Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC)

Developed by:  HSE (Health and Safety Executive)

Description: The Manual Handling Assessment Charts are assessments that can quickly identify risks associated with lifting or carrying objects at work. There are three sets of charts available to users: the first one evaluates lifting tasks performed by a single person, the second looks at held objects carried by a single person, and the third looks at objects lifted by two people working together. Each assessment is colour-coded into one of four categories: green (low risk), yellow (medium risk), red (high risk), and purple (unacceptable risk). These assessments all generally consider the weight of the object carried, the frequency of the lift, the lifter’s/carrier’s posture, and how easy the object is to hold; each assessment also has a few unique factors it assess (e.g. navigating obstacles during carrying tasks, ease of communication for two-person lifts). These assessments are intended to provide users insight into what controls should be implemented, if any. Each assessment contains a convenient step-by-step flowchart and clear pictures to help users new to performing ergonomic assessments.

Keywords: lifting, carrying, team lift, weight, distance, frequency, handling, charts, risk, user-friendly