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TILE assessment

Manual handling assessment

Work through the task, individual, load and environment, check the weight against the HSE guideline figures, and print a manual handling...

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Assessment details

T

Task

How the load is moved — the job itself.

Low
Does it involve twisting or stooping?
Does it involve twisting or stooping?
Is the load held away from the body?
Is the load held away from the body?
Is there a long carrying distance (more than 10 m)?
Is there a long carrying distance (more than 10 m)?
Is the lifting frequent or repetitive?
Is the lifting frequent or repetitive?
Does it involve strenuous pushing or pulling?
Does it involve strenuous pushing or pulling?
Is handling done above shoulder or below knee height?
Is handling done above shoulder or below knee height?
Is team handling needed to move the load?
Is team handling needed to move the load?
I

Individual

The person doing the handling.

Low
Does the task require unusual strength or height?
Does the task require unusual strength or height?
Is the worker a new/expectant mother, young or inexperienced?
Is the worker a new/expectant mother, young or inexperienced?
Does the worker have an existing injury or health condition?
Does the worker have an existing injury or health condition?
Are there gaps in manual handling training?
Are there gaps in manual handling training?
Does PPE restrict movement or grip?
Does PPE restrict movement or grip?
L

Load

The object being handled.

Low
Is the load heavy? (capture the approximate weight below)
Is the load heavy? (capture the approximate weight below)
Is it bulky or unwieldy?
Is it bulky or unwieldy?
Is it difficult to grip?
Is it difficult to grip?
Are the contents unstable or liable to shift?
Are the contents unstable or liable to shift?
Does it have sharp, hot or otherwise hazardous edges?
Does it have sharp, hot or otherwise hazardous edges?
Check the weight against the HSE guideline figure

Figures assume the load is held close to the body. If it is held away from the body, the figure is roughly halved.

E

Environment

Where the handling happens.

Low
Are floors uneven, wet or slippery?
Are floors uneven, wet or slippery?
Are there steps or slopes on the route?
Are there steps or slopes on the route?
Are there space constraints (cramped, restricted posture)?
Are there space constraints (cramped, restricted posture)?
Is lighting poor?
Is lighting poor?
Is the temperature, ventilation or weather extreme?
Is the temperature, ventilation or weather extreme?
Are there variations in floor levels along the route?
Are there variations in floor levels along the route?

Document control

Who owns this document and when it gets looked at again — the evidence reviewers check first.

Name, role and company are remembered on this device only — nothing is sent to us.

Appears on every printed document — saved on this device only, never uploaded.
Assessment completion0 of 4

Next: Task being assessed

Answer the TILE prompts and enter a load weight to build a printable manual handling assessment record with suggested controls.

Manual handling and the law

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) set out a clear duty order for handling that carries a risk of injury — avoid, assess, reduce:

  • Avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable — can the load be moved mechanically, or not at all?
  • Assess any handling that can't be avoided, using factors covering the task, the individual, the load and the environment.
  • Reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable, starting with the most significant factors.

What TILE means

TILE is the memory aid for the four things you weigh up in a manual handling assessment:

  • Task — twisting, stooping, carrying distance, repetition, pushing and pulling, working above the shoulder or below the knee.
  • Individual — the person's capability, including new and expectant mothers, younger or inexperienced workers, health conditions and training.
  • Load — weight, size, shape, grip, stability and any hazardous edges.
  • Environment — floors, steps and slopes, space, lighting, temperature and level changes along the route.

Guideline weights are not legal limits

UK manual handling law does not set a fixed maximum weight. HSE publishes guideline figures as a quick filter: for a lift close to the body at waist (knuckle) height the guideline figure is about 25 kg for a man and 16 kg for a woman. The figures fall in less favourable zones — roughly 20 kg / 13 kg at elbow or knee height and 10 kg / 7 kgabove shoulder height or below knee level — and are roughly halved when the load is held away from the body. Handling while seated is much lower again, about 5 kg / 3 kg.

Going over the relevant guideline figure does not make a lift illegal. It means the operation should be assessed in more detail — and if the weight is more than roughly double the guideline figure, most workers will be at real risk and the task needs reworking. The guideline figures assume reasonable working conditions and a stable body posture.

When to use the full HSE MAC tool

This page is a filter-level assessment — enough to screen everyday handling and record your decision. For tasks that are heavy, awkward, repetitive or otherwise higher-risk, use the HSE Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC tool), which scores lifting, carrying and team handling in more detail, or bring in a competent assessor.

Source: HSE guidance on manual handling at work, the simple manual handling risk filters and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (guidance L23).

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