Safe Lifting in the Workplace

Back injuries caused by lifting are currently the most common type of workplace accident. More than one million back injuries are suffered by workers every year; back injuries also account for 1 in 5 of all workplace injuries and illnesses. Also, a quarter of all work accident compensation claims pertain to back injuries.

Additionally, though accidents that have come about from manual materials handling, the primary cause of work injuries, involving lifting, placing, carrying, holding and lowering, statistics show that 4/5 of these work place injuries were to the lower back, and that 3/4 of them came about through lifting.

As of yet, no approach has been totally successful in eliminating back injuries caused by lifting; however, it is possible for many of these to be reduced by ensuring that safe lifting protocols are always followed.

Safe lifting techniques to bear in mind include:

• - Providing employee training in safe lifting technique.
• - Physical programs that reduce the risk of muscle strain.
• - Ensuring that objects above a certain mass or size are not lifted where it poses a threat.
• - Adjusting the heights involved in lifting; below knee height or above shoulder height lifting is much more strenuous than other kinds of lifting.

At least one study has determined that ergonomics could prevent many of these injuries, ensuring that lifting takes place between the reasonable parameters mentioned earlier, and without obstacles or obstructions.

Failure to follow these safe lifting procedures can lead to many work place accidents. Many work accident claims for compensation come about as a result of employers not paying proper care to ensuring these kinds of safe lifting techniques. Thus, employers can save their workers injury, as well as themselves money, by ensuring that their workers are always safe when lifting.