Lifting-related back injuries are among the most commonly reported workplace injuries. They also cost big bucks and a lot of lost productivity.
Here’s a four-step safe lifting plan that can help prevent lifting-related back injuries in your workplace.
1. Implement Engineering Controls
Appropriate engineering controls can be highly effective in reducing lifting-related injuries. For example:
- Mechanical assist devices to relieve heavy load lifting and carrying tasks
- Handles or slotted hand holes in packages requiring manual handling
- Lighter-weight packaging materials
- Modified containers and parts presentation (e.g., height-adjustable material bins)
- Changes in workstation layout (e.g., use height-adjustable workbenches, position tools and materials within short reaching distances)
- Fixtures (e.g., clamps, vise-grips) to hold work pieces to relieve the need for awkward hand and arm positions
- Suspended tools to reduce weight and allow easier access
- Easy-connect electrical terminals to reduce manual force
- Removal of physical and visual obstructions when assembling components to reduce awkward postures or static exertions
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2. Use Administrative Controls
Administrative controls should also be part of your plan to reduce lifting-related back injuries. For example:
- Reduce shift length or curtail the amount of overtime.
- Rotate workers through several jobs with different physical demands to reduce the stress on limbs and body regions.
- Schedule more breaks to allow for rest and recovery.
- Vary job content to offset certain risk factors (e.g., repetitive motions, static and awkward postures).
- Adjust the work pace to relieve repetitive motion risks and give the worker more control of the work process.
- Train employees to recognize lifting risk factors and to follow work practices that ease the task demands or burden.
3. Encourage the Use of Alternative Lifting Techniques
Alternative material handling techniques for carrying or moving loads should be used whenever possible to minimize lifting and bending movements. Alternatives might include use of equipment such as:
- Hand trucks
- Forklifts
- Pallet jacks and power pallet jacks
- Dollies
- Carts
- Hoists
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4. Teach Safe Lifting Techniques
- Train employees to:
- Stretch briefly before lifting to loosen up back, arm, and shoulder muscles.
- Determine whether more than one person or a mechanical device is needed for moving a load.
- Ask for assistance if needed.
- Break down the load into parts where feasible.
- Get a good grip on the load.
- Keep the load close.
- Keep balance with footwork.
- Lift with the back straight.
- Use the legs to lift without bending the back.
- Never twist or turn while lifting.
- Avoid lifting above the shoulder level.
Tomorrow, we’ll discuss additional lifting techniques for special lifting tasks such as group lifting and lifting oversize or awkward loads.
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