Safe Lifting At Work: Are You Doing It?

Lifting is a part of most jobs, whether it’s moving a bag of concrete or a box of flyers, long-term lifting is strenuous on the body and can cause pain and aches. This is why it is important to always use lifting equipment like pulleys or hand trucks, when available.

However, these tools are not always practical or on hand. While companies are required to provide a workplace free of injury, one commonly forgotten hazard is the risk of back injury from lifting. Organizations need to ensure that proper lifting training is made available throughout the workplace. A good practice for companies is to mark the weight of objects, what’s the heaviest side, the center of gravity and where an object must face somewhere that is easily spotted by the lifter.

Tips on how to properly lift at work:

Assess the risks – Understand what kind of material you need to lift. Know the distance of the location it should be transferred and the weight of the object. Know your capacity as well and test it prior to actually carrying the load for several distances.
Check the route – see if there are obstructions along the way. Check your pathway and assess if there are certain risks that can make your fall, trip or slip.
Ask for help – You don’t need to do this alone and asking for assistance is the best way to reduce the strain and risks.
Create a support for your body – start with two feet flat on the floor and must be shoulder-width apart and one leg slightly forward. Maintain your balance before lifting the object.
Support the object with your body – keep the load as close to your body as possible. Get a good grip with both your hands and your body supporting the load.
Keep a good posture – avoid twisting your back. As much as possible, keep your back straight and chest out. Align your spine and avoid slouching. Straighten your hips and knees. Always keep your head up and do not look down.
Take it easy – do not rush getting to your destination. Take short steps and move with caution. When changing directions, use your feet and hips and not your back.
Set it down slowly – do not rush putting it down, as it will cause to drop strong. Do a squat when setting your load down. Adjust after you have placed your load on a flat surface.

Always condition your body before prolonged lifting. Warm up by doing some stretches.

Just because lifting an object may seem like an easy thing to do, does not mean it cannot cause problems. It is quite common for people to lift things but this is where many people get hurt. They underestimate the task and don’t ask for help.

Think about all the lifting you do around your workplace. Here are a few that you might not realize that you’re doing: