Work Activities · 5 checks

Manual Handling
safety audit checklist

Lifting technique, mechanical aids, team lifts.

Every check below says what good looks like, when it passes, the regulation or HSE guidance it rests on and the defects that usually fail it. Critical checks are marked: a fail on one of those stops the activity.

  1. 1.
    Manual handling assessments available for heavy tasks
    What to look forWritten assessment using HSE MAC tool (Manual handling Assessment Charts) or equivalent for any task involving repetitive or heavy lifting. Considers Task, Individual, Load, Environment (TILE). Specific to the operation, not generic. Operatives briefed on findings.
    Acceptable whenManual Handling Operations Regs 1992 (as amended 2002) Reg 4, avoid where reasonably practicable; assess where unavoidable; reduce to lowest level reasonably practicable. HSE Guideline weights: 25kg male / 16kg female at waist, less above/below.
    StandardManual Handling Operations Regs 1992 + 2002 amendment. L23, ACOP. INDG143, Getting to grips with manual handling. HSE MAC tool.
    Common defectsGeneric assessment, never reviewed for actual taskOperatives unaware assessment existsGuideline weights exceeded with no further controlsNo consideration of repetitive handling cumulative effectFemale / smaller operatives expected to lift same as 25kg male limit
  2. 2.
    Mechanical aids provided and being used
    What to look forPallet trucks, sack trolleys, kerb lifters, brick tongs, vacuum lifters, telehandlers, conveyors as appropriate to load. Aids in serviceable condition (wheels, tyres, hydraulics). Operatives trained. Designated path for aids, surfaces firm and even. Aids used by default, not as backup when manual fails.
    Acceptable whenManual Handling Ops Regs 1992, avoidance hierarchy: first eliminate, then mechanise. PUWER 1998 for the equipment. LOLER 1998 for any aid that lifts. Operator competence per equipment type.
    StandardManual Handling Ops Regs 1992. PUWER 1998. LOLER 1998. INDG143.
    Common defectsMechanical aid available but operatives bypass itPallet truck punctured / not maintainedSurface unsuitable for wheels, operatives revert to manualTelehandler operator without CPCS/NPORSAids stored 200m from work face, too far to fetch
  3. 3.
    Team lifts observed for loads over 25kg
    What to look forTwo-person lift used for loads >25kg (or smaller for awkward shapes). Briefed who counts in/out. Compatible heights. Both lifting from same posture (e.g. squat together, stand together). Three-person lifts for very heavy/long. Mechanical aid still preferred over team lift.
    Acceptable whenManual Handling Ops Regs 1992. HSE guidance, two-person lift not 2x capacity (typically 2/3 of sum due to coordination). 25kg HSE guideline single-person, but always task-assess. Team lifts briefed.
    StandardManual Handling Ops Regs 1992. L23 ACOP. INDG143.
    Common defectsSingle-person lift of 30+kg load, back injury riskTeam lift uncoordinated, load drops on lower personMismatched heights, load tilts and is unstableLong awkward load (e.g. window) lifted by two when three neededLoad drop in middle when no count-in-count-out
  4. 4.
    No operatives carrying loads up/down ladders
    What to look forThree points of contact maintained on ladders, no carrying. Materials raised by hoist, gin wheel, telehandler, or via stair tower. Tool belts/holsters for small items only. If ladder unavoidable for tools, free-running rope and bag from above.
    Acceptable whenWork at Height Regs 2005 + Manual Handling Ops Regs 1992. INDG402, three points of contact required on ladders. Lifting materials by hand up ladder is non-compliant.
    StandardWork at Height Regs 2005 Schedule 6. Manual Handling Ops Regs 1992. INDG402.
    Common defectsOperatives carrying buckets / kit boxes up ladderNo hoist or rope provided, manual carry defaultTool belt overloaded, operative imbalancedStair tower not provided despite scaffold lifts in regular use
  5. 5.
    Storage at waist height where practical
    What to look forHeaviest stock at waist height (600-1100mm). Light items above shoulder. Ground-level storage minimised. No overhead reaching for heavy. Bricks/blocks at face of wall raised on bandstand. Materials issued to point of use rather than stockpiled at remote store.
    Acceptable whenManual Handling Ops Regs 1992. HSE Guideline weights reduce above shoulder (e.g. 10kg vs 25kg waist). Storage layout designed to keep regular handling within waist-shoulder zone.
    StandardManual Handling Ops Regs 1992. L23. INDG143.
    Common defectsHeavy items stored at floor level, repeated stoop liftsHeavy items stored above shoulder, reaching with weightNo bandstand, bricklayer bending repeatedlyMaterials drop-shipped at site entrance, multiple manual handles to point of useLong horizontal carries, fatigue + secondary injury

Questions people ask

How often should a manual handling audit be done?

Weekly is the common rhythm for a live site, plus whenever the work, the plant or the people change and after any incident or near miss. What matters is that it is scored, recorded, dated and the actions are closed out, not the exact frequency. Guidance, not legal advice.

What is the difference between a safety audit and an inspection?

An inspection looks at the site. An audit checks the system as well: is the paperwork there, do the people know it, is what was promised actually happening. On a small site the words blur, and that is fine. The checks below cover both.

What happens with a failed item?

A corrective action with an owner and a date, and a photo of the fail so nobody argues later. Where a check is marked critical, a fail stops that activity until it is put right.

Who should carry out the audit?

A competent person, and where possible not the person whose work is being looked at. The site manager auditing the site manager's housekeeping is better than nothing, but a visiting supervisor or the SHEQ lead sees what the regular eye has stopped noticing.

Is a site safety audit a legal requirement?

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require arrangements for monitoring your health and safety measures (regulation 5), and CDM 2015 requires every contractor to plan, manage and monitor the work under their control (regulation 15). A recorded, scored audit is how you show that is happening. Guidance, not legal advice.

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