WorkSafe offering free online workshops on manual handling

WorkSafe is offering free online workshops on manual handling to help Victorian businesses raise safety standards and cut preventable injuries. Live sessions cost nothing to join and zero in on hazardous manual handling — Victoria’s single biggest source of occupational harm.

Quick summary

• What: No-cost online training covering hazardous handling risk and practical control measures.
• Who delivers it: WorkSafe Victoria, the state’s occupational health and safety regulator.
• Why now: 48,355 accepted claims for injuries across five years.
• Best suited to: Supervisors, managers, HSRs and anyone making equipment decisions.

Why WorkSafe is running these sessions

Victoria’s workplace safety watchdog is aiding businesses in improving standards and decreasing preventable injuries through provision of free online sessions centred on dangerous manual handling.

According to WorkSafe, hazardous manual handling is the leading cause of occupational injuries in Victoria, with the safety regulator having accepted 48,355 injury claims in the past five years.

WorkSafe’s Chief Health and Safety Officer, Sam Jenkin, said dangerous manual handling is a primary focus in the regulator’s effort to reduce injuries across high-risk sectors.

“When people think of hazardous manual handling, they often picture heavy lifting, but it shows up in countless other ways across all types of workplaces,” Mr Jenkin said.

“Anything that involves awkward postures, repetitive movement or sustained force can place excessive strain on the body and lead to serious injuries which are often debilitating over the long-term.”

What dangerous handling actually looks like

Injuries rarely come from one dramatic lift. Cumulative strain builds through pushing, pulling, carrying, holding and restraining loads — and through repetitive movement performed for hours at a stretch.

Common exposures include:

• Bending or twisting while supporting a load without suitable lifting equipment
• Reaching above shoulder height because storage lacks height-adjustable equipment
• Repetitive packing on benches fixed too low for taller personnel
• Pushing loaded trolleys across uneven ground or long distances
• Supporting body weight during patient care or resident transfers
• Sustained gripping of vibrating tools or poorly maintained equipment

Sessions focus on practical equipment and design fixes

WorkSafe’s programme walks attendees through the hierarchy of control, starting with eliminating hazardous movement altogether, then substituting safer methods, layouts or equipment.

Discussion typically covers:

• Equipment selection — matching hoists, trolleys, vacuum lifters or conveyors to load weight, shape and frequency
• Layout redesign — storing heavy items between knee and shoulder height, so handling equipment is not needed for every movement
• Maintenance — scheduled inspections keep wheels, brakes and hydraulics on shared equipment reliable
• Instruction — showing crews how each piece of equipment operates before first use
• Availability — positioning equipment where jobs happen, since distant gear goes unused
• Consultation — asking those doing the job which equipment genuinely helps

Industries carrying the highest risk

Hazardous handling appears in every sector, though WorkSafe flags several as priorities:

• Construction — bricks, formwork, scaffold components and plant equipment moved by hand
• Manufacturing and warehousing — repetitive picking, packing and palletising
• Residential care and hospitals — resident repositioning, showering and bed transfers
• Retail and hospitality — stock replenishment, keg movement, prolonged standing
• Transport — loading, unloading and restraint of freight

Duty of care obligations apply regardless of industry: organisations must eliminate hazardous movement where reasonably practicable, or reduce risk so far as is achievable. National guidance from Safe Work Australia mirrors these expectations nationwide.

Documenting hazardous handling procedures

Attending training is a start; auditors and clients will ask for evidence. Written procedures show how hazards were identified, which measures apply, and how equipment gets checked.

Useful templates include:

• Hazardous Manual Handling Register — log every risky movement alongside its remedy
• Manual Handling Management Plans — a site-wide framework for identifying and reducing strain
• Manual Handling SWMS + JSA Starter Pack — job-level paperwork ready for site induction
• Manual Handling SOP — step-by-step instructions crews can follow shift after shift

For technique refreshers, our visual manual handling safety guide plus a detailed breakdown of proven manual handling techniques give supervisors ready-made toolbox talk material. Businesses moving cash on site can also review money handling plans.

Other WorkSafe support available

Beyond training, WorkSafe funds recovery initiatives — including grants of up to $500,000 for innovative return-to-work programmes.

Registering to attend

Places cost nothing but numbers are limited. Full dates, times and registration details sit with WorkSafe Victoria. Continue reading here.

What safety professionals should do next

Book a place, then translate lessons into action: walk your site, rank each handling hazard by risk, and confirm every safeguard is written down. Long-term health depends on design rather than willpower — and a strong safety culture begins when leaders take care to fix layouts instead of blaming technique.

Consistent safety documentation plus refresher briefings keep improvements alive long after a session ends, giving your safety committee a clear record to review.