Many managers working in care homes, hospitals and healthcare organisations ask the same question: How often should moving and handling training be refreshed?

Moving and handling people safely is essential for protecting both staff and the individuals they support. Poor handling techniques can lead to musculoskeletal injuries for staff and may increase the risk of harm to patients or residents.

As a Chartered Physiotherapist delivering People Moving and Handling Train the Trainer courses, I am frequently asked about recommended refresher training intervals.

While UK legislation does not specify a fixed timeframe, employers must ensure staff remain competent, confident and able to carry out moving and handling tasks safely.

Moving and handling in the workplace is governed primarily by:

Under these regulations, employers must:

The regulations do not specify an exact timeframe for refresher training. Instead, they require employers to ensure that employees remain competent to perform their duties safely.

In many healthcare and social care organisations, moving and handling training is refreshed every one to two years.

However, the appropriate interval will depend on factors such as:

For example, staff working in care homes, hospitals or specialist disability services may require more frequent refresher training because moving and handling activities form a significant part of their daily work.

Refresher training may also be needed sooner when workplace circumstances change.

Examples include:

Regular review of staff competence helps ensure that safe systems of work remain effective.

Moving and handling people safely requires both knowledge and practical skill.

Over time, staff may develop habits that drift away from best practice. Refresher training helps reinforce:

Refresher training also provides an opportunity to discuss real workplace challenges and update staff on current guidance.

Many organisations choose to develop internal moving and handling trainers who can deliver training within their own workplace.

This approach allows organisations to:

A People Moving and Handling Train the Trainer course equips experienced staff with the knowledge and teaching skills required to deliver effective training to their colleagues.

There is no single legally defined timeframe for refreshing moving and handling training. However, employers must ensure staff remain competent to perform moving and handling tasks safely.

In many care settings, refresher training every one to two years is considered good practice, with additional training provided when circumstances change.

The ultimate aim is to ensure staff can move and support people safely while protecting their own health and wellbeing.

Fit4Work provides People Moving and Handling Train the Trainer courses designed to help organisations deliver high-quality training within their own workplace.

Courses are delivered by Chartered Physiotherapist Angela Hinton, who has over 30 years of experience in rehabilitation, manual handling and workplace injury prevention. Learn more about our operator courses here and our train the trainer courses here.