What Is Manual Handling? TILE Explained (UK)

Manual handling means moving or supporting a load by hand or bodily force, lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying. It causes more than a third of workplace injuries in Britain, almost all to the back. This guide explains what it is, what TILE means, and how to assess it.

What counts as manual handling

Any lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying of a load by hand or bodily force. It covers the obvious, such as carrying bags of plaster, and the less obvious, such as pushing a loaded trolley or holding a tool in an awkward position.

What TILE stands for

TILE is the simple way to remember the four things to look at when assessing a lift:

1. Task. Does it involve twisting, stooping, reaching up, long distances or repetitive movement?
2. Individual. Does it need unusual strength, or put a pregnant or young worker at more risk?
3. Load. Is it heavy, bulky, hard to grip, unstable or sharp?
4. Environment. Are there space constraints, uneven floors, steps, poor lighting or extremes of temperature?

Some trainers add an extra E and call it TILEO or LITE, where the O is other factors such as personal protective equipment that restricts movement. The four core factors are the same.

The law

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 set a clear order: first avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, then assess what cannot be avoided, then reduce the risk of injury. Our guide to the 1992 Regulations explains the duty in full.

How to assess a lift

Run through TILE for the task, decide the controls, such as smaller loads, lifting aids or two person lifts, and record it. For the full method and a worked example, see our manual handling risk assessment guide. Our template gives you the form to record it.