Manual handling is a common cause of work-related Musculoskeletal disorders, which accounted for 26% of work-related ill health in 2025, according to HSE Statistics.
For commercial vehicle drivers, manual handling is often a daily activity. But even company car drivers are frequently responsible for loading product samples, exhibition equipment or other heavy items into their boot.
Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, all employers must take steps to avoid, assess, and reduce the risk of injury from manual handling tasks. This includes establishing a safe system of work for employees who carry out manual handling operations away from the workplace, such as delivering goods, and providing manual handling training which is relevant to the type of work carried out, such as loading and unloading vehicles.
E-Training World’s new online driver training module is specifically designed to train employees in the importance of safe manual handling, with tips and techniques to protect themselves and avoid injury. The interactive e-learning module covers how to approach manual handling by assessing the load and the lift, planning the route, maintaining safe posture and lifting technique, and safely loading and unloading vehicles.
“For many drivers, manual handling is a regular part of their role and can include heavy lifting and unloading of large loads,” comments Graham Hurdle, managing director of E-Training World. “Responsible fleet managers recognise that they don’t just need to train their drivers in safe driving techniques, they also need to train them in associated tasks such as manual handling.
By training drivers to use safe lifting techniques and load and unload vehicles safely, employers can demonstrate their commitment to protecting their drivers from injury, protecting their goods from damage and proactively managing risk across their organisation.”
E-Training World is the company that pioneered online driver profiling and training. As well as serving some of the largest fleet operators in the UK, they provide branded/white-labelled systems to many of the best-known companies in the fleet sector. These include insurance companies, fleet management specialists, accident management providers, driver training businesses, vehicle rental specialists and other fleet sector suppliers.
