NEBOSH & HSE team up to tackle one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders

A new qualification aimed at preventing one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders; manual handling has been created by Great Britain’s health and safety regulator, NEBOSH and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) accounted for 8.9 million lost working days in Great Britain in 2019/20 with manual handling estimated to be the main cause. 0.5 million workers suffered from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder in 2020/21, with a cost to organisations and to the UK economy. This is a global problem; the World Health Organisation estimates 1.71 billion people experience musculoskeletal conditions worldwide, three in five workers in Europe report MSD complaints, more than half of US adults experience an MSD and it’s estimated that they cost countries between 0.5-2% of Gross National Product.

The new NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Manual Handling Risk Assessment is a one-day qualification which is based on the Health and Safety Executive’s best practice guidance and tools. It focuses on practical solutions to help recognise, assess, and manage manual handling risks. On completion of the course, learners will be required to undertake a manual handling risk assessment, based on a selection of video case studies, to put their new knowledge to the test.

Matt Powell-Howard, NEBOSH Head of Product Development, commented: “Many organisations jump straight to providing training on manual handling – how to lift etcetera. In developing this qualification we’re encouraging organisations to take a step back and take the time to effectively risk assess their manual handling activities. By doing so they may be able to eliminate or reduce an activity and, if manual handling is required, then they’ll have all the information they need to protect their workers.”

The NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Manual Handling Risk Assessment is available to study now via NEBOSH’s global network of Learning Partners.