QQI Manual Handling study plan

State the core duties imposed on employers by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, including the general duties of the employer under section 8, and explain how they apply to manual handling activity

Identify the key provisions of Part 4 of the General Application Regulations 2007 dealing with manual handling of loads, including the threshold for risk assessment and the duty to avoid, assess and reduce risk

Distinguish between the employer's duty to prepare and update a written safety statement and the employee's duties under section 13, listing at least five employee obligations

Outline the role of the Health and Safety Authority in enforcement, including improvement notices, prohibition notices and prosecution, and describe the general penalty structure

Map each legal requirement to a practical manual handling control (elimination, assessment, training, equipment, monitoring) in a one-page table

Describe the five steps of the risk assessment process and apply them in writing to a manual handling task of your choice

Compile a hazard inventory covering load, individual, task and environment factors, giving at least three concrete examples of each

Explain the risk factors the Regulations require to be considered, including load weight and position, frequency of lifting, distance carried, posture, and the characteristics of the working environment

Calculate a simple risk score using a likelihood-by-severity matrix and justify the rating you assign to at least three identified hazards

Draft prioritised control measures following the hierarchy of control, showing where elimination or mechanisation replaces manual handling

Label the main structures of the spine, including the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal regions, and state the number of vertebrae in each region

Describe the function of the intervertebral disc, including the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus, and explain how sustained flexion and compressive load affect it

Explain the concept of the neutral spine and identify the natural spinal curves that a safe lifting posture aims to preserve

Compare the biomechanical demands of lifting with a bent back versus lifting with bent knees and a neutral spine in terms of spinal compression and shear

Identify the major muscle groups involved in lifting, including the erector spinae, abdominal muscles, gluteals and hamstrings, and state each group's contribution

Analyse at least six manual handling hazard scenarios and identify the dominant risk factor in each, such as awkward posture, high frequency, heavy load or poor grip

Demonstrate and describe the sequence of a safe two-handed lift from floor level: assess, prepare, position feet, neutral spine, grip, lift with legs, keep load close, and move smoothly

Explain why keeping the load close to the body reduces the moment arm and spinal compressive force, and apply this to a carrying task

Describe safe technique for lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying and turning with a load, and state the key differences from a straight lift

Identify at least four common lifting errors and explain the specific injury mechanism each creates

Explain the principles of safe handling technique for pushing and pulling, including body position, stance, and why pushing is generally preferred to pulling

Select appropriate mechanical aids for at least five given scenarios, choosing from sack trucks, pallet trucks, hoists, slide sheets, trolleys and conveyors, and justify each choice

State the pre-use checks required before using a hoist or patient-handling aid, including sling inspection, SWL markings and brake function

Describe the safe use of a slide sheet and a hoist for a horizontal transfer, including the number of staff normally required and the communication points

Explain the limitations of mechanical aids and the circumstances in which they must not be used, such as damaged equipment or loads exceeding the safe working load

Describe the roles of the leader and the other team members during a two-person and a four-person lift, and state the commands used to coordinate the lift

Explain why team lifting does not double the safe load per person and identify the coordination risks that team lifting introduces

Apply ergonomic principles to adjust a workstation or task to the individual, covering working height, reach, lighting, floor surface and space

Design a preventative back care routine covering posture at work, microbreaks, warm-up and load rotation, and justify each element

Evaluate a given work area against ergonomic criteria and propose at least five specific improvements with the risk each one reduces

Describe the reporting chain for a workplace accident or manual handling injury, including immediate reporting to the employer and recording in the accident book

State the employer's duty to report certain accidents and dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Authority and identify which categories are notifiable

Explain the purpose of health surveillance and pre-placement assessment for manual handling roles, and distinguish these from general medical screening

List the records an employer should retain for manual handling, including risk assessments, training records, equipment inspections and accident reports, and state a reasonable retention period for each

Revisit the legal framework and explain how reporting, investigation and record keeping close the loop on the employer's duties under the 2005 Act

Synthesise the full manual handling control cycle from legal duty through risk assessment, safe technique, equipment, team coordination and incident review

Complete a timed mock examination under exam conditions and mark it against the syllabus weightings to identify weak domains

Revisit and correct every error from the mock, writing a short explanation of the correct answer for each mistake

Produce a condensed one-page revision sheet covering the highest-yield facts from all nine domains

State your three weakest areas and the specific action you will take to address each before the exam