In short
No UK law sets a fixed interval for manual handling refresher training. Employers must avoid, assess and reduce manual handling risk, and HSE says staff need basic training plus updates when necessary. For care staff who help people to move, Skills for Care says refresh at least every three years, and sooner when needs, risks or equipment change.
The law · How often · TILE · Hoists and people · FAQs · Book training
“Is it every year or every three years?” is a common question in care teams. The honest answer is that UK law does not set a number. It sets a duty to manage the risk, and official guidance explains what that means for training. Here is what the regulations, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Skills for Care actually say.
What the law requires of employers
The main law is the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, as amended; Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations. Manual handling means transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force, and a ‘load’ includes a person. Regulation 4 sets employers a clear order of duties:
- Avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Assess any that cannot be avoided, with a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.
- Reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
The assessment must be reviewed if it may no longer be valid or the work changes significantly, and it must take account of the worker’s knowledge and training. Employees must make full and proper use of the safe system of work provided. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 add a duty to give adequate health and safety training when someone starts and when they face new or increased risks, such as new equipment. In England, the CQC regulations also require providers to train staff, make sure carers are competent to work safely, and use equipment safely.
So how often is training required?
None of these regulations puts a number on it. The closest the law comes is the 1999 Management Regulations, which say training must be “repeated periodically where appropriate”. HSE guidance fills in the detail:
- HSE’s legal guidance (L23) says employers should plan training so everyone who needs it gets basic training and updates when necessary, with new starters trained as close to their start as possible. Records of who was trained, when and on what show when a refresher might be needed.
- For hoisting people, HSE says there is no firm rule on how often, but skills deteriorate over time. Refresh periodically, when a competency check shows a need, and whenever new lifting aids or methods are introduced.
For adult social care, Skills for Care’s statutory and mandatory training guide (updated December 2025) is more specific. Anyone who supports people with assisting and moving needs the training, refreshed at least every three years if they have had no further training in that time – and sooner when someone’s needs change or a new risk, activity or piece of equipment is introduced. Employers should also check competence on an ongoing basis, including by observing staff at work.
So three years is the longest gap under that guidance, not a target. Your own policy or a commissioner’s contract may set a shorter cycle, and then that is your standard. Our mandatory training checklist shows where moving and handling sits among the core subjects, and our guide to evidencing staff training for CQC covers the records and competency sign-offs behind it.
TILE (or LITE): what a risk assessment looks at
Schedule 1 of the regulations lists the factors an employer must consider, which HSE groups as TILE: task, individual, load and environment. LITE is the same four in a different order.
- Task – holding the load away from the body, twisting, stooping, reaching up, or frequent or prolonged effort without enough rest.
- Individual – does it need unusual strength or height, put someone pregnant or with a health problem at risk, or need special training?
- Load – heavy, bulky, hard to grip or unstable. A person may be able to help with the move, or may move suddenly.
- Environment – cramped space, uneven or slippery floors, changes in level, poor lighting, heat or cold.
If you have five or more employees, you must record the significant findings.
Why moving and handling people is different
HSE says people handling may need two kinds of assessment: a generic one for the setting, covering the type and frequency of moves, staffing, equipment, emergencies and training needs; and an individual one for each person, recorded in their care plan, setting out how they are moved, by how many staff and with which equipment. It should be person-centred and change as the person’s condition changes. Equipment brings its own rules:
- LOLER. Where hoists and slings are used at work, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 apply. HSE says hoists, stand aids, slings and bath hoists need a thorough examination at least every six months, or under a written scheme.
- PUWER. Profiling beds are not lifting equipment, but the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 still require them to be maintained, and work equipment should only be used by people with adequate information, instruction and training.
- The care plan. A person’s hoisting plan should name the hoist, the sling type and size and the number of carers, and equipment should be used in line with the plan and the manufacturer’s instructions. Slide sheets are among the equipment HSE says providers may need.
HSE’s hoisting guidance highlights falls caused by the wrong sling size or type, or slings that do not match the hoist. Staff should be trained on the specific equipment they use, and supervisors trained to spot and correct poor practice.
What a good practical course covers
HSE does not prescribe the content or length of a course, but says it should fit the people, tasks and environment and cover how injuries happen, good handling technique, systems of work, safe use of handling aids, and practical work so the trainer can correct anything unsafe. Skills for Care adds moving and positioning people safely and with dignity, and knowing when to seek advice. HSE advises training in conditions as realistic as possible, and is clear that training alone will not make handling safe without well-designed tasks, the right equipment and monitoring.
That is why e-learning alone is a poor fit: theory can be learned online, but someone needs to watch you use a hoist or slide sheet (see webinar versus face-to-face training).
Our moving and handling course is a one-day practical course for care workers and carers, with hoist and transfer practice. It runs in our practical skills room at 73A Allerton Road, Liverpool, with a profiling hospital bed and mobile hoist, or on site for staff groups anywhere in the UK. Individuals can choose a preferred date and location anywhere in England, and our office confirms.
Manual handling training FAQs
Is manual handling training a legal requirement in the UK?
Employers must avoid, assess and reduce the risk from hazardous manual handling, taking account of each worker’s knowledge and training, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require adequate health and safety training. The law does not name a particular course or certificate.
How often is manual handling refresher training required?
No UK law sets a fixed interval. HSE advises refreshing periodically, when competency checks show a need and when new equipment or methods are introduced. In adult social care, Skills for Care says refresh at least every three years, and sooner when needs or risks change.
What does TILE stand for in manual handling?
Task, individual, load and environment: the four groups of risk factors in a manual handling risk assessment. LITE lists the same four in a different order.
Do care workers need training to use a hoist?
Yes. Work equipment should only be used by people who have had adequate information, instruction and training, and HSE says staff should be trained on the specific hoists and slings they use.
Can moving and handling training be done online?
The theory can, but HSE says a course should include practical work so the trainer can correct unsafe handling, and Skills for Care expects competence checks to include observation. Hoist and transfer skills need hands-on practice.
Key takeaways
- Employers must avoid, assess and reduce manual handling risk; a ‘load’ includes a person.
- No UK law sets a refresher interval; HSE says refresh periodically and when needed.
- Skills for Care: at least every three years in adult social care, sooner when needs change.
- Good training is practical and backed by observed competency checks.
Sources
Practical moving and handling training
A one-day, hands-on course for care workers and carers, with hoist and transfer practice in our Liverpool skills room or on site for your team. Call 0151 305 9969.