Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — WorkSafe NZ

Manual handling health and safety obligations in New Zealand

Manual handling injuries — from lifting, pushing, pulling, and repetitive tasks — are among the most common workplace injuries in NZ. Here are your legal obligations and how to manage the risks.

📋 HSWA 2015, Section 36 + WorkSafe NZ Manual Tasks guidelines

What is manual handling?

Any task involving physical effort to move, hold, or restrain

Manual handling includes: lifting and lowering, pushing and pulling, carrying, holding and restraining, and repetitive tasks. It covers not just heavy lifting but also awkward postures, sustained force, and repetitive motion that can cause cumulative injury over time.

Your obligations as a PCBU

Identify, assess, and control manual handling risks

Under Section 36 of the HSWA, you must manage manual handling risks so far as is reasonably practicable. This means:

  • Identify tasks involving manual handling hazards
  • Assess the risk of musculoskeletal injury
  • Implement controls using the hierarchy
  • Train workers in safe manual handling techniques
  • Review controls when tasks or conditions change

Risk factors to assess

  • Force: how much effort is required? Is it sudden or sustained?
  • Posture: bending, twisting, reaching above shoulder height, working in confined spaces
  • Repetition: how often is the task performed? How many repetitions per shift?
  • Duration: how long does the task take? Are there adequate breaks?
  • Load characteristics: weight, size, stability, whether it has handles
  • Environment: floor surface, space available, temperature

Controls — hierarchy applied to manual handling

1
Eliminate: automate the task — conveyor belts, robotic lifting, automated packaging.
2
Substitute: use lighter materials, smaller packages, pre-positioned items closer to point of use.
3
Engineering: trolleys, hoists, lift tables, pallet jacks, slide sheets for patient transfers.
4
Administrative: job rotation, team lifts for heavy items, rest breaks, task redesign, safe work procedures.
5
PPE: back support belts (limited evidence of effectiveness — must not replace other controls).

Manual handling in healthcare and aged care

Patient and resident handling

Moving, transferring, and repositioning patients is one of the highest-risk manual handling activities. Facilities must:

  • Assess each resident's mobility and transfer needs
  • Document the safe handling plan in the care plan
  • Provide appropriate equipment (hoists, slide sheets, transfer belts)
  • Ensure staff are trained in equipment use and safe transfer techniques
  • Review plans when the resident's condition changes
Source: Health and Safety at Work Act 2015; WorkSafe NZ Manual Tasks guidelines. Full guidance at worksafe.govt.nz. This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a maximum weight workers can lift in NZ?
No. NZ law does not set a maximum weight limit. The obligation is to manage the risk — which means assessing factors like the weight, posture, frequency, and duration, and implementing controls to reduce the risk of injury.
Do I need to train all workers in manual handling?
Yes. Workers must be provided with information, training, instruction, and supervision appropriate to the manual handling hazards in their work. Training alone is not sufficient — it must be combined with engineering and administrative controls.
What if a worker has a pre-existing back injury?
Workers with pre-existing conditions may be at higher risk. You must still manage the risk for all workers. You may need to make reasonable adjustments to tasks or equipment. Consult an occupational therapist or physiotherapist for individual cases.
Do manual handling obligations apply to office workers?
Yes. Office workers can suffer manual handling injuries from prolonged sitting, poor workstation setup, carrying equipment, and repetitive keyboard tasks. Workstation ergonomics assessments are good practice for all desk-based workers.

Healthcare and aged care: keep your team safe

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