How Often Does Manual Handling Training Need to Be Refreshed in Ireland?
If your staff lift, carry, push or pull loads at work, Irish law says they need manual handling training. The rules are in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. But how often should that training be repeated?
There's no fixed legal date, but there is a duty
The regulations don't set an expiry date. They do require training that's suitable and kept up to date. Most employers and insurers treat three years as the standard refresher cycle.
Refresh sooner if anything changes
Retrain staff when:
- They move to a new role with different tasks
- You bring in new equipment, loads or layouts
- Someone is injured or there's a near miss
- Your risk assessment shows a new hazard
- A staff member returns after a long absence or injury
Generic training isn't enough
Training should match the actual tasks your staff do. A video of someone lifting a box won't help a cleaner moving a floor buffer or a retail worker unloading a pallet. That's why onsite training, using your own loads and spaces, gives the best results.
Keep records
Note who was trained, when, by whom and on which tasks. If there's an injury claim or an inspection, those records matter.
Power2Me delivers onsite manual handling training anywhere in Ireland, taught by an approved Manual Handling Instructor.