This article will explain the manual handling as an activity in the workplace. It will also discuss the rational of why manual handling training is critical from employers and employees perspective. Let’s imagine a situation when we are about to do something, especially something nice or something that would result in benefits. How would we respond to that? I can assume the motivation and willingness would be quite strong for taking the action. For example putting an effort to plan holidays, or getting some additional, temporary job for the good profit. Anytime we foresee benefits as a result of an effort we tend to approach to it in positive way. But what if we are told that we must do something, especially when we think that there is nothing for us in it? That would naturally create resistance and barrier to avoid such effort. In a workplace the example of the activity we are “forced” to take, could be the attendance of manual handling training. We are just told by our boss or HR Department that we must attend MH training and that’s it. I have come across number of times a situation when seeing manual handling training participants with no motivation and interest whatsoever. Why does that happen? My answer to that is that people tend to not to see benefits for themselves. When asked “what’s in it for me” they do not spot the rationale to justify the effort made, while attending the training session. It is often perceived as a waste of time. Sometimes people say – “it is irrelevant to my workplace”; “I work in the office so I do not need to do that” or “Injury? Ah, it’s not going to happen to me…”. Plenty of justifications. Simple question to be asked - Why do we need to attend the manual handling training, then? Before we try to find the answer to that, let’s have a look on what the manual handling is actually about. Manual handling is any activity involving lifting, carrying, putting down, pushing, pulling or supporting the load by one or more persons. This is a simplified definition. These types of activities happen everywhere. Doesn’t really matter if you are an office staff, shop assistant or a warehouse operative, there is always requirement to lift, push or pull a load. Attending a manual handling training is required by let’s say three formal aspects: Legal, Financial Moral These are briefly discussed below: Legal one is dictated by the Irish Legal Acts. Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 Regulations 2007, Manual Handling of Loads These two legislations put an obligation on employer to ensure the staff is trained to follow manual handling principles. There are also some obligations for employees. The next one is Financial. That means that financial requirement is to prevent among the others financial hit, which might include legal and compensation cost, increase in direct costs – to cover absence and more. Moral requirement in simple words means that nobody would like to be responsible for someone’s accident and injury. Let’s take a pause here and ask the question – “what’s in it for me?” “I am the employee so I don’t care about legal costs, legislation and so on”. “This is my employer’s job to go through all of this not me” – someone could say. Indeed there are loads of requirements put mainly on employer to ensure safe system of work and all relevant trainings provided. Legislation also mention that staff must attend safety trainings, including manual handling. If refused that could result in disciplinary action leading up to and including dismissal. That seems to not to explain a lot and looks like to be in the starting point where manual handling training is nothing like a “must” activity. Manual Handling Training provides good standards and principles on how to perform manual handling activities in a safe manner. Manual Handling training contributes towards minimising a risk of above implications discussed above like financial, legal and moral. There is also one and the most important factor. Manual handling training by providing standards and principles contributes towards minimising a risk of a personal injury. This is the factor that should bother both employers and employees. From the organisational perspective avoiding an injury in a workplace might save costs, problems linked to breach of legislation and moral responsibility of someone’s injury. From each individual’s perspective it is about of preventing the injury as we have only one health and one life. Lack of standards and principles of manual handling in the workplace might result in long term injury, which will affect your entire life. The areas like social life, sport, family personal growth and development, your financial position. Everything can be affected once injured and not to go in direction we wanted. So please do attend manual handling training session not only because you are told by your boss to do so, but do that for the sake of your own health and the standard of your life!!! Please remember that the only person responsible for your own safety is you…