CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Manual-Handling Risk Assessment and Screening Record
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Primary and secondary schools, including maintained and academy schools, where staff or other workers undertake manual-handling activities.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Manual-handling activities undertaken by staff or other workers, including lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, pulling, moving, supporting, positioning or otherwise handling loads. Complete entries for the task, load, environment, people exposed, existing controls, proposed controls and follow-up actions. Applicability of HSE filters and assessment tools remains conditional on whether they are useful for the school's assessment process.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Task has not been identified or described sufficiently to determine whether manual-handling risks require further assessment.
- Existing controls
- Record the task name, location or work area, frequency, duration, people exposed, load handled and the movement undertaken. Do not assume that a task is low risk because it is routine or familiar.
- Proposed controls
- Create a task-specific entry in this register. Where useful for the school's process, apply the HSE manual-handling risk filters to help decide whether a detailed assessment is proportionate. Where structured evaluation would assist, use a relevant HSE assessment tool or equivalent and record how its findings informed risk reduction.
Local assessment and additional controls
Load characteristics may create risk, including weight, size, shape, stability, contents, grip, sharp or hot surfaces, or difficulty seeing around the load.
- Existing controls
- Record the relevant load characteristics, including any known or estimated weight, dimensions, centre of gravity, stability, contents, condition, grip points and surface features. Record any information available to the person handling the load.
- Proposed controls
- Consider whether the load can be reduced, divided, stabilised, repackaged or provided with suitable handles or other aids. Consider mechanical assistance, team handling or alternative delivery and storage arrangements where appropriate. Confirm that any proposed measure is suitable for the actual load and task.
Local assessment and additional controls
The posture, reach, distance, repetition, pace or duration of the task may increase musculoskeletal strain.
- Existing controls
- Record the starting and finishing heights, horizontal reach, carrying distance, lifting or lowering movements, frequency, duration, pace, twisting, stooping, stretching and other postural demands. Record any task variation or interruption.
- Proposed controls
- Consider changing the work height, layout, storage position, route, sequence, pace or frequency. Consider reducing repetition and carrying distance, providing suitable handling equipment, or redesigning the task. Record the specific finding that led to each proposed measure.
Local assessment and additional controls
The working environment or route may make handling unstable, obstructed or difficult, including uneven, slippery or confined areas, steps, changes of level, poor lighting or unsuitable temperature.
- Existing controls
- Record the route and work area, floor and ground conditions, changes of level, space available, lighting, visibility, temperature, weather exposure where relevant, access restrictions and interaction with pupils, visitors, vehicles or other activities.
- Proposed controls
- Consider improving housekeeping, access, lighting, floor condition, space, route planning, segregation or timing. Consider removing changes of level, using suitable equipment or arranging delivery and storage to avoid unnecessary handling. Record any conditions that must be checked before the task starts.
Local assessment and additional controls
Handling equipment or other aids may be unavailable, unsuitable, poorly positioned, inadequately maintained or used without sufficient information or instruction.
- Existing controls
- Record equipment and aids available for the task, their intended use, location, condition, maintenance arrangements, access arrangements and the information, instruction or training provided. Record any restrictions or circumstances in which equipment cannot be used.
- Proposed controls
- Consider selecting, providing, positioning and maintaining suitable handling aids. Consider arrangements for pre-use checks, defect reporting, access, storage, instruction, supervision and review. Do not treat equipment provision alone as evidence that the risk has been controlled.
Local assessment and additional controls
The capabilities, health, experience, size, strength, fatigue, temporary condition or other circumstances of people undertaking or exposed to the task may affect risk.
- Existing controls
- Record the roles and groups of people who undertake or may be affected by the task, relevant experience or competence requirements, staffing arrangements, fatigue or time pressures, and any individual factors voluntarily raised through appropriate workplace arrangements. Avoid recording unnecessary personal or medical information.
- Proposed controls
- Consider task allocation, consultation, suitable instruction, supervision, staffing, work-rest arrangements, reasonable adjustments and referral to appropriate occupational or professional advice where needed. Consider whether the task is suitable for the people expected to undertake it, including where circumstances change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Unplanned, emergency, assisted or people-handling activities may introduce additional forces, unpredictability or safeguarding concerns.
- Existing controls
- Record whether the task involves supporting, assisting or moving a person, responding to an emergency, dealing with an unstable load, or handling during abnormal conditions. Record available assistance, communication arrangements, escalation routes and any relevant procedures.
- Proposed controls
- Consider avoiding improvised lifting or carrying, obtaining assistance, using suitable equipment and following an appropriate task-specific procedure. Consider emergency arrangements, communication, supervision and post-incident review. Keep any people-handling arrangements distinct where a specialist assessment is required.
Local assessment and additional controls
Existing controls may not be implemented consistently, or proposed controls may not be assigned, prioritised, monitored or reviewed.
- Existing controls
- Record controls that are actually in place for this task, how they are communicated, who checks them, any known limitations, incidents or near misses, and the date and trigger for review. Do not record a proposed measure as an existing control.
- Proposed controls
- For each required measure, record an action owner, target date, priority, resources or dependencies, verification method and review date. Record whether the measure changed the task, load, environment, equipment, people arrangements or information. Revisit the entry after changes, incidents, near misses or other relevant learning.
Local assessment and additional controls