Six Steps to Prevent Lifting Injuries

Six Steps to Prevent Lifting InjuriesAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.9 million injuries in 2015, with 3.5 percent of these injuries being in the construction industry. Construction work in general takes a heavy toll on the body. When you perform the same heavy lifting for several hours every day, you are putting a lot of strain on your body.The injuries may occur as random accidents like ignoring basic safety rules, such as failure to wear sturdy work boots, or even wearing uncomfortable low-resistance safety equipment. Fortunately, there are various ways to avert these painful injuries. If you are an employer, you need to take the necessary steps to ensure your employees are safe from lifting related injuries.Let's at the six steps to prevent injuries inflicted by lifting objects in the workplace.1. Restructure the Work Environment and Work TasksThis is one of the most effective ways to minimize lifting hazards in a construction site and prevent injuries. Namely, you need to take a keen look at lifting tasks and redesign them in a way that they are safer. For instance, you can redesign a task so your workers do a less-strenuous manual lifting. To achieve this, you need to implement some engineering controls, which include the following:Decreasing load size or weightAdjusting the work environment to ensure your employees can keep loads close to their body, between shoulder and knee height, without the need to twistInstalling load handling equipment and mechanical lifting aids; these may include hand trucks, conveyors, hoists, slides, and adjustable lift tables2. Implement Administrative and Work Practice ControlsWhen it comes to implementing administrative and work practice controls, you need to carefully select and train your employees, so they understand how to undertake lifting tasks in a safe manner.Let's look at some of the most significant elements of administrative and work practice controls:Conducting medical evaluation of a worker's lifting capabilitiesSetting size, weight, as well as frequency limits on manual lifting jobsOffering physical conditioning for workersConsidering the need to use multiple-person teams in the absence of mechanical lift aidsTraining workers to apply appropriate lifting techniques3. Path to Safe LiftingBefore you start lifting, evaluate the load in front of you. Something may be small, but that doesn't mean it is light. Push on the load lightly with your feet or hands; you can tell how heavy it is by how easy it moves.Make sure the load's weight is balanced as unbalanced loads may become loose when you're lifting, causing accidents. Assess you surrounding before lifting to ensure there is a clear path for you to carry your load. It's also imperative that you know where you're going to put your load down.It is advisable to lift a load using the straps or handles if they exist. Be sure to have an easy and tight grip before picking the load up. Use your legs, arms, and core body to lift; avoid using your back.Moreover, you should bend your knees to pick up a load, and not from your waist. Uphold good posture and avoid arching your back. Otherwise, you may suffer a back injury as a result of using the wrong muscles. Always use a ladder when lifting a load overhead to avoid a back injury.4. Stretch Your Muscles Before LiftingYou should do some simple stretches before you start lifting. This will warm up your muscles and enhance your ease of movements. Once you're done lifting, stretch some more to cool down and minimize potential stiffness. It's also advisable to stretch occasionally during the day.OSHA provides a guide for stretching and flexing as a preventive way to get workers ready for their daily lifting routines.5. Make Sure the Load Height is Within Your Safe Lifting ZoneWhere's the safe lifting zone? It is between your shoulders and knees. So if the load is below your knee level, you should bend your knees and lift it with the legs. If it is above your shoulders, consider using a ladder or a stool. If the load is too heavy, it is advisable to get help.6. Lifting Don'tsWhen lifting, you should avoid the following practices to prevent injuries:Lifting from the groundTwisting and liftingLifting a load across obstaclesLifting a heavy load with one handLifting while stretching to reach the loadLifting from an uncomfortable postureHolding your breath while liftingStruggling to recover a dropped loadFinal ThoughtsInjuries related to lifting continue to be a major occupational health and safety issue. There are various reasons why these injuries occur. Some of them are just random accidents, while others are a result of simple safety rules not being observed or implemented. Luckily, there are simple measures one can take to prevent these lifting-related injuries from happening. This article takes you through the most important steps. Follow them diligently, and you'll significantly reduce such injuries at your workplace.Amanda Wilks is a writer, researcher, and contributor to numerous prestigious online publications – see her Twitter feed for more details – who is interested not only in constructions and technological developments but also in the safe and humane way this progress occurs.Posted on Aug 31, 2017