoulder height, where they can be accessed with less bending, reaching or overhead work. Heavier goods should not be placed above lighter ones simply because that arrangement looks tidy.

Consider the effect of pace. During deliveries, room set-ups, stock movements or event preparation, people may feel pressure to finish quickly. Rushing encourages shortcuts, particularly when teams are short-staffed. Clear expectations from managers are important: no one should be expected to handle a load alone merely because help is not immediately available.

When team lifting is the right option

Team lifting can reduce the burden on one person, but it is not automatically safer. It introduces coordination risks, particularly if people differ significantly in height or strength, cannot see each other clearly or have not agreed the route and final position.

Before a team lift, decide who will lead the movement and use simple instructions such as “ready”, “lift”, “walk” and “down”. Both people should understand where the load is going and have a secure hold before lifting. If either person needs to stop, they should say so immediately.

For long, wide or unstable objects, equipment may be a better answer than adding more people. A table carried through a busy corridor, for example, can create a collision risk even with several handlers. The best control is the one that reduces the need for people to carry the item at all.

Equipment only helps when it is suitable and used well

Handling aids are valuable, but they need to match the task. A trolley with small wheels may be difficult to use over uneven ground. A sack truck may not be suitable for a large, unstable item. Equipment that is stored in another building, has flat tyres or is routinely blocked in by stock is unlikely to be used when it is needed.

Provide appropriate equipment close to the work, inspect it regularly and make sure staff understand its limits. Wheels and castors should be checked, damaged equipment taken out of use and safe routes maintained. Training should include practical opportunities to use the aids available in that workplace, rather than relying solely on general advice.

Build manual handling into everyday supervision

Formal training is essential, but safer handling is maintained through everyday habits. Supervisors should notice when a task has changed, when a new item has been introduced or when a team is repeatedly improvising a difficult lift. These are signs that the risk assessment or system of work may need reviewing.

Staff also need a clear route for reporting concerns. A near miss, a strained shoulder or a trolley that catches on a threshold may seem minor, yet each can reveal a problem before someone is seriously hurt. Responding constructively encourages reporting and helps build trust.

Refresher training is particularly useful when roles change, equipment is introduced, incidents occur or staff have developed unsafe habits over time. Practical, workplace-relevant manual handling instruction gives people the chance to ask questions about the situations they actually face. It also helps managers understand where changes to layout, equipment or staffing could make the greatest difference.

Make safe decisions easier

The goal is not to make people fearful of lifting. It is to make sound decisions routine: assess the load, clear the route, use equipment, ask for help and stop when the task does not feel right. Good manual handling arrangements recognise that people work under pressure and design the job so that the safe option is also the practical option.

A short pause before a lift can prevent weeks or months of discomfort. When staff feel supported to take that pause, workplace safety becomes something they can apply confidently, not simply a rule to remember during training.