How long does a manual handling certificate last, and is training a legal requirement?

Is manual handling training a legal requirement?

Training is required, but no law names a certificate. Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers to provide "such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary" for their employees' health and safety. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to reduce manual handling risks, and say they must consider each employee's knowledge and training when doing so. HSE's guidance says to make sure the person lifting "has been trained to lift as safely as possible".

How often should it be refreshed?

HSE does not set a frequency. Its guidance on the Regulations (L23) says:

• set up a planned training programme so all staff who need it get basic training, plus updates when necessary
• train new starters before, or as close as possible to, starting the job
• keep records of who was trained, when and on what, to help identify when refresher training might be needed
• monitor sickness absence and near misses to check whether training is working

When to refresh sooner

• the manual handling work changes significantly, which also means the risk assessment must be reviewed under regulation 4
• the assessment may no longer be valid
• sickness absence or near misses suggest the training is not working, which HSE's L23 suggests monitoring

What good training covers

HSE says training should cover manual handling risk factors and how injuries happen, how to use mechanical aids, safe handling including good technique, systems of work for the worker's tasks, and practical work so a trainer can put right anything unsafe. HSE also says training alone will not ensure safe manual handling: the work itself must first be made as safe as reasonably practicable.

Online certificates

An online certificate lasts as long as a classroom one, because neither has a legal expiry. HSE's guidance says training should also include practical work tailored to the tasks, so employers should check how staff handle loads on the job.

Training

Lift College Manual Handling Training is 3 hours in 5 modules, with a CPD Standards Office accredited certificate the same day you pass that employers can verify, and a free refresher every 3 years. For care staff, Moving and Handling of People Training is refreshed every 12 months.