Manual handling injury statistics UK

Manual handling can cause sudden injuries and contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that develop over time. Those are different measures: an accident report is not the same as a survey estimate of people living with a work-related condition.

This guide explains the latest HSE figures for Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. The main injury and MSD figures cover 2024/25; they are not a count of manual handling injuries across the whole UK.

Reviewed 15 October 2026. HSE statistics cover Great Britain. Non-fatal injury and ill-health figures are for 2024/25 or the stated multi-year average; fatal figures are 2025/26 provisional. Cost estimates refer to 2023/24.

Key facts & figures (overview)

  • 17% of RIDDOR-reported non-fatal employee injuries involved handling, lifting or carrying in 2024/25.
  • 59,219 non-fatal employee injuries of all kinds were reported under RIDDOR in 2024/25.
  • 511,000 workers had a self-reported work-related MSD, new or long-standing, in 2024/25.
  • 27% of work-related ill-health cases were MSDs in 2024/25.
  • 7.1 million working days were lost to work-related MSDs in 2024/25.
  • 173,000 estimated new work-related MSD cases arose in 2024/25.
  • 14 days were lost per MSD case on average in 2024/25.
  • 43% of work-related MSD cases mainly affected the back in 2024/25.

How common are manual handling injuries?

Handling, lifting or carrying was the second-largest accident category in the 2024/25 RIDDOR non-fatal employee injury figures, at 17%. Same-level slips, trips and falls accounted for 30%.

The broader LFS estimated 680,000 workers with a non-fatal workplace injury of any kind in 2024/25. Applying the RIDDOR 17% share to that survey total would mix datasets and does not establish a national manual-handling injury count.

Which body parts are most affected?

The 2024/25 LFS estimates describe all work-related MSDs, including conditions caused or aggravated by factors other than manual handling.

  • Back: 221,000 cases, or 43%.
  • Upper limbs or neck: 211,000 cases, or 41%.
  • Lower limbs: 78,000 cases, or 15%.

These are rounded estimates, so the components need not add exactly to the published total. The back accounted for 41% of MSD-related days lost; that is a share of absence, not a measure of how often lifting caused the condition.

Working days lost to manual handling injuries

Work-related MSDs caused an estimated 7.1 million lost working days in Great Britain in 2024/25: about 14 days per case and 20% of all days lost to work-related ill health.

The separate total for all work-related ill health and workplace injury was 40.1 million days. Neither total can be described as absence caused solely by manual handling.

Which industries have the highest rates?

HSE uses three-year averages to make sector comparisons more reliable. In 2022/23–2024/25, these sectors had statistically higher work-related MSD rates than the all-industry average of 1,180 per 100,000 workers:

  • Construction: 2,000 per 100,000 workers.
  • Transportation and storage: 1,800 per 100,000.
  • Administrative and support services: 1,700 per 100,000.

These rates cover all work-related MSDs. They do not show that a fixed share of construction conditions, warehouse injuries or healthcare illnesses was caused by lifting.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – the bigger picture

MSDs can affect muscles, joints and associated tissues. Force, awkward postures, repetition, vibration and insufficient recovery can interact; manual handling is one risk factor.

The 511,000 total includes new and long-standing conditions. The estimate of 173,000 new cases measures people first becoming aware of their illness during the previous year. HSE describes rates in the latest three years as similar to the pre-pandemic 2018/19 level, rather than evidence of a clear new trend.

The cost of manual handling injuries to UK businesses

HSE estimates the cost to Great Britain of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill health at £22.9 billion in 2023/24. This combines costs borne by individuals, employers and government, including effects on quality of life. It is not an employer-only or manual-handling-only estimate.

For an individual business, relevant costs can include absence, replacement cover, disrupted work and damaged goods. The consequences depend on the incident; a national average compensation award or a universal cost per lifting injury would be misleading.

Manual handling injuries by cause

Assess the work system as well as the worker’s technique. Relevant factors include:

  • Heavy, unstable, bulky or difficult-to-grip loads.
  • Frequent handling, long carrying distances or inadequate recovery.
  • Twisting, reaching, restricted space and unsuitable working heights.
  • Poor floors, obstacles and handling aids that are unavailable or unsuitable.
  • The worker’s capability and any adjustments required for the task.

Manual handling law in the UK

In Great Britain, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to avoid hazardous handling where reasonably practicable, assess what cannot be avoided and reduce the remaining risk as far as reasonably practicable. Northern Ireland has separate legislation.

There is no universal legal maximum lifting weight. Risk depends on the task, load, environment and individual, not weight alone. A training certificate does not replace assessment or suitable equipment. Report injuries under RIDDOR when the relevant criteria are met.

Reducing manual handling injuries: what works

For employers

Change the task first: remove unnecessary handling, use suitable aids and improve load size, storage height and access. Consult workers, provide task-specific instruction and check that controls work in practice. Online awareness can support this process but cannot replace practical assessment of the work.

For workers

Use the agreed method and available equipment. Plan the movement, keep the load close where possible and turn with your feet instead of twisting. HSE advises some bending of the back, hips and knees at the start of a basic lift, rather than a rigid “straight back” rule. Stop and seek help if the load or situation cannot be managed safely.

Written by workplace safety experts

This guide was produced by the team at Manual Handling Training, a UK provider of RoSPA-approved and CPD-accredited online manual handling courses.

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Mark McShane
Mark McShane
Health & Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace health & safety, manual handling and accredited online training for Manual Handling Training, part of Online CPD Academy.