On the 8th Day of Industrial Ergonomics, my favorite safety team gave to me… expert tips for safer material handling and a $20 Home Depot gift card!
Welcome back to DORN’s 12 Days of Industrial Ergonomics, where we’re wrapping up the year with practical tips on key workplace safety topics. The winner from Day 7 of the 12 Days of Ergonomics is Judith Kochevar, who did an incredible job —check out her post!
Today’s topic is an important one in almost every industry, especially manufacturing, warehousing, and construction but also sectors like healthcare, hospitality, and beyond: material handling safety. While it seems like a simple task, moving materials between locations within a worksite is associated with high rates of soft-tissue injuries, most of which can be prevented with education and awareness of best practices.
Handling and moving materials—whether that means shipping pallets, dirt, gravel, bricks, or hazardous chemicals—often comes down to two motions: pushing and pulling. Shoulder and back injuries, which are commonly associated with materials handling incidents, can cost employers between $20,000 and $40,000 per case on average. The heavier the load, the higher the risk of injury.
Generally, our advice for safely moving heavy materials boils down to this: pushing is almost always safer than pulling. Here are a few tips for safe pushing of materials:
- Form a solid base with your legs and control the object with straight arms.
- Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Use your legs and body weight to push the object forward. Keeping the back straight will help you maintain control.
- Keep your feet and eyes pointing in the same direction.
Pulling a heavy object can incur risk because it changes your body posture, rounding the back and placing more strain on the spine and back muscles. It also prevents clear sighting, making it more difficult to see obstacles that could cause trips and falls or even spills of hazardous materials.
Watch as DORN’s Cheryl Roy and her sister Jennifer demonstrate proper pushing technique.
Thank you for joining us for the 12 Days of Industrial Safety! Remember to share this post on social media to be entered to win today’s prize: a $20 Home Depot gift card!
