# The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Note: Explanatory note

Extent: E+W+S

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
1 Subject to the exceptions specified in paragraph 2 below, these Regulations give effect as respects Great Britain to the substantive provisions of Council Directive 90/269/EEC on the minimum health and safety requirements for the manual handling of loads where there is a risk particularly of back injury to workers (OJ No. L 156, 21.6.90, p. 9)
2 These Regulations do not extend to sea transport (regulation 3); nor do they give effect to the first indent of article 6.1 of the Directive referred to in paragraph 1 above.
3 Regulation 4 requires each employer—
(a) so far as it is reasonably practicable to do so, to avoid the need for his employees to undertake manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured; or
(b) where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of their being injured—
(i) to assess all such manual handling operations to be undertaken by them having regard to Schedule 1 to these Regulations,
(ii) to reduce the risk of injury to those employees arising out of their undertaking any such manual handling operations to the lowest level reasonably practicable, and
(iii) to provide any of those employees who are undertaking any such manual handling operations with certain information about the loads to be carried by them; and
(c) in the circumstances specified in paragraph (2) of that regulation, to review (and where necessary change) any assessment such as is referred to in sub-paragraph (b)(i) above.
4 Regulation 2(1) defines, among other expressions, what is meant by “injury”, “injured” and “manual handling operations” and regulation 2(2) provides that where these Regulations impose duties on employers in respect of their employees those duties are also imposed on self-employed persons in respect of themselves.
5 Regulation 5 requires each employee while at work to make full and proper use of systems of work provided for his use by his employer in compliance with that employer’s duty under regulation 4(1)(b)(ii) of these Regulations.
6 Regulation 6 enables the Secretary of State for Defence to grant certificates of exemption from these Regulations in the interests of national security.
7 Regulation 7 extends the application of these Regulations to and in relation to certain premises and activities outside Great Britain.
8 Regulation 8 (together with Schedule 2) repeals a number of enactments and revokes a number of instruments.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/2793/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/manual-handling-operations-regulations-1992/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.