Course and certificate
Manual Handling Awareness
For anyone in the UK whose work involves lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling, from warehouse, shop and kitchen staff to care workers, cleaners, drivers and the building trades. Eight short lessons in plain English explain the Manual Handling Operations Regulations, injuries and musculoskeletal disorders, the avoid, assess, reduce approach, the TILE(O) risk factors, HSE's guideline figures and assessment tools, safe lifting and carrying, pushing, pulling, team handling and aids, and what your employer must still do, followed by a 25-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Български, Español, Italiano, 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
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- £12.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Warehouse, logistics and delivery workers
- Shop, retail and hospitality staff who move stock
- Cleaners, caretakers and housekeeping staff
- Care, health and nursery workers
- Construction, maintenance and manufacturing workers
- Anyone starting a job in the UK that involves lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling
02Syllabus
- 01What manual handling is, and the law behind it
- 02Injuries and musculoskeletal disorders
- 03Avoid, assess, reduce: the employer's duties
- 04TILE(O): finding what makes a job risky
- 05HSE guideline figures and assessment tools
- 06Safe lifting and carrying technique
- 07Pushing, pulling, team handling and lifting aids
- 08Reporting, 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.
- HSE INDG143
- HSE manual handling
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, reg 4
- HSE L23
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, reg 5
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Schedule 1
06Questions
Is manual handling training a legal requirement?
Employers must provide the information, instruction, training and supervision that workers need to stay safe (Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 2), and must train people when they start and when new risks appear (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 13). The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 also require employers to avoid, assess and reduce the risk. The law does not name a particular course or certificate.
Is this certificate accredited?
No. 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 your employer decides whether this training meets their needs.
Does this course replace the training my employer must give me?
No. It teaches the general rules and good habits that apply in any UK workplace. Your employer must still assess the manual handling in your own job, reduce the risks, give you practical hands-on training for the actual loads, aids and equipment you use, and supervise you. A lesson on a website cannot teach you to lift; practical training at work does.
What is the maximum weight I may lift at work?
The law sets no single maximum weight. HSE gives guideline figures as a screening aid for employers, and they are not a safe limit. The risk depends on the whole job: the task, the load, the place, the person and other factors. If a load is too heavy or awkward for you, stop and ask for an aid or help.
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?
The law sets no expiry date. Refresher training about every three years is common practice, so the certificate shows a renewal date three years after you pass.
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.