Manual handling is the transporting or supporting of a load by one or more employees and includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving. Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (SI 299/2007), the specific duties apply where the activity, because of the load or unfavourable ergonomic conditions, involves risk, particularly of back injury. Employers must first seek to avoid the need for hazardous manual handling and, where it cannot be avoided, assess and reduce the risk. HSA guidance says workplace manual handling training should be delivered by an instructor who holds the QQI Level 6 Manual Handling Instruction award; this instructor qualification does not make an ordinary employee course a QQI Level 6 award.
Training is one part of manual handling risk management; it does not replace avoiding hazardous handling, using mechanical equipment, redesigning work or implementing other controls identified by the risk assessment.
The HSA says there is no fixed legal refresher interval. Its training-system guidance recommends refresher training at intervals of not more than three years, and when work practices, equipment or the work area change in a way that affects manual handling.
Whether training is needed depends on the task and its risk, not the job title alone. Course content and practical instruction should be relevant to the handling procedures employees actually perform.
Reviewed by our specialist ergonomics team. Last updated 11 June 2026.
Related