NEBOSH and Great Britain’s health and safety regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), have collaborated to develop a new qualification aimed at preventing one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders; manual handling.

The NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Manual Handling Risk Assessment is a one-day qualification, based on HSE’s best practice guidance and tools. The content will help you to identify and assess manual handling risk, and more importantly, prioritise controls to protect workers.

Who is it for?

The NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Manual Handling Risk Assessment is for anyone who gets involved with assessing and addressing manual handling risks. It is common for the following roles to have these responsibilities:

  • Health and safety professionals
  • Workplace champions
  • Employee representatives
  • Occupational health practitioners.

Employers looking for more information on how NEBOSH qualifications can benefit your organisation, can find out more on our NEBOSH Corporate Services page. 

NEBOSH HSE Manual Handling

“Taking the positive, achievable steps covered in this new qualification will help organisations prevent workplace MSD injuries and reduce related ill health.”

Matt Birtles Principal Ergonomist, HSE

Achieving this qualification will give you the confidence that your approach to manual handling risk assessment reflects HSE guidance and best practice

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) accounted for 8.9million lost working days in Great Britain in 2019/20 with manual handling estimated to be the main cause.

Course details

The qualification will help you to:

  • Explain the importance of reducing risks associated with manual handling activities
  • Understand responsibilities in relation to manual handling
  • Explain what manual handling risks are and how they may result in injury
  • Demonstrate and practice appropriate manual handling risk assessment technique
  • Apply wider elements of risk management for manual handling.

Using this qualification to build in-house expertise will help organisations:

  • Protect team members from one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disorders
  • Have confidence that the approach adopted to manual handling risk assessment reflects best practice and utilises HSE manual handling tools and templates.

The qualification content is outlined in more detail in the syllabus guide, that is available to download from the Resources section below.

Length of Course

This one-day qualification requires a minimum of six hours study with a recommendation of one hour for the assessment. This means it can be completed in just one day.

Assessment

A practical assessment is completed at the end of the course. After watching a video of a manual handling activity in a workplace, you will be asked to assess it using HSE tools and templates. Further detail is provided in the syllabus guide and Assessment Guidance documentation that are available to download from the Resources section below.

Assessment dates

Your assessment will normally take place at the end of the day’s training (if taught face to face). If you opt to study by distance or eLearning, you will complete the assessment once your course has been completed. Your Learning Partner will book the assessment, so you should contact them directly to confirm arrangements.

Assessment results

You will receive your results within 24 working days of sitting the assessments. Once you have achieved a pass, a qualification parchment will be issued. This is normally within 20 working days of the confirmation of the successful unit.

Professional Recognition

The qualification is intended to be broadly comparable to Level 6 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), comparable to RQF/CQFW Level 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

See the Qualifications Can Cross Boundaries chart issued by the UK regulators.

Valued by Employers

NEBOSH qualifications can play an important part in ensuring that the health and safety provision businesses have in place is effective. This may explain why many organisations choose to include NEBOSH qualifications on their competency matrices.

Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

It is important that learners have a suitable standard of English language to understand and articulate the concepts contained in the syllabus. NEBOSH recommends that learners undertaking this qualification should reach a minimum standard of English equivalent to an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 5.0 or higher in IELTS tests.

Read more about language requirements for NEBOSH qualifications.

Start Studying

Choose a Learning Partner

Every learner must register with a NEBOSH accredited Learning Partner and undertake the relevant learning before taking an assessment and gaining a qualification. It is not possible to self-study for a NEBOSH qualification.
Our global network of Learning Partners provide excellent learning and support and will help you prepare for your assessments. You can search for Learning Partners in our Where to Study section, and can filter the results by multiple factors, such as location and mode of study.

You should ensure that the Learning Partner you choose offers the qualification in the way you want to study. We recommend that you explore your options before selecting a Learning Partner as it is an important personal choice.
The factors you may wish to consider include:

  • Mode of Study – Options available include face to face, distance learning, in-company training and eLearning. Has one method of learning been more effective for you in the past?
  • Course Structure – If you opt for classroom training, would you prefer day or evening classes, block release or a modular course?
  • Location – Being able to study and sit your examinations locally may be an important consideration for you. NEBOSH examinations are taken in over 130 countries.
  • On-going support – Will the support provided during your qualification and in the run up to your assessments match your expectations?

FIND A LEARNING PARTNER

Cost

Each Learning Partner sets their own fees to reflect the service offered. We recommend you contact several Learning Partners to establish what their fees are and what is included in the fee. Costs can vary depending on the mode of study, the level of support given, and the inclusion of examination registration fees, for example.

Read more about our Learning Partner Programme and how to choose the right Learning Partner for you: Choosing a NEBOSH Learning Partner.

What next?

If this is your first NEBOSH Certificate-level qualification, you may be interested in taking another NEBOSH Certificate qualification, such as the NEBOSH National or International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

For those wishing to study at a higher level, the NEBOSH Diplomas or Masters qualification offer the opportunity to gain one of the sector’s most prestigious qualifications.

Resources

This section provides guidance and useful information in support of this qualification.

If you would like any further information please get in touch through our Contact Us page - our Customer Enquiry Team will be happy to help.

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