Move and handle goods

This standard is about moving and handling goods, including the safe use of equipment, where required. It includes identifying potential hazards and the process of lifting, transferring and setting down goods.

When working with equipment and machinery you must be appropriately trained and hold current certification, where required ,in line with relevant legislation.

This standard is relevant to all operatives who move and handle goods as part of their job role.

1     maintain the health and safety of yourself and others at all times, in line with the relevant legislation and organisational requirements
2    assess the risks associated with the work before starting and throughout the activity, take action to minimise risks where possible or report in line with organisational procedures
3    confirm that the required personal protective equipment (PPE) for the work being carried out is worn at all times in line with organisational procedures
4    confirm that the relevant training has been received to carry out the work, recognise the limits of your competence and seek access to further training where required
5    identify the goods to be moved and handled and the reason for the movement 
6    confirm the locations for the picking up and setting down of the goods, in line with requirements
7     check the area is safe, secure and free from hazards and that the goods are in a suitable condition before moving and handling 
8     assess if the goods are suitable for manual handling and if more than one person is required
9     select and prepare equipment to assist with moving and handling, confirming that you have been trained in its use and hold current certification where required
10    use suitable methods to move and handle goods safely and securely, in line with organisational procedures
11    transfer goods without loss or damage
12    position and set down the goods in the designated location so that they     can be identified and accessed
13    maintain effective communication with colleagues when carrying out the     work
14    deal effectively with issues that arise within the scope and limitations of your responsibilities and competence and report issues which cannot be resolved, in line with organisational procedures
15   return the equipment used to move and handle the goods to its original position after use
16    maintain the work area in a clean and tidy condition throughout the activity
17   maintain and store the required records in line with relevant legal and organisational requirements

1    your responsibilities under the relevant health and safety legislation and organisational requirements
2    how to identify hazards and assess risks associated with the work being carried out, and the suitable control measures and Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) that can be put in place to reduce risks
3    the relevant Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that should be worn when moving and handling goods
4    how to identify and access the information required to carry out the work
5    the characteristics of the different types of goods moved and handled in your organisation and the correct way to move them 
6    how to check if manual handling can be used to move and handle goods and the importance of undertaking manual handling training
7    the types of equipment used for moving and handling goods in your area of work, their limitations, and how to prepare, use, maintain and store these safely and correctly 
8    the requirements for training and certification to operate moving and handling equipment
9    how to move and handle different types of goods safely and securely in your area of work
10  the different methods of lifting, moving and setting down goods in relation to the equipment used and the type of goods
11   when to ask for assistance in moving and handling goods
12   how to place goods so that they can be accessed and identified, including requirements for labelling
13   the organisational procedures for responding to the loss or damage of goods, including pre-existing damage
14   the importance of returning equipment used to move and handle goods to its original position ready for future use
15   the roles and responsibilities of colleagues and why it is important to maintain communication and work effectively with colleagues when carrying out your work
16   the issues that may occur when moving and handling goods, the actions to take and organisational procedures for reporting issues that cannot be resolved
17   the importance of maintaining the work area in a clean and tidy condition when carrying out work activities and the organisational standards for this
18   the information and recording systems used by the organisation and the legal and organisational requirements for maintaining records, including data protection legislation and organisational procedures for data security

Equipment: e.g. tools, implements, machinery, lifts, conveyors, cranes, sack barrows, vehicle ramps, piano wheels, dollies, trucks, trolleys, skates, roller sets, stair climbers, shoulder straps and webbing, ladders

Health and safety includes mental and physical wellbeing

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) could include: high-visibility clothing, hard hats, protective clothing, eye protection, masks, gloves, safety footwear

Safe System of Work (SSoW) is a method of work that puts in place control measures arising from a risk assessment, in order to manage identified hazards, which are broken down into four elements: safe person; safe equipment; safe place; and safe practice.