Working with heavy loads can be hard on the body. Heavy lifting over long periods of time can damage your joints, muscles, and even your spirit. Many people whose jobs involve working with heavy loads end up with serious health problems by the time they hit 50. If you work in an industry where heavy lifting is an unavoidable part of the trade, now’s the time to explore your options. Adopting injury prevention strategies can keep you and the people you work with healthy and happy. Read on to find out how you can efficiently manage heavy loads:
Did you know that you don’t have to lift things at all? It is entirely possible for you to use machines to lift heavy loads. With that said, heavy machinery isn’t suitable for everything. It’s only worth using if the loads that need to be lifted are far heavier than anything a person could lift on their own. Gear such as lifting lugs and harnesses are often used in combination with machine lifting equipment, so make sure you have everything you need. You also need to make sure that the employees you have operating heavy machinery are trained and licensed to use it. If they are not trained, there is always the risk they could hurt themselves or other people. Licenses are a legal requirement. Allowing unlicensed employees to operate heavy machinery could get you into trouble with your industry regulator.
Handling heavy loads yourself is something that should be done with care. You need to make sure you adopt a safe posture. If you run a business, it’s a good idea to put posters up with the proper technique for lifting heavy loads pictured on them. Posters around your warehouse or factory floor can help to motivate employees to lift properly, preventing damage. Make sure that in addition to putting posters up, you also pay for employees to be properly trained in lifting. You can train them in-house, or you can send them to an external training provider.
A stable position is important, too. By ‘stable position,’ this post is referring to the physical location of a lift. One of the worst things a person can do when they are trying to lift a heavy object is to stand somewhere where the ground is uneven or on top of something that could slip. If your feet give out when you are performing a heavy lift, you could seriously injure yourself. Make sure your business’s work floor is clear of any obstructions or anything that could cause injuries. Remember that any workplace injuries can result in lawsuits being mounted against you.
There is other equipment you can use to assist with lifts like forklifts, for example. Forklifts can make it easy to lift pallets that are holding heavy objects and transport them to and from loading bays or in and out of vans and lorries. Forklifts are expensive, however, and require a lot of maintenance. In addition to maintenance, they can only be operated by people who hold licenses. Forklift licenses are necessary. You should never allow an employee to operate a forklift without one, because if they injure themselves, they could sue you for workplace negligence.
A lot of people are hesitant to ask for help when they are performing a heavy lift. The main reason for this is that they do not want to be seen as weak. It is a badge of honor in many professions to be able to perform heavy lifts independently. However, you need to encourage your employees to ask for help when they need it. Attempting to lift something that’s too heavy for you alone just to improve your image is a very bad idea. You may want to put posters up reminding employees to ask for help if they need it.
A good way to improve your lifts (or your employees to improve their lifts) is to perform physical exercise. Strengthening one’s core muscles improves their chances of success when it comes to heavy workplace lifts. Encouraging physical activity is also a good way to improve your reputation as an employer because it shows that you care about the health of your employees. Some companies give their employees complimentary gym memberships. If you are able to do this, it has the added benefit of improving employee job satisfaction.
If heavy lifting is performed with poor technique or inefficiently, injuries can occur. You can use the guidance given here to ensure that your lifts or your employees’ lifts are successful. Definitely invest in mechanical aids to make your life and the lives of your workers easier.
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