Module 7 of 85–7 minutes

Equipment, Aids and Mechanical Handling

Trolleys, barrows, carriers, lifters, hoists and licensed plant — what each is for, who may operate it, pre-use checks, tagging out defects, and where PPE fits.

Last reviewed September 2026 · Part of Manual Handling Training for Construction and Trades Workers

Key learning points

Recognise the manual handling aids and mechanical plant used on construction sites
Understand which equipment requires a licence and that this course is not one
Carry out appropriate pre-use checks
Know how to respond to faulty or unsuitable equipment
Place gloves and knee pads correctly in the hierarchy of controls

Common aids and equipment

Trolleys, sack trucks and platform trolleys: Bags, boxes, tile cartons, small plant — check wheels, and keep to firm surfaces or boards
Wheelbarrows and motorised barrows: Concrete, spoil, mortar, rubble — a motorised or tracked barrow takes the push out of long runs and slopes
Brick and block carriers: Tongs and carriers that move several units in one grip at waist height; block carriers for large units
Drywall carts and sheet handles: Move stacks of sheets on wheels; handles put the carrying hand at a better height
Panel and drywall lifters: Hold plasterboard or ply against a ceiling or high wall while it is fixed — no overhead holding
Vacuum lifters and suction cups: Glass, large-format pavers, stone and heavy sheet; check seals and the vacuum gauge before every lift
Material hoists and conveyors: Move materials between floors or up to a roof; may require a licence or verified competency depending on the type and your state
Telehandlers, forklifts and cranes: Powered mobile plant and lifting plant that land packs at the point of use — operated only by licensed or verified competent people
Scaffold lifts, trestles and platforms: Not lifting aids as such, but setting them at the right height is the main control for overhead and low work
Excavator with slings or attachments: Lowers pipe, lifts formwork and moves stacks around civil sites — operator and dogger arrangements apply

Licensed plant and the limits of this course

Cranes, most hoists, forklifts and telehandlers above certain capacities require a high risk work licence, and slinging loads for a crane requires dogging or rigging qualifications. This course is not a licence of any kind, it is not general construction induction (the White Card), and it does not teach you to operate any equipment. Only operate plant you are licensed for, or have been trained and verified as competent to use where a licence is not required, and only under your site's arrangements.

Rules that apply to all equipment

Only use equipment you are trained and authorised to use, and licensed for where the law requires it
Check it before each use — wheels, tyres, handles, brakes, straps, hooks, seals, gauges, controls
Know and respect the rated capacity; it is on the plate or in the manual, and it is not a target
Use the aid the SWMS or procedure names for that task — do not improvise a substitute
Follow the manufacturer's instructions, including the surfaces, gradients and wind conditions it is rated for
Keep aids where they will be used, so the choice is never between the aid across the site and carrying it now
Tag out and report defective equipment immediately, and do not use anything that is tagged
Never modify equipment, remove guards or extend a lifter beyond its design

Pre-use checks

Barrows and trolleys: tyre pressure, wheel bearings, handles tight, tray or deck not cracked
Panel lifters: winch cable or strap not frayed, brake holds under load, castors lock, cradle arms secure
Vacuum lifters and cups: pads clean and undamaged, gauge reads in the green, warning device works, lifting a test load a few centimetres first
Brick and block carriers: jaws, pivots and handles not bent or cracked, grip firm on the unit size in use
Hoists and conveyors: inspection tag current, guards in place, emergency stop works, landing gates secure
Slings and lifting gear: tag legible and in date, no cuts, kinks or corrosion — and only used by people qualified to sling

Gloves, knee pads and other PPE

Gloves protect against cuts, splinters, abrasion, cement burns and cold, and improve grip on rough materials; knee pads reduce contact pressure for floor trades. Both are worth wearing. Neither reduces the weight of a load, the number of repetitions or the reach involved, which is why PPE sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of controls. Anti-vibration gloves reduce cold and some high-frequency vibration but are not a substitute for a lower-vibration tool, sharp bits and limits on trigger time.

Practical scenario

Scenario: the flat tyre

The only wheelbarrow on a small job has a soft tyre. The concrete is due in twenty minutes and the pump is not coming. The labourer says he will manage.

What should happen?

Reveal the explanation

Pump the tyre, borrow or buy a barrow, or hold the concrete. A soft tyre roughly doubles the effort to push a loaded barrow and makes it dig in and tip on soft ground — each load becomes a high, sustained and possibly sudden force task. Twenty minutes is enough to fix a tyre; a back injury is not fixed in twenty minutes. Report the barrow so it is repaired or replaced rather than left for the next person.

Practical scenario

Scenario: the telehandler

The telehandler operator has gone to lunch and a pallet of blocks needs to go up to the scaffold. A second-year apprentice has watched him do it all week and offers to move it.

Is that acceptable?

Reveal the explanation

No. A telehandler is powered mobile plant, and depending on its capacity and configuration may require a high risk work licence; either way the apprentice is not trained, verified or authorised to operate it, and lifting a pallet to a scaffold is one of the higher-risk things it does. Wait for the operator, or have the supervisor arrange a licensed alternative. Watching is not training, and offering is not authorisation.

Knowledge check

These questions are for your own learning. They are not part of the final assessment.

1. A licensed operator is unavailable and an apprentice offers to move a pallet with the telehandler. What should you do?

2. Which pre-use check is appropriate for a vacuum lifter before lifting glass?

3. The winch strap on a panel lifter is frayed at one edge. What is the correct response?

4. Where do gloves and knee pads sit in managing manual task risk?