Lifting and carrying

There are employees who subject their bodies to high stress almost every day at work. People who work in logistics companies, on construction sites, in the trades and in hospitals are just a few examples of such occupations where it is required to move objects, work equipment, and individuals. If you have to manually lift, carry, move, pull, push or set down heavy loads at work, it is immensely important to know the principles of ergonomics and safe lifting techniques to protect yourself from injury.

What you should know

Load handling, such as lifting and carrying, can put a lot of strain on the backs of people from certain professions, such as caregivers and medical professionals, if the techniques they use are incorrect. Hasty and careless movements due to time pressure and weak trunk muscles are major causes of muscle strain and injury, which can lead to degenerative damage, bulging or herniated discs, arthritis, and overuse of tendons, ligaments, and muscles. To prevent these injuries, it is important to learn proper techniques and strengthen your muscles to protect your active and passive musculoskeletal system.

Besides lifting and carrying, the body has to withstand a lot more, and we’re not even talking about sitting or standing here. You also put a strain on your body during other everyday movements, such as bending, twisting, stretching and pushing things. These movements primarily put stress on the spine, ligaments and joints. The good news is that the human body is made to handle these activities. It is important though to engage in deliberate movement to maintain the health of the body.

What happens when you put too much strain on your back

Regardless of how strong you are or feel, mishandling loads can cause serious wear and tear on bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Often, loads are too heavy and we lift and carry them in improper postures. Bending forward too much while carrying heavy loads, twisting the spine, keeping the object’s center of gravity too far from the body, shifting the weight suddenly, and/or simply lifting too much for too long – all of these actions put the back and spine at risk. Careless movements and weak trunk muscles are the main causes of muscle strains and injuries.

Consequences of too much strain

Correct lifting and carrying should be learned as early as possible and also applied consistently. However, many people don’t like to think about the consequences of bad habits, which usually don’t show up until much later. Once the intervertebral discs or cartilage are affected, the damage to the tissue can be permanent as the body is no longer able to repair it. This is also known as degenerative damage. Consequences of incorrect lifting and carrying habits can include bulging or even herniated discs. In many cases, it affects the lumbar spine, but other areas of the spine can also be affected. Also osteoarthritis (joint cartilage damage) and overloading of tendons, ligaments and muscles are among the negative consequences of unfavorable lifting and carrying techniques. This makes it all the more important to prevent injuries by learning the better techniques and strengthening muscles to protect the passive musculoskeletal system (bones, ligaments, cartilage and intervertebral discs).

Handling heavy loads properly

Tips and tricks

Let’s take a look at some simple tips that can help people who handle heavy loads to make their (working) day ergonomic in the future. Remember that everyone has different preconditions. If a particular body part is already causing problems, adjust the following tips to avoid further injury. As a general rule, never lift or carry anything a lifting aid can assist you with. Before attempting to lift anything on your own, always consider the tools that are available: Hoisting straps, a transport roller, a hand truck, etc.

Manual handling of loads should therefore – if possible – always be avoided. For this reason, every company is obliged to provide suitable aids for load handling. The most important set of regulations for manual load handling is the Load Handling Regulation. This regulation stipulates that the employer must avoid any manual load handling operations that endanger the health of employees. Since this is not always possible, a “minimization requirement” applies, meaning that the load should be as low as possible.

Whether in the hospital, on the construction site, on the factory floor or elsewhere: aids are used to make lifting and carrying work easier, to relieve the spine and to prevent injuries. However, this only works if the aids are actually used. Existing aids are often not used due to time constraints. Yet this is about the health of the employees.

You should therefore find out whether there are any aids that can make your working life easier. Another means of preventing damage is exercise. There is no better way to avoid back problems than to train your core muscles evenly. In this context, you should strengthen your back and abdominal muscles in particular and specifically address poor posture.

Step-by-step instructions

Better lifting and carrying

Before lifting an object, check that you’re able to lift it on your own. If necessary, find a lifting aid or somebody to help you.

Stand close to the object, with your feet hip or shoulder-width apart. Make sure your feet are on stable ground.

It’s important to carry heavy loads close to the body.

As you lift the load, keep your back as upright as possible and tense your core muscles. Bend the hips and knees slightly until you’ve reached a half crouch position. Your head should be aligned with your back.

Maintain the tension in your core during the entire process.

Alternative technique

Here’s a slightly different lifting technique you can try:

Alternative

As you lift the load, bend slightly forward, tensing the back muscles and abs to stabilise and relieve pressure on the spine. Bend the hips and knees into a half crouch position. Always make sure that your head remains aligned with your back.

Keep in mind:

Once you’ve chosen a technique, stick to it for the entire lifting and carrying process.

Check the tension in your core muscles again and grasp the object with both hands. Lift it up and hold it close to the body, using the strength of your legs to help. Breathe evenly.

Carry the object as close as possible to the body while keeping the tension in your abdominal and back muscles.

Maintain the tension in your core!

The same movements apply when you set the load down: bend the hips and knees slightly and keep the weight close to your body. Remember to tense your core as you slowly set down the load.

Keeping in mind individual strengths and abilities, these movements may vary slightly from person to person.

When lifting and carrying, avoid bending too far forward or rotating the back. Bending backwards to make a hollow back is also counterproductive, as it places pressure on the spine, which can cause injury.

When reaching for an object placed at a distance or mounted somewhere, move it towards you first so you can then take the proper ergonomic steps to carry it correctly.