Module 5 of 86–8 minutes

Safe Movement Principles

How to plan a lift or a push, keep loads close and controlled, avoid twisting, work as a pair, and know when not to lift at all.

Last reviewed September 2026 · Part of Manual Handling Training for Hospitality and Retail Workers

Key learning points

Plan a task before starting it
Apply principles of stable, controlled movement to lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling
Carry out a team lift safely
Recognise personal limits and the situations where you should not lift
Understand why no single technique suits every situation

Plan before you move

Know what you are moving, where it is going and how far
Test the load first — tip a corner of the carton, rock the crate, feel whether the contents shift
Check the path — doors propped or held, floor dry, no stock, cords or customers in the way
Decide whether this needs a trolley, a step stool, a second person or no lift at all
Split the load where you can — half a carton twice is safer than a full carton once
Clear the landing spot before you pick up, so you are not holding the load while you make room
Agree words and roles if two of you are moving it

Lifting and lowering

Stand close with your feet apart, one slightly forward, weight balanced
Get a proper grip — hands under the base of a carton, not on the flaps; both hands on a crate
Keep the load close to your body throughout; the further out it is, the heavier it acts on your back
Bend at the hips and knees rather than rounding your back, but let the height of the load decide the posture
Lift smoothly — no snatching, no jerking, no swinging the load into place
Keep the heaviest work between knee and shoulder height wherever the layout allows
Turn by moving your feet, never by twisting your spine while holding the load
Lower with the same control as you lifted, and watch your fingers at the bottom

Pushing and pulling

Push rather than pull wherever possible — you can see where you are going and use your body weight
Keep your hands between waist and chest height on the handle or the frame of the cage
Lean in and let your legs do the work; do not strain with your arms alone
Start slowly — the first push takes the most force, and a stuck wheel is where sudden force injuries happen
Never pull a loaded trolley or cage backwards down a ramp or over a threshold
Keep the load below eye level so you can see customers, children and obstacles
Move one trolley or cage at a time unless your workplace procedure specifically allows more

Carrying

Carry only what you can control — a stack of plates or a tray you cannot balance is a drop and a strain waiting to happen
For anything further than a few metres, use a trolley, tray jack or cart rather than your arms
Do not carry loads up or down stairs if a lift, ramp or hatch exists; if you must, keep one hand free for the rail
Keep your view clear — a bulky carton you cannot see over is a trip hazard for you and a collision for someone else
Take breaks between carries; sustained carrying fatigues grip and shoulders quickly

Team lifts — kegs, large cartons, furniture, full bins

Before: Agree one person to lead and call the moves. Walk the route together. Check both of you can grip the load properly and that you are of roughly similar height or have adjusted for it
Lift: Lift on the leader's count — for example 'ready, brace, lift' — so both sides come up together and level
Move: Move slowly, facing the direction of travel where possible, and keep talking: 'step', 'door', 'stopping'
Lower: Lower on the leader's count, together, and keep hands clear as the load meets the surface
Stop: Either person can call stop at any time. If the load shifts or one person struggles, lower it to the nearest safe surface and reassess

There is no universal lifting technique

Safe movement depends on the load, the space, the equipment and your workplace procedures. The posture that suits lifting a carton from a pallet is useless for placing 2 litre juice on a top shelf, and neither applies to moving a keg — which should not be lifted by hand at all.

When not to lift

When you cannot see over or around the load
When you cannot get a secure grip, or the item is greasy, wet or frozen
When you do not know how heavy it is and cannot safely test it
When it is a keg, a full stock pot, hot oil or anything your procedure says is a two-person or equipment task
When you would have to twist, reach across something or lift above your shoulders
When the floor is wet, the light is poor or the path is blocked
When you are already fatigued, sore or carrying an injury
When you have not been shown how, or the equipment you need is missing

Practical scenario

Scenario: the carton that feels wrong

You are lifting a carton of cooking oil from a pallet. As it clears the stack it feels much heavier than the last one, and you hear the bottles shift inside.

What should you do?

Reveal the explanation

Stop. Do not try to finish the lift or adjust your grip in mid-air. Lower the carton back onto the pallet or the nearest solid surface, step back and reassess. It may be a different pack size, a damaged carton or a leaking bottle. Get the trolley, split the carton, or get a second person. Pushing through a lift that has changed underneath you is exactly how sudden-force injuries happen.

Practical scenario

Scenario: the roll cage on the dock ramp

A loaded roll cage needs to come down the back dock ramp into the store. A colleague suggests you walk in front and pull it down backwards so it cannot run away.

Is that a safe method?

Reveal the explanation

No. Walking downhill in front of a loaded cage puts you where it will go if it gets away, and pulling backwards down a slope with no view is how people are run over and crushed against door frames. Stay on the uphill side, keep the cage below you and control it with both hands, use two people for a heavy cage, and check the brake and the ramp surface first. If the ramp is too steep to control a loaded cage safely, that is a hazard to report — the answer may be a pallet jack, a lighter load or a dock leveller, not more effort.

Knowledge check

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

1. Which statement about lifting technique is correct?

2. Which set of steps matters most in a two-person lift?

3. Partway through lifting a carton it feels far heavier than expected and the contents shift. What should you do?

4. When moving a loaded roll cage or trolley, which is the safer method?