Templates / Manual Handling Assessment
Manual Handling Assessment
The Manual Handling Assessment is designed to be quick to complete and easy to adapt to your own workplace. Start from the template rather than a blank page, tailor the hazards, controls and responsibilities to your site, and keep a completed copy on file as evidence that the right checks were made.
Download the template
The PDF is free once you have an account. The editable Word file is included too, so you can adapt and issue it under your own document control.
Every template is a starting point, not a finished document. Replace the headings and fields with your own project detail before you issue it.
An assessment template for manual handling and lifting tasks.
A manual handling risk assessment based on the task, individual, load and environment approach.
About this template
How it links to the standards
The equipment and controls this template asks you to record are governed by published standards that define what each item must withstand and how it is tested. These are the ones that apply most directly:
- EN 388 — gloves against mechanical risks
- EN ISO 20345 — safety footwear
The full EN standards library covers every standard referenced across SafetyOrbit.
Related guidance
Filling the template in is easier when you know the reasoning behind each control. These notes cover the practical detail:
- Warehouse and Logistics — the full technique-note library for this kind of work
- Back Support and Safe Lifting Technique
- Manual Handling Gloves and Cut Protection for Logistics
- Brash and Debris Handling: Manual Handling Risks in Grounds Work
Task, individual, load and environment are all assessed together.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Manual Handling Assessment template cover?
A risk assessment based on the task, individual, load and environment approach, looking at all four factors together rather than the load alone.
Why assess the individual, not just the load being handled?
The same load can present very different risk depending on the person's capability, training and any relevant health considerations, so the assessment considers the individual alongside the task.
What environmental factors matter in a manual handling assessment?
Floor surface, lighting, space to manoeuvre and temperature can all affect how safely a handling task can be carried out, independent of the load itself.
What should happen if the assessment identifies unacceptable risk?
The task should be redesigned, mechanised or otherwise controlled to reduce the risk, following the hierarchy of control rather than relying on technique alone.