Lifting heavy items is one of the leading causes of injury in the workplace. In 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over 36 percent of injuries involving missed workdays were the result of shoulder and back injuries. Overexertion and cumulative trauma were the biggest factors in these injuries.
When employees use smart lifting practices and work in their “power zone,” they are less likely to suffer from back sprains, muscle pulls, wrist injuries, elbow injuries, spinal injuries, and other injuries caused by lifting heavy objects.
- Weight of Objects
- Awkward Postures
- High-Frequency and Long-Duration Lifting
- Inadequate Handholds
- Environmental Factors
Weight of Objects
Potential Hazards:
Possible Solutions:
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![]() Figure 1. A spool holding 117 pounds of wire. ![]() Figure 2. Forklift. ![]() Figure 3. Suction tool. ![]() Figure 4. Two-man lift. |
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Awkward Postures
Potential Hazards:
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![]() Figure 5. Employee twisting in an awkward position. |
Possible Solutions: | |
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![]() Figure 6. Different approaches to lifting. ![]() Figure 7. Aerial lift. |
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High-frequency and Long-duration Lifting
Potential Hazards:
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![]() Figure 8. Employee reaching overhead. |
Possible Solutions: | |
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![]() Figure 9. Cardboard template for lighting fixtures. ![]() Figure 10. A prefabricated electrical box. |
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Inadequate Handholds
Potential Hazards:
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![]() Figure 11. Boxes without handles. |
Possible Solutions: | |
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![]() Figure 12. Slots in boxes help in lifting. ![]() Suction device. |
Environmental Factors
Potential Hazards:
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![]() Work space with window as only light source. |
Possible Solutions: |
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![]() Light stand illuminating the work area. |
Source: United States Department of Labor, “Materials Handling: Heavy Lifting” https://www.osha.gov website. Accessed February 22, 2017. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electricalcontractors/materials/heavy.html#weight
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