Lifting Form & Techniques
When lifting an object, you should bend these body parts rather than your back.
Your knees
You should ask a co-worker for help if a load weighs this much or more.
50 pounds
Reaching above this height to handle heavy loads causes stress to the shoulders and back.
Shoulder height
Instead of twisting or turning your torso while carrying a load, you should do this with your body and feet.
Pivot
Ask for assistance when handling objects longer than this measurement, such as conduit or pipe
10 feet
The area into which material is being lowered should be treated as this designated zone.
fall zone
When lifting, keeping the load in this position relative to your body helps reduce physical stress.
close to your body
Ask for help when carrying flat items like plywood or tarps because they can be affected by these.
To figure out the safest way to lower an overhead load, ask yourself this key question.
"How did I get up here?"
Spacing your feet far enough apart when setting down a load helps maintain these two things.
good balance and contol
To avoid striking objects or people when handling long items, you should always check your surroundings and avoid doing this quickly
swinging around
If an overhead load looks too heavy to have been lifted by one person, you should assume it is too heavy to do this.
take down alone
Attaching these to loads when possible helps reduce the chance of injuring your fingers
Handles
Before passing any material to another worker, you must ensure the person is doing this.
Looking directly at you
When lowering objects, you should keep your knees bent and your back in this position.
Straight