Manual Lifting Safety

Manual handling, whether in the workplace or at home, can lead to painful injury if done incorrectly. This can lead to problems at work or even a lasting disability. Knowing how to lift heavy items correctly will help minimize the risks.

Dangers

• Lifting heavy items can cause injury.

  Problems may occur if you work in a job that requires manual labor, but injuries are not restricted to the workplace. They can happen at home during do-it-yourself chores, or when lifting a child. When lifting any item, no matter how heavy, you run the risk of injuring yourself.

Repercussions

• Wrist pain is a common result of improper lifting.

  Back pain is a common result of improper lifting, especially with particularly unstable or very heavy loads. Hernias are also a possibility, caused by abdominal straining under a heavy load. Injuries to arms, wrists and shoulders are also common.

  When manual lifting is an integral part of your job, injury can prevent you from carrying out your job effectively, resulting in lower productivity and hindering career progress.

Law

• Federal law requires a safe working environment.

  The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires all companies to provide a safe workplace. This may open the possibility for compensation claims if injury is suffered at work through employer negligence.

  When beginning a new job, a worker should have a risk assessment to identify hazards in the job and take steps to minimize and avoid them as much as possible.

Safe Lifting Technique

• Lifting improperly can cause skeletal damage.

  A common cause of injuries is that people often use their backs to lift, not their legs. To lift an object safely, place your feet on either side of and slightly behind the item. Bend your knees, keeping your back straight. Grip the object and stand up by straightening your knees, keeping your back straight. This ensures that your legs take most of the strain. If possible, break down heavy objects into lighter loads to reduce the risk of injury.

Prevention/Solution

• Lifting anything risks injury if done improperly.

  The main weapon any person has against back pain caused by improper manual lifting is knowledge. Training in the workplace can be invaluable in protecting workers from accidents and injuries.

  Ensuring that those who do not carry out manual lifting on a daily basis are aware of the risks and how to avoid them will also significantly reduce musculoskeletal injuries caused by improper manual lifting.