Home › Training › Lifting training
Lifting
training
Practical lifting training for teams that lift, carry, push and pull every day. For healthcare, logistics, industry and construction.
- Learn the right lifting technique in practice, at your own workplace
- Recognise risky situations when lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling
- Put aids and smart working methods to use straight away
— Why
Incorrect lifting is one of the biggest causes of sickness absence
Physical overload is one of the main occupational risks in the Netherlands. Investing in prevention pays off, for employer and employee.
- Employees lift every day without ever having had proper instruction
- Time pressure wins over the right technique on the shop floor
- Aids are available, but are not used, or are used incorrectly
- Prevention often comes too late, only once absence is already a fact
Source: Netherlands Labour Authority
77%
of musculoskeletal complaints are partly work-related.
30%
of work-related health complaints concern the back, neck and shoulders. Lifting without the right technique is a major cause.
— For whom
Which teams is the lifting training for?
The training is for any team that does physical work every day. We tailor the content to the sector.
Healthcare
Lifting techniques in healthcare: client transfers, moving in and around the bed and working with a hoist and slide sheet.
Logistics & industry
Lifting boxes and goods, order picking, loading and unloading and repetitive lifting work in the warehouse or in production.
Construction & engineering
Lifting materials in changing conditions, in confined spaces and at height, with attention to lifting aids.
— Result
What is the result?
Incorrect lifting leads to back and shoulder complaints and eventually to absence. By learning the right technique, using aids properly and organising lifting work more smartly, the load per employee goes down. That reduces complaints and sickness absence.
— What you learn
What do you learn in the lifting training?
01
Recognising lifting risks
You learn to recognise where things go wrong when lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling. Not only with heavy loads, but also with frequent repetition and awkward postures.
02
Applying ergonomic lifting
You learn the basic principles of ergonomic lifting: standing stably, keeping the load close and working from the legs. In line with the Physical Workload Practice Guidelines (Praktijkrichtlijnen Fysieke Belasting).
03
Using aids correctly
You learn to assess which lifting aid suits the situation and how to use it safely and efficiently, from sack truck and lift table to hoist and slide sheet.
04
Lifting in your sector
You practise the techniques with the loads and situations from your own work. Boxes in the warehouse, clients in healthcare, materials on the building site.
05
Lifting together and speaking up
You learn to lift together safely and to address colleagues about risky lifting behaviour in a pleasant way. That way the technique sticks in the team.
06
Organising lifting work smartly
You learn to set up lifting work differently: lifting less often, shorter distances and better working heights. The best lifting technique is not having to lift.
— 1 half-day (3 to 4 hours) · in-company, at your site
Lifting training programme
Theory: how overload arises
A short theoretical basis. You learn how the back, shoulders and joints are loaded when lifting and why complaints arise. The emphasis of the training is on practice.
- How to recognise risky lifting situations
- How the back, muscles and joints work during lifting
- What the health-based lifting limit of 23 kg means in practice
- What role pushing, pulling and carrying play in overload
- What the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) and the Physical Workload Practice Guidelines require
- Why frequent light lifting can also be heavy
- How you can improve your own work capacity
- What you can do yourself to prevent complaints
- How aids reduce the load
Practice: exercises with your own work situations
The largest part of the training. Participants practise lifting techniques with the loads and aids from their own work. The trainer gives individual feedback and corrects on the spot.
Among other things, you practise:
- The basic technique of ergonomic lifting: standing stably, load close, from the legs
- Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling the loads from your own work
- Lifting together and lifting in awkward situations, such as confined spaces and above shoulder height
- The correct use of the lifting aids available
- Assessing and improving working heights and walking routes
- Giving each other feedback on lifting behaviour
Embedding on the shop floor
In this part we make agreements on how the right technique will stick on the shop floor. A training only has an effect once what has been learned becomes part of the daily routine. That is why we finish with concrete working agreements for the team.
We also discuss how managers and colleagues keep each other sharp. Addressing lifting behaviour only works if it is done in a pleasant and constructive way.
Agreements we record include:
- Which aids are used as standard for which tasks
- How colleagues address each other about risky lifting behaviour
- Which lifting situations will be organised differently
- Who is the point of contact for questions about physical workload
- How new employees learn the techniques
- When a refresher session is scheduled
Practical tip: combine the training with the Ergocoach Course, so that a colleague can keep guiding the subject on a structural basis. That way the training is not a one-off action but the start of lasting healthier lifting work.
Preparation and set-up of the training
The training lasts a half-day and takes place at your site. Beforehand we tailor the content to your work: which loads, which bottlenecks and which aids are available.
That way every exercise matches the participants' daily practice.
For larger groups we schedule several sessions on one day, so that the whole department is trained.
— Experiences
What participants say
“Had our first training from Ergomotion in 2019, to keep our colleagues on the right lifting track. […] Now we dare once again to get to work with our colleagues on good lifting, standing, walking, sitting, sliding, pushing, reaching!”
OC de Twijn · 10/10, March 2022 · via Feedback Company
“Ergomotion recently gave a training for our fitters team. Iwan’s presentation was very interesting and practically applicable. Great to see all the fitters taking part enthusiastically and being actively involved.”
Doij Kozijnonderhoud · 9/10, March 2026 · via Feedback Company
— Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about the lifting training
What does the training cost?
The training is given per group of up to 12 participants. All amounts are exclusive of VAT.
One training
- 1 half-day (3 to 4 hours), at your site · € 945
Half-day or full day
- full day, two groups · € 1.595
- two separate sessions · the sum of both
Ongoing programme
- several teams or an annual programme · from € 2.250 · tailored proposal
Do you have a larger group or a different composition? Then we discuss the options.
Which sectors is the lifting training suitable for?
Yes, the training is suitable for all sectors with physical work: healthcare, logistics, industry, construction and engineering. We tailor the content to your situation. Is your organisation also looking for an internal point of contact for physical workload? Then take a look at the courses Ergocoach Manual Handling, Ergocoach Screen work and Ergocoach Childcare.
What do I learn during the lifting training?
The training consists of three parts:
- Theory: how overload arises when lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling and what the lifting limit says.
- Practice: practising ergonomic lifting with the loads and aids from your own work, with direct feedback from the trainer.
- Embedding: working agreements on the use of aids and speaking up on the shop floor.
Who is the training intended for?
For employees who lift, carry, push or pull every day. Think of care workers, warehouse staff, production staff, construction workers and fitters. Managers often take part too; they play a key role in embedding the technique.
How long does the training take and how is it set up?
The training lasts a half-day of 3 to 4 hours and takes place at your site. Short theory, then mainly practising with situations from your own work. For larger groups we schedule several sessions on one day.
Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes, participants receive a proof of attendance. That can be used for the personnel file and as supporting evidence for the risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E).
Can the training also be given in-company (at your own site)?
Certainly, the training is above all an in-company training. The trainer comes to your site and tailors the content to the workplace, the loads and the aids available. Possible from as few as 5 participants.
What does Ergomotion's 100% satisfaction guarantee involve?
We fully believe in the quality of our training courses. If after the training you are not satisfied with the knowledge gained or its applicability in practice, we do not send an invoice.
What is the difference with the Manual Handling Training?
The Manual Handling Training is broader and covers not only lifting but also pushing, pulling, static postures and work organisation. The lifting training zooms in on one skill: lifting safely and efficiently. Not sure which suits your team? Get in touch and we will think along with you.
— Next steps
What are the follow-up options?
Ergocoach Course Manual Handling
Practical tip: combine the training with the Ergocoach Course, so that a colleague can keep guiding the subject on a structural basis.
Manual Handling Training
The Manual Handling Training is broader and covers not only lifting but also pushing, pulling, static postures and work organisation.
In brief
Duration
1 half-day (3 to 4 hours)
From
€ 945 per group, excl. VAT
Group
max. 12 participants per group
Where
in-company, at your site
Several teams? Schedule several groups on one day. That way we train the whole department in one go.
✓ 100% satisfaction guarantee