Manual handling guideline weight calculator

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The HSE guideline figure for the lift you describe - hand height, distance from the body, twisting and frequency - and whether the actual load needs a detailed assessment.

Where the figures come from

The guideline weights are the filter figures in HSE guidance L23 on the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. They are set by where the hands are during the lift and whether the load is close to the body or at arm's length: for men, 25 kg close at waist height down to 5 kg at arm's length near the floor or above the shoulder; for women, roughly two-thirds of that. The guidance then reduces the figure for twisting (10% at 45°, 20% at 90°) and for frequency (30% at once every two minutes, 50% at once a minute, 80% at twice a minute or more). The tool applies exactly those adjustments.

What "guideline" means - and does not

These are not legal limits and there is no legal maximum weight. The regulations say avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assess what cannot be avoided, and reduce the risk. The guideline figures are a filter: below them, most lifts by most fit adults do not need a detailed assessment; above them, they do. Being within the figure does not make a lift safe for a particular person, on a particular day, over a particular route - that is what the assessment is for.

Two-person lifts

Two people can handle roughly two-thirds of the sum of their individual figures, not double, because they get in each other's way and one usually takes more than half. That is the figure shown. Team lifts need a plan and a lead who calls the lift, and the load needs to be something two people can actually grip.

Bags of cement, blocks and boards

The industry moved to 25 kg cement bags for a reason: a 25 kg bag lifted close at waist height is on the guideline line for men, and over it for everyone the moment it is lifted from a pallet on the floor or carried at arm's length. Dense concrete blocks over 20 kg, plasterboard sheets and kerbs are the common site loads that fail the filter, which is why they should be on the manual handling assessment. Our manual handling assessment guide works through the full method.

FAQs

What is the maximum weight you can lift at work in the UK?

There is no legal maximum. The HSE guideline figure of 25 kg for a man lifting close to the body at waist height is a filter for when a detailed assessment is needed, not a limit. The figure drops sharply for lifts near the floor, above the shoulder, at arm's length, with twisting or done frequently.

What is the guideline weight for women?

About two-thirds of the men's figures: 16 kg close to the body at waist height, down to 3 kg at arm's length near the floor or above the shoulder.

How much can two people lift together?

The HSE guidance suggests two people can handle about two-thirds of the sum of their individual guideline figures, so two men lifting close at waist height would have a guideline of around 33 kg, not 50.

Is a 25 kg bag of cement within the guideline?

Only just, and only when lifted close to the body at around waist height. Lifted from a pallet on the floor or carried at arm's length it is over the guideline and should be covered by a manual handling assessment.

Get the documents ready-made

Turn the result into a manual handling risk assessment your site can sign. The Manual Handling and Ergonomics Pack has the assessment, the MAC-style scoring sheet, the toolbox talk and the training record as editable Word documents.

General guidance only. This article explains how the rules generally work in UK construction. It is not advice for your specific site, task or project, and it is not legal advice. Your own risk assessment, method statement and arrangements must be prepared and checked by a competent person for the actual work being done.