Manual Task Risk Assessment Template for Australia

A Manual Task Risk Assessment is an essential workplace health and safety document that helps you identify, assess and control risks associated with manual handling activities in your workplace. Under Australian Work Health and Safety legislation, you have a legal duty to manage risks to worker health and safety, and this document provides a systematic framework to meet those obligations while protecting your workers from injury.

When do you need this document?

You need to complete a Manual Task Risk Assessment whenever you introduce new manual handling tasks, modify existing processes, or when workplace incidents occur. This includes activities like lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or holding objects, as well as repetitive movements that could cause musculoskeletal injuries. The assessment is also required when workers report discomfort or pain related to manual tasks, when new equipment is introduced, or during regular workplace safety reviews. Construction sites, warehouses, healthcare facilities, retail environments, and manufacturing operations commonly use these assessments to ensure compliance and worker safety.

Key legal considerations

Your Manual Task Risk Assessment must demonstrate that you have systematically identified hazards and assessed risks using accepted risk management principles. The document should include detailed analysis of physical demands on workers, workplace layout factors, environmental conditions, and systems of work. You need to document existing control measures and their effectiveness, then identify additional controls where risks remain unacceptable. The assessment must be conducted by competent persons with appropriate training and experience in workplace risk assessment. You're also required to consult with workers and their representatives during the assessment process, as they often have valuable insights into practical aspects of the tasks being assessed.

Legal requirements in Australia

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and supporting regulations, you must eliminate risks where reasonably practicable, or minimise them through appropriate control measures. The Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2011 provides specific guidance on conducting these assessments and implementing control measures. You must ensure that risk assessments are reviewed regularly, particularly when workplace conditions change or new information about risks becomes available. The assessment must be documented and retained as evidence of your compliance with WHS duties. Workers involved in manual tasks must be provided with appropriate information, training and instruction based on the assessment outcomes. State and territory WHS regulators may request these assessments during workplace inspections, and inadequate risk management can result in significant penalties for both organisations and individuals with WHS duties.