Manual Handling Training for Warehouse and Logistics Workers

Ireland's logistics and supply chain sector has grown significantly over the past decade, with large distribution facilities operating along the M1, M7, M50, and N25 corridors. The pace of work in these environments — with time pressure on picks and despatch schedules — increases the temptation to cut corners on lifting technique. The result is a predictable pattern of back, shoulder, and knee injuries that are costly for employers and devastating for workers.

Our warehouse and logistics manual handling course addresses the full range of physical tasks in the sector: picking items from floor-level racking, stacking pallets and cartons, moving wheeled cages and trolleys, loading and unloading vehicles, and using mechanical handling aids such as pallet trucks and scissor lifts. Participants learn when and how to use available aids, how to assess loads before handling them, and how to adjust technique for different working postures and surfaces.

The course runs for approximately half a day and includes both a theory component — covering HSA legislation, spinal anatomy, risk assessment, and accident causation — and an extended practical session with instructor-led exercises and individual feedback. Written and practical assessments confirm competence. Certificates are valid for 3 years.

On-site delivery in your warehouse means participants train in their actual working environment, with familiar loads and equipment. This dramatically improves retention and behaviour change compared with off-site training using generic props. We work around shift changes and can deliver multiple sessions across a day to cover all staff without halting operations.