TILE stands for Task, Individual, Load and Environment. Before you move anything, ask what the task involves, whether you are able to do it safely, what the load is like and what the space around you is like. LITE uses the same four factors, and TILEO adds Other factors such as clothing or PPE that gets in the way. TILE comes from the factors in Schedule 1 of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
TILE is the four letter check taught on manual handling courses for assessing a lift. At Lift College it is module 3 of our Manual Handling Training, where you use the TILEO factors to think through a handling task before you start. This guide explains what each letter of TILE stands for, the questions to ask under each one, how TILE compares with LITE and TILEO, and where it sits in UK law.
What TILE stands for
Each letter is one factor that changes the risk of injury when you move a load by hand or bodily force. The questions under each letter come from Schedule 1 of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, the list employers must have regard to when they assess a manual handling operation.
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| Letter | Stands for | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
| T | Task | Will you hold the load away from your body, twist, stoop or reach upwards? How far will you lift, lower, carry, push or pull it? How often, for how long, and is there enough rest? Is the pace set by a process? |
| I | Individual | Does the job need unusual strength or height? Could it harm someone who is pregnant or has a health problem? Does it need special information or training to do safely? |
| L | Load | Is it heavy, bulky or unwieldy, or hard to grip? Is it unstable, or could its contents shift? Is it sharp, hot or otherwise likely to cause harm? A load can be an object, a person or an animal. |
| E | Environment | Is there enough space to keep a good posture? Are floors uneven, slippery or unstable, or at different levels? Is it very hot, cold or humid, windy or poorly lit? |
TILE vs LITE vs TILEO
These are the same idea with different letters. None of them is written in the law; they are memory aids for the factors in Schedule 1.
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| Acronym | Stands for | What is different |
|---|---|---|
| TILE | Task, Individual, Load, Environment | The four core factors |
| LITE | Load, Individual, Task, Environment | The same four factors in a different order |
| TILEO | Task, Individual, Load, Environment, Other factors | Adds the fifth factor in Schedule 1: whether personal protective equipment or clothing hinders movement or posture |
Use whichever one your employer or trainer uses. What matters is that you check every factor, not the order you check them in.
How to use TILE before a lift
The HSE sets out the order employers must follow: avoid hazardous manual handling, assess what cannot be avoided, then reduce the risk. TILE is the assess step. On the job it looks like this.
- Ask whether the lift is needed. Could a trolley, pallet truck, hoist or conveyor do it instead? The HSE says mechanical aids can reduce or remove manual handling risks.
- Task. Picture the whole move: where the load starts, where it goes, how far, how high and how often.
- Individual. Think about whether you can manage it. The HSE points out there is a difference between what people are able to lift and what they can safely lift.
- Load. Check the weight and the label if there is one, look for a good hold, and check for anything sharp, hot, slippery or loose inside.
- Environment. Clear obstructions, check the floor and the lighting, and make sure there is space where the load will go.
- Reduce the risk, then lift. Split the load, get help or use an aid. If you lift, keep the load close to your waist, adopt a stable position, avoid twisting and put it down before adjusting it.
A TILE example
A shop worker is asked to move boxes of stock from a delivery bay to a high shelf in the stockroom.
- Task: carrying across the stockroom, then lifting above shoulder height, 20 times in a row.
- Individual: a new starter who has not yet had manual handling training.
- Load: boxes with no handles that are wider than the worker's shoulders.
- Environment: a narrow aisle and a wet floor near the delivery door.
The fixes follow from the factors: a trolley for the carry, a step and a lower shelf for the heaviest boxes, breaks between batches, the spill cleaned up first, and training before the worker starts. These match the HSE's own list for reducing risk: smaller or lighter loads, shorter carrying distances, less lifting above shoulder height, a better environment and training.
TILE and the law
Regulation 4 of the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 requires employers to avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable, assess the handling that cannot be avoided, and reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable. The assessment must have regard to the factors in Schedule 1, which is where the letters of TILE come from.
The law does not set specific weight limits. The HSE says the weight of a load is important, but the employer looks at the task, the load, the working environment and individual capability together. It also says employers should involve their workers, who often know which tasks are hard work, and watch for signs such as heavy breathing, sweating, complaints of fatigue and reluctance to do a task.
Training matters but is not enough on its own. The HSE says training should cover manual handling risk factors and how injuries happen, mechanical aids, good handling technique and the systems of work for your tasks, and that employers should first design the work to be as safe as reasonably practicable.
Learn TILE online
Manual Handling Training from Lift College is 3 hours of learning in 5 short modules: what manual handling means, the law (avoid, assess, reduce), assessing risk with TILEO, good handling technique, and pushing, pulling and aids. You get a CPD certificate issued by Lift College the same day you pass, with a recommended refresh every 3 years and a free refresher.
If the load is a person, Moving and Handling of People Training is 2 hours in 6 modules for care workers, support workers and healthcare assistants. Compare providers in our guide to manual handling training online, or see every course on the health and safety courses page.
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