Safe Lifting and Manual Handling Course 2026
This course is for security guards and other workers who lift, carry, push or pull loads at work. It covers how musculoskeletal injuries happen, what employers must do (with British Columbia and Alberta as examples), mechanical aids, safe lifting technique and team lifts. It is background knowledge only and does not replace the training your employer must give you for your own handling tasks.
En bref
Ce cours gratuit comprend environ 25 minutes de leçons et un test de 25 questions. Obtenez 80 % ou plus pour télécharger une attestation de réussite (privée, non accréditée). Vérifié à partir des sources officielles le 13 octobre 2026.
Ce que vous allez apprendre
- Explain what a musculoskeletal injury (MSI) is and the main risk factors
- Describe employer and worker duties, using BC and Alberta as examples
- Plan a lift and choose a mechanical aid when one is available
- Lift, carry and lower a load with a safe technique
- Organize a team lift with one leader and agreed commands
- Report strain and pain early
Obtenez 80 % ou plus pour télécharger votre certificat.
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Question 1 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. A disorder of the muscles, tendons, joints, nerves or soft tissue
Section 4.46 defines an MSI as an injury or disorder of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves, blood vessels or related soft tissue.
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Question 2 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Repetition
CCOHS says repetition contributes most to injuries. Small efforts repeated many times add up.
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Question 3 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: B. 20 kg
CCOHS states that lifting loads over 20 kg results in an increased number and severity of back injuries for most workers.
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Question 4 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: C. No, there is no specific safe weight limit
Alberta's bulletin states there is no specific safe weight limit; the task, the load and the worker all matter.
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Question 5 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: C. Between knee and waist height
CCOHS says the preferred lifting range is between knee and waist height. Lifting above or below it is more hazardous.
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Question 6 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Holding it far out adds stress to the back
CCOHS explains that a load held far from the body puts more stress on the back.
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Question 7 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. They reduce muscle and joint flexibility
CCOHS says cold reduces muscle and joint flexibility, which makes injury more likely.
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Question 8 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: D. Force, repetition, duration and work postures
Section 4.49 lists physical demands such as force, repetition, duration and postures, plus layout, objects, environment and work organization.
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Question 9 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: B. At least once a year
Section 4.52 requires the employer to monitor MSI controls and review them at least annually.
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Question 10 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: D. Workers who have signs or symptoms of MSI
Section 4.53 requires consulting the joint committee or worker representative, workers with signs or symptoms of MSI, and a sample of workers doing the job.
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Question 11 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: D. Only when those controls are not practicable
Section 4.50(2) allows PPE as a substitute for engineering or administrative controls only when those controls are not practicable.
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Question 12 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: D. Education in spotting the risks of their work
Section 4.51 requires that workers who may be exposed to MSI risk are educated in risk identification, and trained in specific controls.
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Question 13 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. The load's weight, size and shape, and how often and how it is moved
Alberta's bulletin says the assessment considers the weight, size and shape of the load, how often it will be moved and how it will be moved.
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Question 14 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: C. Use the equipment provided
Alberta's bulletin says employers must provide equipment to move heavy or awkward loads whenever reasonably possible, and workers must use it.
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Question 15 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Whether a dolly, hoist or cart is available
CCOHS says to check first whether a mechanical aid such as a hoist, lift truck, dolly or wheelbarrow is available.
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Question 16 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Push it rather than pull it
CCOHS says to always push equipment such as carts rather than pull it.
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Question 17 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Close behind it, one foot beside it pointing ahead
CCOHS says to straddle the load and stand close behind it, with your leading foot flat beside it, pointing the way you will go.
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Question 18 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: B. Your leg and thigh muscles
CCOHS says to rise up using your thigh and leg muscles, not your back, keeping your back straight.
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Question 19 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Move your feet, without twisting your back
CCOHS says to avoid twisting and side bending while lifting, and to move off without twisting your body. Turn by moving your feet.
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Question 20 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Tilt it and pull your fingers out before letting go
CCOHS says to keep the load tilted and remove your fingers from under it before fully releasing it.
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Question 21 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: D. Slip-resistant footwear and suitable gloves
CCOHS recommends slip-resistant footwear and gloves suited to the material, and warns against loose items and bulky mitts that reduce grip.
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Question 22 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. People of similar height and strength
CCOHS says to select team members of similar height and strength.
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Question 23 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: B. One leader and a set of commands
CCOHS says to assign one leader and agree on commands such as lift, walk, stop and down before starting, then practise.
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Question 24 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: B. No, each would handle about two-thirds of it
Alberta's bulletin explains that in a two-person lift each worker handles about two-thirds of the load, so 20 kg is too much for them.
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Question 25 sur 25
Voir la réponse
Réponse: A. Both on the same shoulder
CCOHS says to carry a long load on the same shoulder, so both workers can step out of the way safely if it falls.
Clavier : 1–4 pour répondre, Entrée pour la question suivante.
À savoir avant l’examen
- CCOHS says repetition contributes most to manual handling injuries, and loads over 20 kg raise the number and severity of back injuries.
- The preferred lifting range is between knee and waist height.
- In BC, employers must identify, assess and control MSI risk and review their controls at least once a year.
- Alberta's ergonomics bulletin says there is no specific safe weight limit, and workers must use the handling equipment provided.
- In a two-person lift, each worker handles about two-thirds of the load.
Questions fréquentes
What is the maximum weight I can lift at work in Canada?
There is no single legal limit. Alberta's guidance says there is no specific safe weight limit, because the load, the task and the worker all matter. CCOHS notes that loads over 20 kg lead to more back injuries for most workers.
Should I push or pull a cart?
Push it. CCOHS advises always pushing equipment such as carts and hand trucks rather than pulling it, and checking it for defects such as loose wheels before use.
Does this course count as the manual handling training my employer must give?
No. It is background knowledge only. In BC, for example, employers must educate workers in the MSI risks of their own work and train them in the controls for their tasks, so ask your employer for site-specific training.
L’attestation est-elle accréditée ou reconnue officiellement ?
Non. C’est une attestation de réussite privée, uniquement pour vos connaissances. Elle n’est reconnue, accréditée ni approuvée par aucun gouvernement, organisme de délivrance des permis, autorité de réglementation ou établissement d’enseignement, et elle ne remplace aucun permis, aucune certification ni aucune formation exigés par la loi.
Sources
- CCOHS: MMH - Health Hazards
- CCOHS: MMH - General Practice
- CCOHS: MMH - Compact Loads
- CCOHS: MMH - Team Handling
- CCOHS: MMH - Mechanical Aids for Transporting Materials - I
- WorkSafeBC: OHS Regulation Part 4 (Ergonomics (MSI) Requirements, ss. 4.46–4.53)
- Government of Alberta: Ergonomics in the workplace – identifying and controlling manual handling hazards