Back Safety
Back Activities Reaching, bending over, sitting Skiing, hiking, bike riding Playing with your children and grandchildren Working and feeling productive
Back Safety Goals Back injury and injury prevention Lifting techniques Quiz
Back Statistics 80% of Americans will have a back injury that requires medical attention Back injuries are the second most common cause of lost work time, next to the common cold Back injuries occur more often at home than they do at work Injured backs are often subject to reinjury In addition to missed work, there may be a lifetime of pain
Back Parts Vertebrae Spinal cord Disks Muscles, ligaments, tendons
Potential Back Injury Strain or sprain Bulging disk Herniated disk
Causes of Injury Years of abuse Poor posture Unconditioned back Excess weight and potbellies Bad lifting techniques
Back Posture Maintain the back s natural curves Standing Sitting Sleeping Changing posture and stretching Adaptive posture
Conditioning Your Back Physical conditioning Flexibility Excess weight and potbellies
Exercises Walking Stretching Sit-ups Leg lifts Squats
Lifting Equipment Powered equipment such as forklifts, powered carts, and electric pallet jacks Hand trucks, carts, pallet jacks Cranes and hoists Conveyors
Lifting Plan Plan ahead before lifting. Knowing what you're doing and where you're going will prevent you from making awkward movements while holding something heavy. Clear a path, and if lifting something with another person, make sure both of you agree on the plan. When Bending The Knees Is Difficult. For individuals who cannot fully bend the knees in order to pick up objects some bending of the spine may be necessary. In these cases, be sure the object being lifting is not heavy and most importantly, be sure to keep the object as close to the body as possible. The farther the object is away from the body the greater the stress on the spine.
Proper Lift Know where you are going to lift a load. Pre-plan your lift. Get a firm footing: Keep your feet apart (shoulder width) for a stable base and good balance; point toes out. Bend at your knees and hips: Don't bend at the waist. Keep the principles of leverage in mind. Don't do more work than you have to. Maintain your three natural back curves. Tighten stomach muscles: Abdominal muscles support your spine when you lift, off setting the force of the load and protect your back. Train muscle groups to work together. Lift with your legs: Let your powerful leg muscles do the work of lifting, not your weaker back muscles. Maintain you three natural curves. Lift smoothly; don't jerk as you lift. Suddenly movement and weight shifts can injure your back. Keep load close:don't hold the load away from your body. The closer it is to our spine, the less force it exerts on your back. Keep your back upright: Whether you are lifting or putting down the load, don't add the weight of your body to the load. Your nose and your toes should be facing up when lifting. Turn with your feet: Avoid twisting; it can cause injury.
Carrying the Load Make sure you can see Take small, stable steps Do not twist your back
Proper Unloading Squat down with the load Do not bend your back over the load Be careful of fingers
Overhead Loads Shoulders level with the load Slide the load close Use your legs
Long Loads Pick up one end Place the balance point on your shoulder Watch the ends
Lifting Bags Squat down next to the bag Grab it at opposite corners Lift it up to your thigh or waist Stand up Put the load on your shoulder
Team Lifting Designate a person to lead the lift Lift at the same time Keep the load level Slowly unload together
Think About Your Back Don t be lazy Think long term Don t try to lift too much Consider your back in all things that you do
Summary Maintain back posture and conditioning Use available lifting equipment Have a lifting plan Use your legs Always think about your back
Quiz 1. More back injuries occur at work than at home. 2. Poor can cause back pain by disrupting the back s natural curve. True or False 3. Name two things to check before attempting to lift a load: and. 4. Lifting with your legs is necessary only when attempting to lift heavy loads. True or False 5. Describe two of the more common back injuries: and.
Quiz (cont.) 6. A weekend warrior might incur a back injury because his or her back is not. 7. When conducting a team lift, the first thing you should do is. 8. Back injuries are usually the result of a single traumatic event. True or False 9. Name some of the material handling equipment that your company has available:. 10. Is your back more suited for pushing or pulling a load?
Quiz Answers 1. False. More back injuries occur at home. That s why we also need to consider our backs when away from work. 2. Poor posture disrupts the back s natural curves. 3. Size up or evaluate the load, clear the pathway. 4. False. Lifting incorrectly even with light loads constitutes back abuse. 5. Strained muscle, sprained or torn ligament, bulging disk, herniated or ruptured disk.
Quiz Answers (cont.) 6. The weekend warrior s back is usually not properly conditioned for strenuous work. 7. Designate a lift leader to help coordinate the lift to keep all participants safe. 8. False. Back injuries are usually the result of years of abuse. 9. Material handling equipment might include: cart, forklift, hand truck, pallet jack, conveyor, hoist. 10.The back has more strength pushing than it does when pulling.