Manual Lifting Safety

The goals of this course are to promote safety in manual lifting. They are:

• to make the trainee fully aware of the potential dangers associated with lifting,
• to show trainees how to avoid unnecessary stress on the back through the use of proper lifting techniques, and
• to make each person aware of his or her physical limits in terms of the types and maximum weights of objects he or she can handle safely.

Course Contents:

• “Warnings”: (Individual's Capacity, Weight of the Load, Lifting Position, etc...)
• Basic biomechanics of lifting (how the weight of objects lifted is supported by the back)
• Basic physiology and the effects of unskilled lifting on the body
• Individual awareness of the body's strengths and weaknesses
• Risk factors that increase the potential for back injury (work-specific and life-style-related)
• Recommendations on how to improve life-style to reduce the potential for back injury (strength and fitness training, sleeping positions, etc...)
• Handling skills (body mechanics, load-moment effects, etc...)
• Handling aids (use of platforms, tables, steps, carts, etc...)
• Lumbar belts (are they really necessary?)
• Risk of injury associated with unskilled lifting

Course length: Up to 60 minutes