Principles of Manual Handling is a stand-alone level 1 qualification, which complements the CIEH Health and Safety programme. It is aimed at those who carry out manual handling activities at work and introduces students to the hazards of manual handling, the risks involved and controls available and what to expect from a manual handling assessment.

Successful completion will prepare students to look carefully at their own work activities and contribute to the development of safer methods and tasks, in co-operation with their managers and supervisors. The qualification is not intended to train students to carry out manual handling assessments nor to provide detailed training on handling techniques.

While this unit of study can be delivered as a stand-alone qualification and there are no specific pre-requisites, it is strongly recommended that students should already hold the CIEH Foundation Certificate for Health and Safety in the Workplace. Minimum 2-3 hours.

Topic areas covered:

• The process of manual handling in the workplace.
• Manual handling injuries and the activities which cause them.
• Manual handling assessment and control options.
• Responsibilities imposed by the Manual Handling Operations Regulations.

Objectives

By the end of the programme the student will be able to:

1. explain what is meant by the term 'manual handling' and give examples;
2. explain how manual handling can cause injury and give examples;
3. state the principles for controlling manual handling risks and apply these in a practical context;
4. demonstrate a general understanding of the value and purposes of conducting a manual handling assessment and what employees can expect of such assessments;
5. demonstrate an understanding of the main provisions of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations.

Exam format: objective test of 20 questions.