Back injuries constitute:

  • 41% of ergonomic injury cases
  • $50 billion spent each year
  • 24% of all missed work days
  • The second most common reason for a doctor’s visit
 

A full 80% of adults have experienced a back injury and—incredibly—having a back injury statistically reduces a person’s life expectancy.

Fortunately, it’s not hard to pinpoint the major cause of these disruptive back injuries. These activities account for 80% of lower-back injuries:

  • Lifting
  • Placing
  • Carrying
  • Holding
  • Raising
  • Lowering

Knowing the importance, and knowing the primary cause of back injuries, we can now put in place practices—and attitudes—to help prevent them.

LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS AND NOT WITH YOUR BACK

You’ve heard it since you were a teen. And it turns out this common adage is true, and constitutes the number one rule for back safety.

  • Legs apart
  • Rear end low and well away from the load
  • Knees bent
  • Strong grip on load
  • Lift with your legs
  • Keep you back straight
  • Use your tummy muscles
  • Lift smoothly, without jerks or twisting
  • Keep the load close to your body and in your “power zone” (see drawing on next page)
  • Turn with your feet, not your waist
  • Keep spin in its natural, gentle-S shape
  • Reverse the process to set the load down
LIFTING HAZARDS

Before lifting we need to assess the situation. Among them are:

  • Uneven ground
  • Potholes
  • Dangerous slopes
  • Inadequate clearance
  • Electrical hazards
  • Soft ground
  • Defective equipment
  • Tripping hazards
  • Clutter or housekeeping obstacles
  • Hidden obstacles

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  • Introduction
  • OSHA