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| Prevent Back Injuries |
| Safe lifting tips |
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| The general rule with lifting and moving heavy supplies, furniture, and equipment is: Don’t. Ask for help. Use a dolly or a hand truck. But often individuals put themselves at risk with excuses like: |
- “I don’t have time to wait for help.”
- “It’s not that heavy.”
- “I work out regularly. I can handle heavy loads.”
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| Those excuses won’t sound so good when your back goes out. So put the excuses aside and lift only what you can handle. Don’t lift an item if you: |
- Have to strain to budge it.
- Won’t be able to see over it while you carry it.
- Have a back or arm problem.
- Can’t get a good grip on a large or awkward shape.
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| When you do lift items on the job: |
- Bend your knees and squat down close to the object.
- Get a good grip and rise slowly, keeping your back comfortably straight.
- Use your leg muscles to power the lift, not your back. Never bend over at the waist to lift objects. You could injure your back even if the item isn’t heavy.
- Carry loads close to your body, which puts less stress on your back and arms.
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