How Much Does Manual Handling Training Cost?
Manual handling training here costs A$49, paid once, and only if you want the certificate. In every one of the nine industry courses the eight modules and the 20-question assessment are free, so you find out whether the course suits you, and whether you pass, before spending anything. Below is what the fee covers, why it is charged last, how it compares with HLTWHS005 as a different product, and when it can and cannot be refunded.
Last reviewed September 2026 · Applies to all 9 courses.
Choose the course for your work
The answer below is the same whichever course you take. The tasks are not, so each course is written for one kind of work.
What the A$49 includes
One payment covers the certificate and everything attached to it. There is no subscription, no renewal fee and no charge for an employer to verify your certificate. The price is the same for all nine courses, so a warehouse picker, a childcare educator and an aged care worker each pay A$49 for the version written for their work.
The certificate records the date you completed the course, and there is no expiry to pay to extend. No Australian WHS law sets a single refresher interval for manual handling training, so when to retrain is a matter for your employer's own requirements.
Nothing is charged separately. Whichever course you choose, the A$49 pays for:
- All eight training modules, self-paced on a phone, tablet or computer
- The 20-question assessment, with unlimited attempts
- A personalised Certificate of Completion as a PDF, available immediately
- A copy of the certificate emailed to you
- A unique certificate number and QR code
- Online verification for employers, showing only your name, the course and the completion date
Why payment comes after you pass
Charging before the assessment would mean selling a certificate to people who have not yet shown the knowledge. Charging afterwards means the fee pays for a record of something you have already done, and you cannot be left out of pocket for a course that turned out not to be what you needed.
The assessment is 20 multiple-choice questions with a 75% pass mark. If you fall short, you can try again as often as you like at no cost, and each retry re-asks only the questions you answered wrongly. Once you have passed, you decide whether to buy the certificate; if all you wanted was the knowledge, you can stop there and pay nothing at all.
Your progress is saved on the device you use, so the 45–60 minutes can be spread across a few sittings, such as breaks between shifts, without starting again.
What the fee does not cover
The A$49 pays for evidence of theory knowledge, not for practical training. Hands-on instruction with a pallet jack, a ceiling hoist, a pram or a cleaning cart, and sign-off against your workplace's procedures, come from your employer whichever course you take.
Nor does the fee buy a qualification, because the course is non-accredited, sits outside the AQF and has not been endorsed by any regulator. It is priced as a theory certificate: one fee, with no ongoing costs.
How A$49 compares with HLTWHS005, a different product
The comparison people usually make is with HLTWHS005 Conduct manual tasks safely, which is not the same kind of training. That unit is delivered by a Registered Training Organisation, includes an assessed practical demonstration of manual tasks, and is commonly priced at A$100–A$200 per person, more for on-site group delivery. It leads to a Statement of Attainment rather than a Certificate of Completion.
A lower price does not make the two interchangeable. When a job advertisement, contract or course enrolment specifically asks for HLTWHS005, paying A$49 here will not meet that requirement. When an employer wants manual handling training and names no unit, this course gives you verifiable evidence of the theory for A$49, and the employer supplies the practical part. Ask whoever will read the certificate before you pay for either.
Neither option trains you on the particular equipment or building you work in. A labourer still needs site-specific instruction and a kitchen hand still needs to be shown the kitchen's own trolleys, so the cheaper option is only a saving if it is the one you actually need.
Refunds, and what is not offered yet
Because the certificate is delivered as soon as you pay, the A$49 is not refundable once your Certificate of Completion has been issued. That is the reason the full course and assessment are free first: you can confirm the course suits you before any payment is taken. If something goes wrong, for example you were charged but no certificate was issued, or you were charged twice, contact us and we will resolve it. Nothing in our refund policy limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
Pricing is per person. Group invoicing, bulk purchasing and central reporting are not offered yet, so each worker enrols and pays individually. Employers planning a rollout for a team should contact us first.
Common questions
Sources
- Safe Work Australia — Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks — The national code the state and territory regulators adopt or mirror.
- Safe Work Australia — Lifting, pushing and pulling (manual tasks)
- Safe Work Australia — Model WHS laws
General information about Australian work health and safety duties, not legal advice. Your employer’s procedures and the regulator in your state take precedence.
Ready to start?
Pick the course for your work and complete it at your own pace. You only pay A$49 if you pass and want the certificate.
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