The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 568,150 cases of sprains, strains and tears that kept private industry workers away from work in 2024. Lifting is one of the causes. This post gives you 6 steps for proper lifting techniques, the rules for lifting as a team, 5 common mistakes, and a 5-minute talk you can read aloud before a shift.
Start with the step people skip: look at the load before you touch it. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says to avoid hazardous manual handling where you can, then assess what you cannot avoid, then reduce the risk of whatever is left. Good technique helps, but HSE is clear that it is not a substitute for other steps such as lifting aids and improvements to the task, the load or the environment.
The steps below are good practice drawn from HSE and NIOSH guidance, not a legal rule or medical advice. They describe a basic two-handed lift, in front of and close to your body, without twisting. Adapt them to the real task.
The 6 steps of a proper lift
- Plan the lift. Where is the load going, and is the route clear? Remove obstructions such as loose wrapping, use a handling aid where you can, and decide whether you need help. For a long lift, for example floor to shoulder height, think about resting the load part-way on a table or bench to change grip.
- Stand close, with your feet apart. Place one leg in front of the other, alongside the load if it is on the ground. HSE says this stable position increases stability, and you should be ready to move your feet during the lift.
- Bend at the knees and hips. HSE says a slight bend of the back, hips and knees at the start is preferable to stooping fully or squatting deeply. Do not bend your back any further as you lift, which can happen if your legs start to straighten before the load moves.
- Get a firm grip. Where possible, hug the load close to your body, which can be better than gripping it tightly with just your hands. Keep the heaviest side next to your body.
- Lift smoothly and keep the load close. Keep the load close to your waist for as long as possible and keep your head up, looking ahead rather than down at the load. Do not jerk or snatch it, which makes it harder to keep control.
- Turn with your feet. Keep your shoulders level and facing the same way as your hips. Turn by moving your feet rather than twisting and lifting at the same time. To position the load precisely, put it down first, then slide it into place.
Our pick: step 1. Planning is quick and is the only step that can stop you lifting at all.
Team lifts: when to ask for help
Ask for help, or use a handling aid, when you are not sure you can manage the load. HSE's advice is not to lift or handle more than you can easily manage, and to get advice or help if in doubt, because there is a difference between what people are able to lift and what they can safely lift. In common practice, a load is a good candidate for two people when it is heavy, awkward or blocks your view.
- Agree who leads. As common practice, one person calls the lift, so you both move together.
- Agree the route. Check the path and where the load will go before you pick it up.
- Keep it level. Move at the same pace and put it down on the same signal.
HSE's MAC tool covers team handling as well as lifting and carrying, so you can assess a team lift as a task rather than guess.
5 common lifting mistakes
- Twisting while lifting. HSE says to avoid twisting your back or leaning sideways, especially while your back is bent. Move your feet instead.
- Jerking or snatching the load. It makes it harder to keep control and can increase the risk of injury, so move smoothly.
- Lifting without a plan. In our view, a rushed lift skips the check of the route, the weight and whether you need help.
- Reaching overhead with a heavy item. OSHA lists reaching overhead and lifting heavy items among the risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders. Store heavy items lower where you can.
- Lifting a long way in one go. Rest the load part-way on a table or bench and change your grip, as HSE suggests for a floor to shoulder height lift.
Our pick: mistake 1. A twist while the back is bent is the one most people do without noticing, so watch a colleague's feet next time.
Reduce the lift first
The best lift is the one you do not make. With 568,150 cases of sprains, strains and tears that kept private industry workers away from work in 2024, it is worth asking whether the load needs lifting at all. HSE's order of thinking is to redesign the task so the load does not need to move, or to mechanise it with a conveyor, chute, pallet truck, hoist or lift truck.
- Use a trolley or pallet truck for anything you would otherwise carry across the floor.
- Split the load into smaller parts where you can.
- Store heavy items within easy reach so nobody has to lift them from the floor or overhead.
Job designers have a tool for this. The NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation calculates a Recommended Weight Limit and a Lifting Index for two-handed lifting tasks, taking in the weight, where the load is, how far it travels, the frequency and how well it can be gripped. It is for designing and assessing tasks, so workers do not need to work it out on the spot. UK law sets no specific weight limit, as HSE notes, so there is no single safe weight to quote.
Our pick: the trolley. It removes the lift, which no technique can match.
A 5-minute talk on lifting
Read this aloud before a shift. It takes about a minute to read, and the check question and the discussion fill the five minutes.
Hook. "Plan the lift before the load leaves the floor."
Why it matters. In 2024 the BLS recorded 568,150 sprain, strain and tear cases that kept private industry workers off work. HSE says good technique helps but does not replace lifting aids and changes to the task.
Key points. Plan the lift: where is it going, is the route clear, do I need help? Stand close with your feet apart, bend slightly at the knees and hips, and keep the load close to your waist. Move smoothly, turn with your feet rather than your back, and put the load down before you adjust it.
Check question. "Which lift on today's job could we avoid with a trolley?"
Close. "Plan it, keep it close, turn with your feet."
Ways to host a lifting talk with AhaSlides
Put the check question on a slide and let everyone answer from their phone. Four slide types cover it:
- Pick Answer: ask "Which step comes first?" and give the six steps as options. The answer is step 1, the plan.
- Word Cloud: ask "What is the heaviest thing you lift each week?" The biggest words show where a trolley would help.
- Rating Scale: ask "How often do you lift without help?" from 1 to 5, and use the average to decide whether to run a team lift refresher.
- Open Ended: collect "A lift that worries me" anonymously, then pick one and fix it.
Ready-made slides save the typing. The Manual handling and back safety course template gives you a structure to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 6 steps of proper lifting?
Plan the lift, stand close with your feet apart, bend at the knees and hips, get a firm grip, lift smoothly with the load close, and turn with your feet. They are the steps above, drawn from HSE's good handling technique guidance.
How much weight can one person safely lift?
There is no single safe weight. HSE says the law sets no specific weight limit, and the NIOSH lifting equation gives a recommended weight for a given task, depending on how the load is held, moved and repeated.
Should you bend your knees when lifting?
Yes, a slight bend of the knees and hips. HSE says this is preferable to stooping fully or squatting deeply, and you should not bend your back any further as you lift.
When should you use a team lift?
When the load is heavy, awkward or blocks your view, or you are in any doubt. HSE says to get help if you are unsure you can manage it.
Related posts
Host your lifting talk
Start from the ready-made course template and adapt the talk above to your own site.
This post is general information, not legal advice or medical advice. For a decision about your own workplace or a back problem, speak to a qualified safety professional or a doctor.
Sources
[1] HSE. Manual handling at work: a brief guide. https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manual-handling/index.htm
[2] HSE. Avoid hazardous manual handling. https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manual-handling/avoid-hazardous-manual-handling.htm
[3] HSE. Assess manual handling you cannot avoid. https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manual-handling/assess-manual-handling.htm
[4] HSE. Good handling technique. https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manual-handling/good-handling-technique.htm
[5] NIOSH. Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE). https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ergonomics/about/rnle.html
[6] OSHA. Ergonomics. https://www.osha.gov/ergonomics
[7] US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities (IIF) program, 2024 data. https://www.bls.gov/iif/
HSE, NIOSH, OSHA and BLS pages read on 26 October 2026.
