Manual handling assessment

Manual handling and the law

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) set out a clear duty order for handling that carries a risk of injury — avoid, assess, reduce:

• Avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable — can the load be moved mechanically, or not at all?
• Assess any handling that can't be avoided, using factors covering the task, the individual, the load and the environment.
• Reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable, starting with the most significant factors.

What TILE means

TILE is the memory aid for the four things you weigh up in a manual handling assessment:

• Task — twisting, stooping, carrying distance, repetition, pushing and pulling, working above the shoulder or below the knee.
• Individual — the person's capability, including new and expectant mothers, younger or inexperienced workers, health conditions and training.
• Load — weight, size, shape, grip, stability and any hazardous edges.
• Environment — floors, steps and slopes, space, lighting, temperature and level changes along the route.

Guideline weights are not legal limits

UK manual handling law does not set a fixed maximum weight. HSE publishes guideline figures as a quick filter: for a lift close to the body at waist (knuckle) height the guideline figure is about 25 kg for a man and 16 kg for a woman. The figures fall in less favourable zones — roughly 20 kg / 13 kg at elbow or knee height and 10 kg / 7 kgabove shoulder height or below knee level — and are roughly halved when the load is held away from the body. Handling while seated is much lower again, about 5 kg / 3 kg.

Going over the relevant guideline figure does not make a lift illegal. It means the operation should be assessed in more detail — and if the weight is more than roughly double the guideline figure, most workers will be at real risk and the task needs reworking. The guideline figures assume reasonable working conditions and a stable body posture.

When to use the full HSE MAC tool

This page is a filter-level assessment — enough to screen everyday handling and record your decision. For tasks that are heavy, awkward, repetitive or otherwise higher-risk, use the HSE Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC tool), which scores lifting, carrying and team handling in more detail, or bring in a competent assessor.

Source: HSE guidance on manual handling at work, the simple manual handling risk filters and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (guidance L23).