Manufacturing Manual Handling Training & Risk Reduction
Industry-specific training, assessments, and injury prevention education for manufacturing workers—designed and delivered by experienced WHS professionals.
What Is Manual Handling in the Manufacturing Industry?
Manual handling is part of the daily routine in manufacturing. It involves lifting components, shifting heavy tools, loading materials, and performing repetitive tasks along production lines. These activities often involve force, awkward movements, or sustained postures that increase the risk of injury over time.
Key manual handling hazards in manufacturing include:
- Repetitive lifting and carrying
- Use of high or sustained force
- Operating in confined or restricted spaces
- Long hours in fixed positions
- Vibrations from machinery or tools
Left unmanaged, these can result in sprains, strains, fatigue, or serious musculoskeletal injuries.
Book a Free Online Consultation With Our Experts
Our WHS consultants bring over 20 years of experience working with manufacturing businesses across Australia. Book a free video call to discuss your operations, review current risks, and explore how we can create tailored training videos and workshops for your teams.
Select your state to book or contact us directly to arrange a time that suits your shift schedules.
Who Holds Responsibility for Manual Handling Safety in Manufacturing?
In a manufacturing setting, duty holders include business owners, site managers, supervisors, and safety officers—all legally obligated to manage manual handling risks under the WHS Act. Workers also must care for their safety and cooperate with safety procedures.
Consultation between management and workers is critical to identify high-risk tasks and implement adequate controls before injuries occur.
Read More: Fines & Penalties
Recent Fines For Non Compliance In The Construction Industry
In 2022 there were 120 employers who were fined for safety breaches in Victoria by Worksafe. Construction accounted for 47 of those employers (More than 120 employers fined for safety breaches in 2022 | WorkSafe Victoria)
SafeWork NSW is warning businesses they will face fines and potential prosecution if they fail to report incidents after the workplace regulator this year issued 140 compliance notices and over $55,000 in fines for breaches with one-third of all offences occurring in the construction industry. (SafeWork warning follows upward trend in failure to notify and disturbance of scenes | SafeWork NSW)
Fines for non-compliance with WHS:
Specific penalties for non-compliance:
- Worksafe QLD Penalties | WorkSafe.qld.gov.au
- Safe Work Australia Penalties under the WHS laws | Safe Work Australia
What Does The Code Of Practice Say About Manual Task Risk Management In Construction?
This Code provides guidance on how to manage the risks associated with hazardous manual tasks that have the potential to cause an MSD in the workplace using the following systematic process:
- Identify hazardous manual tasks—find out what could cause harm.
- Assess risks, if necessary—understand the nature of the harm that could be caused by the hazard, how serious the harm could be and the likelihood of it happening. This step may not be necessary if you are dealing with a known risk with known controls.
- Eliminate risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Control risks—if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk, implement the most effective control measures that are reasonably practicable in the circumstances in accordance with the hierarchy of control measures, and ensure they remain effective over time.
- Review control measures to ensure they are working as planned.
Access More Resources
- Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks
- Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks
- Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work
Why Manual Handling Training Is Essential in Manufacturing
The physical nature of manufacturing work means a high risk of soft tissue injuries. According to industry data, manufacturing workers lose more time and file more injury claims than most other sectors, costing companies productivity, morale, and money.
Manual handling training equips your team with proper techniques, hazard awareness, and injury prevention strategies, reducing lost time, compensation claims, and the long-term cost of avoidable injuries.
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