Why Manual Handling Training Is Important

Why manual handling training is important, argued from obligation rather than injury prevention, comes down to a duty most employers can state and few can evidence.

Work health and safety law requires a person conducting a business to provide the information, training, instruction and supervision necessary to protect workers from risks. Manual handling falls squarely within it wherever the work involves hazardous manual tasks.

What that means practically is that the training has to exist, be relevant to the actual tasks people perform, reach everyone including casuals and contractors, and be documented well enough to produce on request.

The gap is usually in the last two. Training happened, the record covers permanent staff only, and the content does not resemble the work actually being done.

Safe Work Australia sets out the duty. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s manual handling course and records management software.