What is this document?
INDG383 is the HSE's Manual Handling Assessment Charts tool, commonly known as the MAC tool. It provides a structured method for assessing the risks of manual handling activities including lifting, carrying, and team handling operations.
The tool uses numerical scores and colour coding to help you identify high-risk tasks and prioritise where improvements are needed most. It reflects the latest scientific understanding of manual handling risks while remaining practical to use.
Who needs to read this?
- Employers with workers performing manual handling tasks
- Health and safety managers assessing manual handling risks
- Safety representatives evaluating workplace activities
- Care providers handling patients or residents
- Warehouse and logistics managers overseeing goods handling
- Manufacturing supervisors responsible for production line tasks
Key points covered
The MAC tool guides you through assessing:
- Lifting operations including weight, posture, grip, and floor conditions
- Carrying operations considering distance, obstacles, and asymmetric loads
- Team handling where two or more people lift or carry together
- Risk factors such as load weight, hand distance from body, and twisting movements
- Scoring system using numerical values and green, amber, red, and purple colour bands
- Documenting findings on the scoresheet with space for control measures
How this applies to you
Start by observing the manual handling tasks in your workplace. Use the MAC tool to assess each task systematically, considering the risk factors for each type of operation.
The colour coding helps you understand the urgency of action needed:
- Green indicates low risk requiring no action
- Amber suggests medium risk where improvements should be considered
- Red highlights high risk requiring action fairly soon
- Purple indicates very high risk requiring action as soon as possible
The updated version includes screening questions to help you identify which tasks need full assessment. This saves time by filtering out clearly low-risk activities.
Record your assessments and the control measures you put in place. Review them when tasks change or workers report problems.
For guidance on pushing and pulling tasks, see INDG478 covering the RAPP tool. Information on selecting handling aids can be found in INDG398. For upper limb disorders from repetitive work, refer to INDG171.