Attempting to lift heavy items by yourself can cause serious injuries including muscle sprains and damage to your joints.
If you’re moving house or putting your items into storage, the safest thing to do is hire a professional removals firm like Andrew Porter Limited to do all the heavy lifting for you. But there may be times when moving or lifting something heavy is unavoidable so it is important to know how to do it properly.
Today (28th) is World Day for Safety and Health at Work so here are our 6 top tips on how to lift and handle heavy objects:
While you probably realise you need help to move a sofa, you may think that you will easily be able to handle something smaller like a box of books. But anything that weighs more than 22kg or 50lb puts you at risk of injury if you try to lift it yourself without using a proper technique. A third of all workplace injuries are caused by manual handling, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) so hurting yourself while lifting items is a common issue.
If you do need to carry something heavy, try to ensure you don’t carry it far. This may mean putting heavy things near the door of your self-storage unit so you’re holding it for less time. Take advantage of any handling aids or equipment available which will help you move heavy objects without holding them in your arms. For example, at Andrew Porter Limited’s Self Store facilities, we offer assistance loading and unloading and have a large passenger goods lift so you don’t have to struggle with carrying anything up stairs to reach your unit.
When you lift something heavy, make sure you have good posture and do not twist or stoop. Keep your shoulders level and facing the same way as your hips. If you do need to turn, move your feet instead of twisting. It is better to start the lift with your back, hips and knees slightly bent than squatting or stooping. Start with your feet apart with one slightly further forward than the other so you are stable and balanced.
When lifting, make sure the heaviest part of the item is close to your body. Hug it closely to you as this helps make sure you have a good grip and reduces the risk of you dropping it, which could damage the item and injure yourself.
When lifting or carrying something, keep your head up and stay looking ahead. Try to avoid the urge to look down at the item you are carrying.
Ideally, you want to move smoothly and for the shortest possible amount of time when carrying something heavy. Look at the route you will be taking beforehand. Is there anything in the way or any potential trip hazards? Make sure the way is clear before you attempt to lift anything.
All members of the Andrew Porter Ltd team are professionally trained in how to lift items safely protecting themselves and the items they are lifting. This is what helps make the removals team efficient and is why we safely and successfully carry out move after move for our customers. To avoid the risks associated with incorrect lifting and handling, why not leave it to the experts? For more information contact us here.
