What is this document?
INDG478 is the HSE's Risk Assessment of Pushing and Pulling tool, known as the RAPP tool. It helps you identify high-risk pushing and pulling operations in your workplace and evaluate whether your control measures are effective.
Pushing and pulling tasks are common causes of musculoskeletal injuries but are often overlooked in manual handling assessments that focus mainly on lifting. The RAPP tool addresses this gap with a structured assessment approach.
Who needs to read this?
- Employers with workers performing pushing and pulling tasks
- Health and safety managers assessing manual handling risks
- Warehouse and logistics managers overseeing trolley and pallet truck use
- Retail managers with stock movement activities
- Hospital and care facility managers managing bed and equipment movement
- Manufacturing supervisors with material transport operations
Key points covered
The RAPP tool covers two main categories of pushing and pulling:
Wheeled equipment operations:
- Hand trolleys and carts
- Pump trucks and pallet jacks
- Wheelbarrows
- Roll cages
Non-wheeled operations:
- Dragging loads across surfaces
- Sliding objects
- Churning (pivoting and rolling)
- Rolling cylindrical loads
Each assessment type includes:
- Flow charts showing the evaluation process
- Risk factor guidance explaining what affects the level of risk
- Scoring sheets for recording findings and control measures
How this applies to you
Identify the pushing and pulling tasks performed in your workplace. Consider both obvious activities like using trolleys and less obvious ones like dragging equipment or sliding heavy items.
Use the appropriate RAPP assessment for each task type. The flow charts guide you through evaluating factors such as load weight, pushing force required, floor conditions, distance travelled, and posture.
Common risk factors for wheeled equipment include poor floor surfaces, inadequate wheel maintenance, heavy loads, and slopes or ramps. For non-wheeled operations, consider floor friction, load stability, and whether workers need to adopt awkward postures.
Document your assessments and the controls you put in place. Review them when tasks change, new equipment is introduced, or workers report problems.
For lifting and carrying assessments, see INDG383 covering the MAC tool. Information on selecting handling equipment is available in INDG398. For broader manual handling guidance, refer to our manual handling topic guide.