1. Purpose and Scope
This procedure defines requirements for planning and executing manual lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling tasks safely at [Organisation Name] facilities ([Site/Location]). It establishes when staff must use mechanical aids or team lifts to eliminate or reduce overexertion hazards.
This procedure applies to all direct employees and temporary personnel handling loads, including receiving, stocking, production, and dispatch roles.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Manual Handling Procedure Template, US PPE Policy & Hazard Assessment Template and Accident & Incident Reporting Procedure Template.
2. Responsibilities
[Role](Procedure Owner): Maintains this procedure, updates the high-risk handling task list, coordinates training, and analyzes strain and discomfort reports to spot process trends.- Supervisors: Enforce mechanical-aid rules, keep handling equipment operational and accessible, correct unsafe handling immediately, and respond to early physical discomfort reports within the same week.
- Employees: Assess every lift before starting, apply standard lifting techniques, use required mechanical aids or team lifts, and report physical discomfort promptly.
[Role](Maintenance / Purchasing): Inspects, repairs, and procures materials handling equipment, including carts, dollies, hoists, and jacks.
3. Lift Planning and Assessment
Before handling any load, personnel must assess the task using these steps:
- Assess the load: Check the weight label or tilt a corner to gauge mass, center of gravity, grip points, and content shifting.
- Assess the path: Verify the transport route is dry, lit, and clear of obstructions, doors are secured open, and a designated landing surface is ready.
- Assess ergonomic factors: Evaluate reach distances, starting and ending heights (such as floor level or above shoulder height), torso twisting, and task frequency across the shift.
- Select the handling method: Follow the aid-first rule. If a mechanical aid is available for the task, use it. If mechanical assistance is unavailable, decide whether to split the load, request a team lift, or perform a solo lift.
- Check restriction lists: Items on the site “do-not-lift-alone” list at
[Location]must never be lifted by a single person.
4. Manual Lifting Technique
When task planning clears a solo manual lift, execute it using this sequence:
- Stand close to the load with feet shoulder-width apart and one foot slightly forward for balance.
- Squat by bending at the knees and hips while maintaining the natural curve of the spine.
- Secure a full-palm grip on solid contact points and tilt the load slightly to check weight distribution.
- Pull the load close to your body before lifting it off the supporting surface.
- Lift smoothly by extending your legs. Keep your head up and the load close to your torso without jerking or snatching.
- Pivot with your feet to change direction; do not twist your torso while holding a load.
- Carry the load close to your body while maintaining a clear line of sight. Use designated staging points at
[Location]to rest during long carries. - Lower the load by reversing the lift motion, bending at the knees and hips while keeping fingers clear of the landing area.
- Store loads between knee and shoulder height wherever storage layouts permit.
- If the load shifts or resists unexpectedly, lower the item safely and reassess the task method.
5. Team Lifting Procedure
When a load exceeds individual capacity, is unwieldy, or appears on the site restricted list, perform a team lift using these steps:
- Identify qualified personnel of similar height where feasible and assign one lift leader.
- Inspect the route and set-down location together, agreeing on direction of travel and positioning.
- Coordinate movement using explicit vocal commands led by the leader (e.g., “Ready, three, two, one, lift”).
- Carry the load in cadence, moving at the pace of the slower partner.
- Lower the load together on the leader’s count, ensuring hands and feet are clear before releasing grips.
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6. Mechanical Aids and Handling Equipment
- Authorized mechanical aids assigned to specific tasks at
[Site/Location]include hand trucks, platform carts, pallet jacks, drum dollies, and hoists or vacuum lifters. - Personnel must receive task-specific instruction before operating non-powered mechanical aids. Powered equipment (such as powered pallet jacks or forklifts) requires formal operator certification under its specific procedure.
- Inspect handling equipment before use. Check wheels, forks, structural frames, straps, and control mechanisms. Tag defective equipment out of service immediately and notify
[Role]. - Load equipment stably with a low center of gravity. Secure loose items with straps or restraints where tipping hazards exist.
- Push rather than pull equipment whenever equipment design permits.
- Report missing, damaged, or misplaced handling equipment to
[Role].
7. Workflow Design and Ergonomics
- Procurement: Specify smaller unit quantities or supplier-palletized shipments for heavy stock items where feasible.
- Storage Layout: Store heavy and high-turnover items between knee and shoulder height. Reserve upper shelves for light or low-frequency stock. Do not store heavy loads directly on the floor.
- Handling Routes: Stage deliveries directly at the point of use, keep transport aisles clear, and establish set-down surfaces along travel routes.
- Task Rotation: Rotate high-frequency manual handling tasks among qualified workers and integrate micro-breaks into repetitive handling shifts.
- Process Adjustments: Use data from discomfort logs and hazard reports to re-engineer manual handling steps.
8. Training, Early Reporting, and Records
- Training: All personnel performing manual handling tasks must complete standard lifting training before their initial assignment. Refresher training occurs at
[Frequency]or following any manual handling incident in the department. Training includes practical demonstrations of lifting and equipment techniques. - Early Reporting: Employees must report early symptoms of physical discomfort or strain to their supervisor. Discomfort reports are logged at
[System/Location]. Supervisors must conduct a task assessment within the same week a report is filed. - Records Management: The following records are maintained at
[System/Location]: - Employee training records and practical evaluations.
- High-risk task inventories and restricted lift lists.
- Mechanical aid inspection and maintenance logs.
- Discomfort and early symptom logs.
9. Review and Document Control
This Standard Operating Procedure is reviewed at [Frequency], following any manual handling injury or recordable strain incident, or whenever load configurations, handling equipment, or workspace layouts change.
- Procedure Owner:
[Role] - Approved By:
[Role] - Effective Date:
[Date] - Next Review Date:
[Date]
FAQs on a safe lifting and materials handling procedure
What is a safe lifting and materials handling procedure?
A safe lifting and materials handling procedure defines requirements for planning and executing manual lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling tasks safely at your organisation’s facilities (your site). It establishes when staff must use mechanical aids or team lifts to eliminate or reduce overexertion hazards.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a safe lifting and materials handling procedure include?
This template covers lift planning and assessment, manual lifting technique, team lifting procedure and mechanical aids and handling equipment.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a safe lifting and materials handling procedure with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.