Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) (MHOR)

The Regulations define manual handling as:

"...any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force".

The load can be an object, person or animal.

The MHOR 1992 set out a clear ranking of measures for dealing with risks from manual handling, these are:

• first : avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable;
• second : assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided; and
• third: reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable.

More information can be found in the free HSE leaflet Manual handling at work: A brief guide and in the priced guidance on the regulations Manual Handling. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) Guidance on Regulations L23.