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MSS403031 Current

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to analyse manual handling activities and optimise the application of physical effort.
This unit applies to individuals who have been given the responsibility to examine the manual handling aspects of a process and identify and implement improvements in terms of safety, effort required and/or efficiency.
This unit applies to any organisation.
No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must be applied.

What You'll Learn

1.

  • 1.1 Identify manual handling hazards in work area
  • 1.2 Assess risks arising from manual handling hazards according to procedures

2.

  • 2.1 Determine basic manual handling requirements of job
  • 2.3 Analyse items to be handled in terms of physical characteristics and other hazards

3.

  • 3.1 Break required movement pattern down into movement components
  • 3.3 Develop alternative movement patterns
  • 3.4 Determine time and effort requirements for alternative movements
  • 3.5 Determine handling aids required to assist movement
  • 3.6 Determine preferred movement pattern

4.

  • 4.1 Analyse ergonomics of preferred movement pattern
  • 4.3 Determine handling aids required to improve ergonomics of required movements

5.

  • 5.1 Select movement patterns which are ergonomically sound and time and effort efficient
  • 5.3 Ensure procedures and practices reflect improved methods
  • 5.4 Communicate with team members and involve them in development of alternatives to promote awareness and facilitate learning

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has completed the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit, and demonstrated the ability to:
• analyse and improve at least 2 manual handling processes or one process on 2 occasions.

Knowledge Evidence

There must be evidence the candidate has knowledge of:
• ergonomically unsound and sound movements
• types of activities/movement that constitute manual handling, and related hazards, including:
• lifting
• pushing
• pulling
• holding
• restraining
• throwing
• carrying
• packing
• typing
• assembling
• cleaning and sorting
• using hand-tools
• operating machinery and equipment
• hazards arising from items to be handled including:
• weight
• size
• shape
• location
• condition
• work health and safety (WHS) Acts and regulations and codes of practice as they apply to manual handling
• principles of job and work method design as applied to efficient and safe movement
• aids that can assist with or substitute for manual handling.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions and contingencies. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:
• documented manual handling procedures or process/work instructions
• risk assessment process or procedures
• modelling of industry operating conditions.
Assessors must satisfy the NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Foundation Skills

  • {'skill': 'Foundation Skills', 'description': 'This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance but not explicit in the performance criteria.\n• Reading skills to interpret workplace documentation\n• Writing skills to document manual handling risks and describe procedures\n• Oral communication skills to discuss and explain manual handling risks and procedures with team members\n• Numeracy skills to quantify and/or estimate components of manual handling and physical effort.\nOther foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.'}

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Last updated from training.gov.au: 07 April 2026