Lifting and Carrying: Your Guide to a Healthy Back

Know the Facts

Back injuries affect millions of Americans, and can require medical attention.  Back injuries are a leading cause of job-related injuries.  They disable more than 400,000 people each year. It costs Americans nearly $75 billion annually for medical treatment, lost wages, and insurance claims. Back injuries can significantly limit a person’s physical activity. It is also the second leading cause of missed work days and lost wages.

Using good body mechanics to lift

  • Wear supportive shoes with traction
  • Bend and gently stretch to get ready
  • Test the load to see if you can handle it safely – if not get help from a co-worker or use mechanical aids
  • Keep a wide stance and solid footing
  • To improve balance, keep your heels down and turn feet slightly out
  • Tighten your stomach muscles
  • Do not hold your breath – exhale with the greatest exertion
  • Get a good grasp on the load
  • Keep the load close to your body to reduce strain
  • Keep your head up and trunk tall to maintain your natural curves
  • Lift steadily with your legs, not your back
  • Point feet in the direction of the move, don’t twist
  • Set the load down by squatting down and keeping the spine aligned More…

Educate Your Employees on the Fundamentals of a “Tendon” to Reduce Workplace Injuries

Did you know, if you educate Your Employees on the fundamentals of “tendons and ligaments”, it can reduce your Workplace Injuries. By educating your employees on the basics of tendon and ligament injuries, you can drastically decrease the amount of repetitive motion injuries, sprains and strains, and other common OSHA recordable injuries. For example: if your employees know to use the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) technique properly, they can avoid many types of cumulative trauma injuries that can exacerbate day after day. We all know that exercise, stretching, yoga, or some type of daily routine will decrease our waist lines, but do you also know that it will lessen the chance of cumulative trauma injuries, arthritis, sprains/strains, and many other types of workplace injuries? Here’s a quick lesson: More…