Handling loads means lifting, placing, pushing, pulling or moving an object by hand. Royal Decree 487/1997 requires employers to avoid it with technical or organisational means and, if they cannot, to assess the risk, especially to the lower back.
How heavy is «too heavy»?
The royal decree does not set a weight. The INSST technical guide (2024) gives these reference values:
- From 3 kg, a load may be a risk and must be assessed if it is handled in poor conditions.
- In ideal conditions, 25 kg (men aged 20 to 45) or 20 kg (women of the same age) should not be exceeded.
- Above 25 kg, handling is probably an intolerable risk in itself.
How to lift better
- Ask for help or use a mechanical aid (trolley, pallet truck) if the load is heavy or bulky.
- Get close to the load and keep it close to your body.
- Bend your knees and keep your back straight; do not twist your trunk with the load: turn with your feet.
- Lift smoothly, without jerking.
In practice18 kg boxes that have to go on a shelf above shoulder height: even though they weigh
less than 25 kg, the posture makes the risk much worse. The right thing is for the company to assess it (lower the shelf, use a
platform, lift in pairs).
Source: Real Decreto 487/1997, manual handling of loads (in Spanish), Article 2 · INSST, Guía técnica de manipulación manual de cargas (technical guide on manual handling, 2024 edition, in Spanish), section on Article 2 and Table 1