PROPER LIFTING Think and plan to avoid lifting

PROPER LIFTING Think and plan to avoid lifting and overexertion injuries Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Background • Approximately 25 % of workplace injuries result from lifting, pulling or pushing objects • The part of the body most often injured is the back Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Material handling: think first • Have a handling plan that avoids slippery hazards and includes a destination • Test the load to ensure that it can be safely carried • Know the limits and get help! • Use machinery or equipment • Pushcarts, hand truck, wheelbarrow, forklift or hoist • Use levers, incline planes or rollers Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Improper lifting • Serious back injuries occur because of improper lifting techniques, including: • Bending from the waist to pick up objects • Lifting boxes above the chest • Twisting the body to carry or lift a heavy box or object • Lifting objects when in poor physical condition Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Awkward lifting positions • Bending and reaching into bins or containers • Overhead work • Installing or servicing equipment, pulling wire, cleaning ceilings • Floor or ground-level jobs • Installing or servicing equipment, cleaning Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Awkward lifting positions • Confined or small spaces with limited range of motion • Boilers, hatches, pipes, tanks, vaults, crawl spaces, etc. • Jobs on ladders, work platforms or scaffolding where you may overreach • Pulling loads, instead of pushing them • Repetitive tasks that require twisting • Loading or handling material 90 to 180 degrees from the starting point Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Avoiding injury • Raise bins and containers off the floor and/or tilt them • When working overhead, stand on a steady and adjustable platform • Keep your back posture in its natural curve to avoid uneven spinal loading • Avoid bending over to work • Squat down using your leg muscles and wear cushioned knee pads when kneeling Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Avoiding injury • In confined spaces, plan your work • Reduce clutter can increase the need to twist or overreach • Arrange for adequate lighting • Don't hold awkward positions long • Pause often to stretch and straighten out. • When leaning forward, support your upper body on your free hand arm • Greatly relieves pressure on lower back Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Avoiding injury • Position yourself as close as possible • Avoid overreaching and/or using tools with longer handles • Never lift heavy loads that are far from your body's center of gravity • Get help! • Position work below the shoulder and above the knees • Push, don’t pull • Helps maintain the spine's natural curve Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Important point • Remember that a back support belt may remind you to lift correctly, but it will not protect your spine if you overreach or twist with a load Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Guidelines for safe lifting Get a good grip Grasp the load firmly. Use gloves if they allow for a better grip. Get a good footing Center body weight to provide a powerful line of thrust and good balance. Keep it close Grasp the load firmly and lift towards the belt buckle. Hold the load close to the body to avoid putting pressure on the back. Lift smoothly Raise, carry and lower the load smoothly. Never jerk a load. Avoid twisting If turning is required while lifting or carrying a load, turn the feet and body instead of twisting the back. Push rather than pull the load. Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

Review • Approximately 25 % of work-related injuries result from overexertion, mainly from lifting • Think and plan before lifting • Push, don’t pull, the load • Use mechanical means when possible • Avoid twisting when lifting or setting down a load • Turn the body instead of twisting the back Information provided for UAC members by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Snellings Walters Insurance Agency