If your employees have completed manual handling training, you may be wondering how long their certificate lasts and when they need to complete the training again.
The short answer is that there is no single legal expiry period for every manual handling certificate. The right time to refresh training depends on the workplace, the tasks employees carry out and whether their knowledge and skills remain suitable.
At 1st Choice Safety Training & Consultancy, we recommend renewing manual handling training every three years as a maximum. However, refresher training may be appropriate sooner if there are changes to the work, equipment, risks or employee competence.
Is there a legal expiry date for manual handling training?
There is no fixed legal expiry date that applies to every manual handling training certificate.
Instead, employers need to make sure employees receive suitable information, instruction and training for the work they carry out.
HSE guidance recommends keeping training records, including who has been trained, when training took place and what the training covered. These records can then help employers identify when refresher training may be needed.
So, while a certificate can show that someone has completed a course, it should not be the only thing a business considers when reviewing its training arrangements.
How long does a manual handling certificate last?
For 1st Choice Safety Training & Consultancy’s manual handling training, we recommend renewing training every three years as a maximum.
This gives businesses a useful point at which to review employees’ training and make sure it is still suitable for their work.
However, this does not mean that every employee must wait three years before receiving further training. If their work changes or there are concerns about their ability to carry out tasks safely, training may need to be reviewed sooner.
When should manual handling training be renewed?
The three-year point is useful for planning, but there are several situations where training should be reviewed before then.
1. An employee changes roles
Someone moving into a role involving more lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling may face different risks from those covered by their previous training.
Their training should reflect the tasks they are now expected to carry out.
2. Manual handling tasks change
Changes to the size, weight or frequency of loads can alter the level of risk.
For example, an employee who previously handled small boxes may begin moving heavier materials or handling loads more frequently.
When the task changes, the business should consider whether existing training is still appropriate.
3. New equipment is introduced
New handling equipment or changes to workplace processes can affect how tasks should be completed.
Employees may need additional instruction or training before they begin using new equipment or working with new procedures.
4. A risk assessment identifies a problem
Manual handling training should form part of a wider approach to managing workplace risks.
If a manual handling risk assessment identifies concerns, the business may need to review its existing training arrangements alongside other control measures.
5. An accident or near miss occurs
An accident or near miss can be a reason to look more closely at the task involved.
The business may need to review the risk assessment, working methods and whether employees need further training or supervision.
6. Employees are not following safe procedures
A training certificate does not automatically mean someone remains competent.
If employees are regularly using poor handling techniques or not following workplace procedures, additional instruction or refresher training may be needed.
What does manual handling refresher training cover?
Refresher training gives employees an opportunity to revisit their existing knowledge and address any areas where confidence or competence may have reduced.
Depending on the workplace, this can include:
- Identifying manual handling risks
- Assessing loads before moving them
- Safe lifting and carrying techniques
- Pushing and pulling
- Using handling aids correctly
- Understanding workplace procedures
- Reducing the risk of injury
- Applying safe techniques to real workplace tasks
The training should be relevant to the work employees actually carry out.
This is important because manual handling is not the same in every workplace. The risks faced by someone working in a warehouse may be very different from those faced by someone working in an office, care environment or construction setting.
You can learn more about the subject in our guide to what manual handling is.
Is refresher training the same as repeating the original course?
Not necessarily.
A refresher session should build on what employees already know while addressing the risks and working practices they currently face.
For example, if a business has introduced new handling equipment since employees completed their original training, the refresher session can take this into account.
The aim is to keep knowledge relevant rather than simply repeating a course because a certain amount of time has passed.
HSE guidance also highlights the importance of providing training that is appropriate to the task and reviewing individual training needs on an ongoing basis.
Does a certificate prove someone is competent?
A certificate provides evidence that someone has completed training, but it is not the whole picture.
Employers should also consider whether employees are applying what they have learned correctly in the workplace.
Supervisors and managers can play an important role here by monitoring working practices and addressing problems when they arise. HSE guidance recommends keeping training records and using them to help identify where refresher training may be required.
This is why manual handling training should be treated as part of an ongoing safety programme rather than a one-off exercise.
How can you keep track of manual handling training?
Good training records make it much easier to know who has completed training and when it needs to be reviewed.
A business could keep records of:
- Employee names
- Training dates
- Course completed
- Training provider
- Certificate details
- Recommended renewal date
- Any refresher training completed
It is also worth recording significant changes to an employee’s role or the tasks they carry out.
This gives managers a clear record when reviewing whether their current manual handling training remains suitable.
What should you do when manual handling training is due?
If an employee is approaching the three-year point, it is a good opportunity to review their training rather than waiting until the last minute.
Consider whether:
- Their role has changed
- Their manual handling tasks have changed
- New equipment has been introduced
- Their workplace has changed
- There have been accidents or near misses
- Their risk assessment has changed
- They are still demonstrating safe working practices
If nothing has changed, the three-year renewal point provides a useful opportunity to refresh their knowledge and maintain their competence.
If something has changed, training may need to be reviewed sooner.
Keep Your Manual Handling Training Up to Date
Manual handling training is an important part of helping employees understand and manage the risks associated with their work.
At 1st Choice Safety Training & Consultancy, we provide manual handling training for businesses across a range of industries.
We also provide refresher training to help businesses keep existing knowledge up to date and respond to changes in workplace risks, processes and procedures.
If you’re unsure whether your employees need new or refresher manual handling training, contact our team and we can discuss your requirements.
