Online Manual Handling Training

Course last updated: Jan 2023

Manual handling is a mandatory health and safety training, and it’s the employer’s legal responsibility to provide it to all UK employees.

Ensure your employees are properly trained with our Online Manual Handling Course. At £9.99 for an individual course, £6.49 if you buy 10 or more, and just £4.99 for bulk orders of 50 or over, you won’t find better value elsewhere.

otavs logo

Course duration: Between 1 and 1 ½ hrs depending on learning speed.

Course format: Three video training modules, with a multiple-choice section at the end of each module.

Course outcome: On completion, your training certificate is valid for three years and is recognised by local authorities and corporate employers throughout the UK.

All successful candidates are entered on the national training register and certificates can be verified by employers or others to prove that they are genuine, by clicking Validate a Certificate and typing in the certificate number.

Download a free manual handling poster for your workplace here.

Online manual handling course overview

This online manual handling training course covers essential disciplines that everyone should undertake to understand and master correct manual handling techniques. Everybody has to manually handle things at work, and with 1 in 3 workplace injuries being a direct result of poor manual handling, staff must receive the correct training. In this manual handling course we cover:

  • Risks and hazards associated with manual handling and the importance of correct handling techniques (find out more about manual handling risk factors in one of our recent blogs).
  • What The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Act is, and why it was introduced.
  • The importance of correct manual handling, the accident rates and types of injuries sustained.
  • Correct lifting and handling techniques.
  • The importance of choosing the correct mechanical aids if required, knowing their safe working limits, and the basic visual checks to carry out before use.
  • Postural awareness, how the spine works, and how injuries can occur.

Our online manual handling course is designed to be an intuitive schooling platform that is suitable for all learners. It teaches the risks, hazards, and importance of correct handling techniques in an informative and engaging way. The learning modules and key points are in bite-sized durations to promote memory retention and recall. Each section of the manual handling course is directly followed by a multiple-choice segment relevant to the preceding instruction.

  • Available online 24/7.
  • The course is accessible on all devices, including mobiles and iPads.
  • 85% first-time pass rate.
  • Unlimited access to the course material and free resits if you fail any of the modules.
  • Certificate of Training available as an instant download upon successful completion of the course.

For ease of use, the manual handling training course is split into three modules with a Q&A multiple-choice section at the end of each module.

The pass rate for each module is 85% and you have to pass each module to move on to the next.

If you don't pass a module the first time, you are given as much access to the course material as you need to meet the required standard.

Once you have completed the course, you will have instant access to your training certificate which is recognised by Environmental Health Officers and local authorities.

Your Manual Handling training certificate is valid for three years.

At HSE Docs, we have over twenty years of experience in health and safety, and we’ve used our knowledge to design a series of in-depth training courses. For just £4.99, you will gain lifetime access to the course content, including free updates, alongside a valid certificate to last up to three years once you complete the course.

  • Our online manual handling course is intended to be an easy-to-use learning platform for all students. It covers the risks, hazards, and importance of proper handling procedures in a fun and instructive way.
  • Memory retention and recall are improved by using bite-sized modules and key points.
  • Content is followed by a multiple-choice segment.
  • Available online 24/7.
  • The module content is accessible on all devices, including mobiles and iPads.
  • 85% first-time pass rate.
  • Free resits if you fail any of the modules with unlimited access to module content
  • Downloadable Certificate of Training available upon successful completion of the course.

The main aim of our online manual handling course is to prevent candidates from getting injured when carrying out manual handling tasks. Yet even if candidates are taught correct manual handling techniques, they are still likely to ignore them without knowing possible injuries and consequences.

Consequently, our online manual handling course focuses on the fact that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which account for more than a third of all work-related illnesses, can be avoided by following some simple steps.

It also aims to avoid the stereotypical view that manual handling injuries are caused by someone trying to lift a heavy item that is above their capabilities. Instead, the focus is put onto posture and positioning a load relative to a person’s body mass.

Pushing, pulling, or lifting relatively light items whilst the body is in a poor posture is the main cause of manual handling injuries and can all be avoided by following advice and measures in our online manual handling course.

Our online manual handling course is for people in all industries, manual labour or desk jobs alike. It’s not just designed to meet an employer's legal requirements, but to teach people what happens when things go wrong and how to avoid bad practices.

Our HSE training course is designed to give employees the right practical techniques to handle loads correctly, protecting both the employer and the workforce. This health and safety training course is designed to show people the importance of thinking and assessing before carrying out manual handling tasks.

Many people think that manual handling is lifting a heavy object. This is not the case and this course is designed to show people how handling light objects with poor posture can affect their health. Special attention is given to how the spine and back work, maintaining safe handling postures and avoiding injury.

Yes. As an employer, it is a legal requirement for you to ensure that all employees are competent and trained in manual handling techniques should their job require it. If you run a warehouse with workers regularly lifting heavy items, then formal training is essential. However, if you work in a corporate environment with employees only lifting smaller items from time to time, you may only need to communicate how to lift items properly, rather than undergoing formal training.

If you’d like to find out more about the UK manual handling laws and regulations, why not explore more on our blog page? Read our in-depth guide today: Manual Handling Legislation: Everything You Need To Know

Although most manual handling training certificates are valid for three years, we’d recommend undertaking training annually to ensure you are up to date with the latest laws and legislations. You should also re-take your manual handling training if circumstances change drastically within your organisation. Workplace changes that should result in a re-training include:

  • New employees onboarded
  • Employees returning from long periods of absence
  • Changes in the load (such as new tools, machinery, etc)
  • A new environment where manual handling is taking place
  • Previous training has proved to be ineffective for whatever reason

Manual handling training doesn’t necessarily need to be delivered by an accredited body, however, it is recommended. Here at HSE Docs, we’ve used our twenty years of experience to design this comprehensive manual handling training course, which ensures that you meet each area of the Manual Handling Legislations. If you choose a training body that is not certified, you may not get the same quality of training.

A standard manual handling course can take anywhere from a few hours to a day to complete, and changes depending on the delivery method and course material. Here at HSE Docs, you can become certified within one hour with our online training options.

There is a myriad of benefits that come with a manual handling qualification - we’ve outlined some of the most important below:

  • One of the main benefits of this training course would be your compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Act, which states that employees must follow appropriate systems of work laid down for their safety.
  • If an employee has received no training, the responsibility lies solely with the employer, should there be an injury caused by a manual handling procedure. Not only does this increase risk within the workplace, but you as an employer would be liable for any fines and prosecution.
  • 27% of all workplace injuries that require over a week off work are due to manual handling. Injuries of 7 days or more must be reported to the HSE. Most of these injuries can be avoided with adequate training.
  • Manual handling injuries cause damage to the back and lower spine area where just 5 of the 33 vertebrae support the entire weight of the head and torso. This lower spine area has far more flexibility and movement and can be particularly vulnerable to injury.
  • The recurrence rate for back injuries is 70%, and one of the main reasons injuries are so common is that many are caused by the cumulative effects of repeating an activity with poor posture, which again, can be avoided with proper training.

Provide your staff with effective manual handling today with our cost-effective training solution that’s available on all platforms. Be safe and book your manual handling training course today.

For ease of use the training course is split into three modules with a Q&A multiple choice section at the end of each module.

The pass rate for each module is 85% and you have to pass each module to move onto the next.

If you don't pass a module first time, you are given as much access to the course material as you need in order to meet the required standard.

Once you have completed the course, you will have instant access to your training certificate which is recognised by Environmental Health Officers and local authorities.

Your Manual Handling training certificate is valid for three years.

mock certificate

A sample of some customers we're proud to train

What Our Customers Think