Course and certificate
Manual Handling Awareness (Ireland)
For anyone in Ireland whose work involves lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling, from warehouse, retail and kitchen staff to care workers, cleaners, drivers and the building trades. This course is the theory part only. Eight short lessons in plain English explain the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the General Application Regulations 2007 (Regulations 68 and 69 and Schedule 3), injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, the avoid, assess, reduce approach, the Schedule 3 risk factors and the TILEO memory aid, the HSA's assessment process and guideline figures, lifting and carrying principles, aids, pushing, pulling and team handling, and people handling, followed by a 25-question test. It does not replace the practical, workplace-specific training your employer must arrange.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- Languages
- English, Español, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 8
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 29 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- €12.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Warehouse, logistics and delivery workers
- Retail, hospitality and catering staff who move stock
- Cleaners, caretakers and housekeeping staff
- Care, health and childcare workers (the theory only; people handling needs specialised training)
- Construction, maintenance and manufacturing workers
- Anyone starting a job in Ireland that involves lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling
02Syllabus
- 01What manual handling is and the law in Ireland
- 02Injuries and musculoskeletal disorders
- 03Avoid, assess, reduce
- 04Schedule 3: the risk factors
- 05The assessment process and guideline figures
- 06Lifting and carrying: the principles in theory
- 07Aids, pushing and pulling, and team handling
- 08People handling, training and what your employer must still do
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- HSA Guidance on the Management of Manual Handling in the Workplace (2005)
- HSA Guide to Chapter 4 of Part 2 (2007)
- S.I. No. 299 of 2007, Schedule 3
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
- S.I. No. 299 of 2007, Chapter 4 of Part 2
- HSA Manual Handling Training System FAQs
06Questions
Is manual handling training a legal requirement?
Employers must provide the instruction, training and supervision that workers need to stay safe (Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, sections 8 and 10). The General Application Regulations 2007 (Regulations 68 and 69) also require employers to avoid manual handling where possible, and to assess and reduce the risk where it cannot be avoided. The HSA says training is not mandatory for every worker, but is needed where handling involves a risk, and that it should be specific to the tasks. The law does not name a particular course or certificate.
Is this certificate accredited, or approved by the HSA or QQI?
No. This course is not approved or recognised by the HSA, QQI or any other body. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished this general manual handling awareness course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification and not a QQI award, and your employer decides whether this training meets their needs.
Does this course replace the manual handling training my employer must give me?
No. This course is only the theory. Irish employers' manual handling training normally includes practical, workplace-specific training by a competent instructor, and the HSA recommends that workplace training is delivered by a QQI Level 6 Manual Handling Instructor, with the practical part done live and face to face in the workplace. Your employer must also assess the manual handling in your own job, reduce the risks, give you information on the loads and aids you use, and supervise you. The employer decides what training you need.
Does it make me a manual handling instructor?
No. This course does not give you an instructor qualification, such as the QQI Level 6 Manual Handling Instruction award, and does not prepare you to train others.
Can I learn to lift safely from a website?
You can learn the rules and the ideas, which is what this course does. You cannot learn how to move safely from a screen. The HSA recommends that the practical element of training is done in the workplace, in person, on the real tasks. If you are unsure how to handle a load, stop and ask.
What is the maximum weight I may lift at work?
The Regulations set no single maximum weight. The HSA guidance gives guideline weights as a screening aid for employers, and they are not a safe limit. The risk depends on the whole job: the load, the effort, the place, the activity and the person. If a load is too heavy or awkward for you, stop and ask for an aid or help.
Does the course teach me how to move people, such as patients or residents?
No. Handling people is a specialised topic with its own equipment and its own instructor award. The course explains in outline why it differs from handling objects. If your job involves it, your employer must give you specialised training.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 25-question test in about an hour. You can stop and come back at any time on the same device.
What if I fail the test?
Nothing is charged. You see which lessons to read again and can retake the test as often as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: €12 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How does my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the number on our check page, shows your name, the course and the date you passed.
How long is the certificate valid?
No law sets an expiry date for this kind of awareness training. The HSA recommends refresher manual handling training at intervals of no more than three years, so the certificate shows a renewal date 36 months after you pass. Check what your employer requires.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.