Frequently asked questions on labelling loads

Our warehouse employees handle products that are similar in size but will vary in weight depending on model number. Do we have to mark them with a precise weight?

Not necessarily, if your products cannot easily be marked. As your workforce will be familiar in their regular work with the basic product and its variations, their job training could provide information on the weight and nature of these typical loads and that would be an acceptable alternative to marking the loads.

However you should still try to give precise weight information about any item that is unfamiliar to the workforce and heavier than usual; particularly if these products (in their packaging, if applicable) look the same as the ones that are handled frequently.

We supply our products to other firms where we know they are manually handled. Do we need to mark the weight on our products even though our own employees do not manually handle them?

This would be good practice if it is reasonably practicable to do so and where handling the load would be likely to involve a risk of injury. Mark loads clearly with their weight and if the loads are unbalanced, an indication of their heaviest side. Remember you should also make loads as easy to grasp and handle as possible, e.g. by adding handles, hand grips or indents where appropriate.

On the farm we have to handle live sheep for sheep shearing and dipping purposes. What information do we have to provide about their weight?

It would not be practical to weigh and mark the weight on each animal, but the weight of an adult sheep will not vary hugely within a particular breed. So you can give handlers a good idea of the weights involved when you train them about handling techniques. Manual handling of large animals will require full risk assessment, as there are several hazards involved.

In our depot some things arrive with the weight marked on them and others don’t. Are we expected to mark the weights on all unmarked items?

Not necessarily. Small, light items would not have to be marked, as the regulations are only concerned with hazardous manual handling. For heavier things, a general indication of the range of load weights likely to be encountered is all that is required - unless the items can be marked easily when they arrive. Training can be used to give general indications about load weights and to teach staff to be cautious when handling unmarked loads, and test loads prior to lifting.

How can refuse collection operations meet the requirement for marking the weights of loads?

Clearly it would not be reasonably practicable to mark these loads or provide any precise information about their weights. Instead, job training could include information on the likely range of weights that refuse sacks, bins and recycling boxes may have. Staff can also be taught techniques to estimate whether a load is safe to lift, such as rocking the load from side to side.

My employees handle materials such as timber and sand that are unmarked and can also change weight in wet weather. What should I do to provide information?

You should provide general information about the range of weights likely to be encountered, and train employees on how to assess weight and to lift safely. Many loose materials are now supplied in containers or sacks that are suitably sized for most employees to handle safely but some individuals may need to be discouraged from trying to move several items at once.

Our staff do household removals and we cannot ensure they are told the weight of all the loads they lift.

Here it would not be reasonably practicable to provide any precise information. Training could be used to teach staff to be cautious when handling unmarked loads, and test loads prior to lifting.

If possible an indication of any unusually heavy furniture or boxes could be requested from the customers. Simply labelling such items as "Heavy" could be a useful reminder and would help to meet the requirement on you to provide general indications of weights of loads. Staff could be taught to always use lifting aids or team lifting for items marked as heavy.

Some of my employees handle bulk quantities of small items by pushing them around on trolleys. What weight information has to be provided?

For tasks that involve pushing or pulling rather than lifting or carrying, you may not need to provide weight information, because the weight of each item is not so relevant to the risk. What matters is the amount of force required to move the load, which depends on things like the suitability and condition of the trolley (wheels and handles), the smoothness of the floor and whether it is level or sloping.

There is no requirement to give force information to employees. Instead, you should concentrate on reducing risks by providing good trolleys and working conditions and training staff in pushing/pulling techniques. However you should train staff not to overload their trolleys, for example how to recognise when they reach the safe working load for the equipment they are using.