Manual handling injuries are the single largest cause of workplace absence in the UK. They rarely come from one dramatic lift — they build up from repeated handling that was never properly assessed.
What this calculator does
It works through the same factors a manual handling risk assessment does, and tells you where your arrangements are likely to fall short of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
It covers:
- Whether an assessment exists, when it was last reviewed, and whether the work has changed since
- The heaviest load routinely handled by one person, against the guideline figures
- Task factors — twisting, stooping, reaching, repetition, carrying distance
- The working environment — space, floors, lighting, temperature
- Whether handling equipment is provided, and whether it is inspected and maintained
- Training, and whether it reached the people actually doing the handling
- Workers at greater risk, including new and expectant mothers and young workers
The order that matters
The Regulations set out a sequence, and it is the part most often got backwards:
- Avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable
- Assess what cannot be avoided
- Reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable
Training comes last, not first. A common finding is an employer who has trained everyone in lifting technique but never asked whether the lift needed to happen at all.
What you get
A summary of what applies to your situation and where the gaps are, with the relevant duty explained. It is guidance on your arrangements, not a substitute for a written assessment.