Manual Handling Injury Prevention Toolbox Talk

Manual handling & lifting safety talk

When you work a job that requires lifting or moving heavy objects, you are at risk of injury. Some accidents can't be avoided, but many can with best safety practices. It's important to do your part to avoid injuring yourself or others.

You should never take unnecessary risks when manually handling heavy objects. If there is an option to use machinery or get assistance from your coworkers, you should take it.

When you must manually handle materials, it's important to use proper lifting and carrying techniques.

What injuries can be caused by poor manual handling and lifting?

There are a number of accidents injuries that you can sustain while you are handling heavy items, such as:

• Slips, trips, and falls

• Back injuries

• Strains

• Sprains

• Hernias

• Pinch point injuries

• Struck-by injuries

• Repetitive motion injuries

Ways to best perform manual handling

The type of job that you are doing and the company that you are working for will most likely have their own set of rules that you should follow while handling heavy items, but there are a few universal tips to keep in mind.

First, you should always eliminate as much manual handling as possible to prevent injury. If there is availability, use heavy equipment to do the work for you.

Also, when you're placing a heavy object down in an area that is not its final location, think about how it will be picked up to be moved again. Is it going to be moved with machinery or by hand? Make sure that there is adequate room around the object for either scenario.

Avoiding lifting injuries

When lifting heavy objects, it’s easy to sustain injuries, which is why it is important to take precautions.

Employers should determine a reasonable weight limit for what can be manually lifted to ensure the safety of employees. Once that limit is reached, heavy machinery should be used instead of manual lifting.

Some examples of reasonable limits are:

• 50 lbs is the max limit for any one employee to lift on their own

• 100 lbs is the max limit for a team of employees to lift without machine assistance

• Over the 100 lbs limit, heavy machinery must be used to lift the object

Even if you feel that you are capable of lifting past these weight limits, you should always follow the protocol set in place by your company. At any point you are carrying a heavy object, you can twist wrong, pull wrong, or trip and get seriously injured. Your risk increases past weight limits.

The rules and regulations set in place by your company should be followed at all times.

Safe lifting techniques

When employees try to maneuver around objects and handle boxes without enough space or without the proper equipment, injuries are more likely to occur.

If you use the following safe lifting techniques, you'll lower your risk of injury:

• Think through the task before you begin lifting

• Try to not lift higher than your waist

• Don’t hold items away from your body—keep them close to you

• Make sure you have a steady hand on the object

• Try to keep your back straight

• The heavier side of the object should be closest to your body

• Make sure your feet are in a stable position

• Check your path before you lift for anything that might be in your way

• Try to always look forward when lifting

• Get your balance before lifting—you can position one leg a little more forward to help

Different types of manual material handling

Manual handling isn't just used when you're lifting or moving objects from one spot to another. There are many different types of tasks that require manual material handling.

Some others are:

• Pulling

• Pushing

• Restraining

• Carrying

• Throwing

• Holding

All of these tasks can be categorized as manual handling on the job. They all require motions that can cause injury if not performed correctly or done too frequently.

When manually handling materials, it is important to take breaks when you can and be as careful as possible to avoid injuries.

Occupational overuse syndrome

When you work in an environment where you continually make the same motions over and over again, injuries can occur—especially when these motions include heavy lifting or strain on any part of your body. A condition called occupational overuse syndrome, or OOS, can occur in these cases.

OOS is when a joint, muscle, nerve, or tendon becomes irritated and causes pain or discomfort due to manual handling. The most common areas where people are affected are their backs, hands, elbows, wrists, and fingers.

The best way to avoid this type of problem is to listen to your body. Stop your task immediately if you feel any pain and follow the protocols put in place by your company. 

Safety comes first

The rules, regulations, and protocols put into place by your company are there for a reason. Many injuries can be avoided by making responsible decisions about tasks performed on the jobsite.