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Proper lifting is the key to injury prevention.  The first step is planning the lift.  Every time something is to be moved, you should always make a conscious decision to see yourself safely moving the object before you begin the task.  This can prevent an injury from occurring by making a concerted mental effort before any physical force is exerted. 

Today, we had an individual in our office who was performing an employment test.  I was monitoring this individual who was being tested to return to work post injury.  This type of test in our office is called a ‘Fit for Duty’.  It is what it says, it is a test designed to ensure employees are ‘fit’ to return to full duty and assume all physical job tasks.  This individual was preparing to lift a NIOSH box to demonstrate their ability to handle their physical job demands by demonstrating capacity to handle the lifting force requirements prior to job specific testing.  This individual was more confident in handling lifting tasks after proper education.  I decided to share that information here on today’s blog post. 

            A solid foundation is a must.  Be sure to have your feet shoulder width apart.  Also, be as close to the object as possible.  This prevents an extended reach, an OSHA hazard.  This also enables an individual the ability to bend with their knees and use their legs to lift.  Never bend at the waist, always lower your butt to the floor when bending at the knees.  The wide base allows this to movement to be fluid and prevent low back injuries.  This also enables you to utilize the strongest muscles in your body; your leg muscles.

            When you plan each lift with proper body mechanics, success in inevitable.  Remember, to always plan each and every lift.  Continuous planning throughout your day creates habits.  Habitual planning of proper body mechanics before each lift is the pathway to preventing injuries during any lift.