Why Lifting Ergonomics Are Important

Back injuries cause days away from work and lost productivity every year.

By Alexandra Walsh

Two million back injuries occur across the United States every year. Roughly half of them—that’s a million—are injuries sustained in the workplace according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Here are some additional facts about back injuries:

• One fourth of all workers’ compensation indemnity claims are a result of back injuries.
• Low back pain is one of the most common reasons that people miss work, second only to the common cold.
• A BLS survey shows that 75% of back injuries occurred while performing lifting tasks, which underlines the importance of reducing back injuries caused by lifting.
• Back injuries account for one in every five workplace injuries.

In this country, we spend more than $100 billion annually in medical bills, disability, and lost productivity at work from back injuries and pain. More importantly, this problem causes unnecessary discomfort and pain to workers and can have a devastating effect on their lifestyle and ability to work.

Back pain becomes chronic and disabling in roughly 5% of cases, and up to 44% of people who initially recover have a reoccurrence within a year’s time. Once you’ve had two episodes of back pain in a year, you’re three times more likely to experience a third episode.

Put all that together, and back injuries are a significant source of disability. After all, 5% (sounds like a small number) of a million is 50,000 chronic and disabling cases of back pain.

The consequences are expensive for employers—in workers’ compensation claims, days away from work, and lost productivity.

Does OSHA Require Proper Lifting Techniques?

OSHA defines ergonomics as fitting workplace conditions to the working population by using principles of safety and health to address and reduce ergonomic risk factors such as forceful exertion, awkward postures, contact stress, and repetitive movements.

OSHA has no specific standard related to ergonomic lifting, which means there are no safe lifting techniques OSHA recommends officially.

Nevertheless, ergonomic lifting and safe lifting techniques fall under OSHA’s General Duty Clause, which requires employers to protect workers from serious and recognized workplace hazards. As a result, companies must employ any “feasible and useful” method necessary to mitigate the danger.

That includes providing equipment and safe lifting training to employees who are at risk.

Safe Lifting Training

Safe lifting training should include topics like:

• Health risks related to improper lifting
• General principles of ergonomics
• Good work practices, including safe lifting techniques and the use of equipment
• How to recognize tasks that may lead to pain or injury
• Symptoms of musculoskeletal disorder and the importance of addressing them early
• Procedures for reporting work-related injuries.

Lifting Heavy Objects

Before you can safely lift heavy things, there are four stages to consider:

• Preparation
• Lifting
• Carrying
• Setting down.

Preparation and planning are critical aspects of ergonomic lifting.

First, you need to evaluate the lifting task for safety. Know how much you can safely lift and make sure the load doesn’t exceed it. Assess whether the object is too large or too awkward to lift and carry safely. Will you be able to get a good grip?

You need to know where you’re putting the object down ahead of time. Check that the pathway is unobstructed, the floor is dry, and the distance isn’t too far for safety.

If the load is too heavy or ungainly, obstructs your vision, and needs to be carried too far or lifted overhead, you’ll need to find a safe alternative. Is it a two-person job? Do you need a hand truck, dolly, pushcart, or another tool? Could gloves give you a better grip?

Once you have a plan for lifting ergonomics, you should stretch and warm up your muscles before lifting. Loosen up your back with lower-back rotations. Stretch your hamstrings and get the blood flowing. All these measures will reduce your risk of injury.

Proper Lifting Techniques

You’ve probably heard, “Lift with your knees, not with your back.” But what does that mean exactly?

It means you should never bend forward to lift a heavy object. Instead, you should squat, get a secure hold of the load, and stand by straightening your legs while keeping your back straight or slightly arched.

Safe lifting involves:

• Standing as close to the load as possible
• Planting your feet shoulder-width apart with one foot slightly ahead of the other
• Bending at the hips and knees only until you’re deep in a squatting position
• Keeping your head up and straight with your shoulders back to keep your back straight
• Holding the load close to your body at waist height
• Engaging your core muscles as you push against the ground and straighten your legs.

Here are a few essential don’ts to keep in mind for good lifting ergonomics:

• Don’t twist your torso while lifting; stay “nose between your toes”
• Don’t lift a heavy item above shoulder level
• Don’t carry a load that obstructs your vision
• Don’t hold your breath while lifting, moving, and setting the load down
• Don’t use a partial grip using only one or two fingers
• Don’t jerk or lift quickly
• Don’t pull a load if you can push it
• Don’t forget to wear proper PPE.

Setting Down Heavy Things Safely

Setting down a heavy object is just as dangerous as picking it up. You should reverse the lifting process, following the same ergonomic lifting principles:

• Keep the load close to your body and your back straight or slightly arched
• Squat down, bending only at the knees and hips
• Tighten your stomach muscles engaging your core as you lower yourself
• Kneel on one knee if necessary.

Remember not to rush the lifting and setting down process and not to carry a heavy load. Also, keep in mind that the most dangerous lifting tasks are those that are repetitive and over a sustained time. You need to monitor your exertion level and take breaks.

Finally, consider stopping before you become too tired to lift safely.

Get Safety Products from NGWA

Go to the NGWA online bookstore and get items to keep you safe. Included are:

Model Environmental Health & Safety Manual, a downloadable complete safety program that can be stored online or in a three-ring binder.

Employee Safety Manual, second edition, a 40-page pocket-size book with details on a variety of safety topics.

Safety Meetings for the Groundwater Industry, which contain details for leading weekly safety meetings printed on two-part carbonless paper with areas for employee and supervisor signatures.

Click here to learn more.

Alexandra Walsh is the vice president of Association Vision, a Washington, D.C.–area communications company. She has extensive experience in management positions with a range of organizations.