UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / October 08, 2026 / When businesses assess manual handling tasks, weight is often the first thing considered. Yet the height at which a load has to be lifted, lowered or positioned can also make a significant difference to the physical demands placed on workers.

That is why Pallet Truck Shop is encouraging businesses to look beyond the number on the scales when deciding whether a manual handling task is still appropriate.

Health and Safety Executive guidance identifies large vertical movement, reaching upwards, working overhead and awkward postures among the factors that can increase the physical demands of manual handling. Its guidance also recommends considering whether handling aids are available when assessing tasks.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Pallet Truck Shop, said businesses can sometimes concentrate so heavily on load weight that other characteristics of the job receive less attention.

“A 20kg load doesn't tell you everything about a handling task. You also need to ask where the load starts, where it finishes and how often that movement happens.

“Lifting something from floor level to a comfortable working height is a very different task from repeatedly reaching upwards or trying to position a load at height. The distance and posture involved matter, as does the frequency of the task.

“That is where businesses should look at whether there is a handling aid that can make the job more suitable. A high lift pallet truck, stacker, or table truck, for example, may be worth considering where loads need to be raised or positioned as part of the operation.”

The HSE's manual-handling guidance does not set a single height at which a task becomes unsafe. Instead, employers are expected to assess the task and consider factors including the load, working environment, posture, frequency and the individual carrying out the work.

Chesworth added, “Before deciding what equipment is needed, it's worth looking at the whole movement rather than focusing on weight alone. Sometimes the height, frequency or posture tells you far more about the demands of the job.”

To find out more about Pallet Truck Shop, visit: www.pallettruckshop.co.uk.