Lifting Hazards and Some Ideas on
How to Reduce Your Risk of Lifting
Injury
Lotsa
pounds
By the end of this lesson you will be
able to:
• Identify the types of lifting that may
cause injuries
• Identify the ergonomics principles used in
reducing lifting hazards and preventing
injuries
Lifting Injuries Aren’t Just Back Injuries
Lifting results in:
30% of
Shoulder
WMSDs
43% of
Back
WMSDs
22% of
Elbow
WMSDs
13% of
Hand/Wrist
WMSDs
WMSD = Work Related Muscular Skeletal Disorder
Lifting Injuries Aren’t Just Due to Aging
“Overexertion in lifting a heavy object
is the most frequent single type of
injury for those under 18 resulting in
lost work-time.”
Source: American Society of Safety
Engineers (ASSE,)
Pay special attention to…
Heavy lifting
Frequent lifting
Awkward lifting
Heavy Lifting
This job is adding bags of dry ingredients to a hopper in a manufacturing plant.
Frequent Lifting
This job is palletizing bins of small parts in a warehouse.
Awkward Lifting
• Above the shoulders
• Below the knees
• At arms’ length
This job is lifting 50-pound bags in a
manufacturing plant
Calculator for analyzing lifting
operations
The use of the following 6 steps will assist you in
determining a safe working weight .
We will use factors based on, starting position, repetition, and
duration of the task to calculate the maximum weight that may be lifted
safely. The purpose of this calculator is to identify the lifting limit and
ensure your starting weight does not exceed the lifting limit.
Step 1
Enter the weight of the object lifted. ___________lbs.
(We will use the starting weight in step 1 to compare with our answer in step 5)
Example – 45 lbs.
The above information can be gotten from the following web site http://ebookbrowse.com/calculator-for-analyzing-lifting-operations-pdf-d314819091
Calculator for analyzing lifting
operations
Step 2
Select from the chart on the left,
the weight that represents the
position your hands will be in when
you begin to lift or lower the
objects, i.e. above your head,
below your knees , close/away
from your body etc.
Example - 50
Calculator for analyzing lifting
operations
Step 3
Select the number that corresponds to the times the person
lifts per minute and the total number of hours per day spent
lifting.
How many lifts per minute
1 lift every 2-5 min
1 lift every min
2-3 lifts every min
4-5 lifts every min
6-7 lifts every min
8-9 lifts every min
10+ lifts every min
How many hours per day
Under 1 hour
1 hr to 2 hrs 2 hrs or more
1
0.95
0.85
0.95
0.9
0.75
0.9
0.85
0.65
0.85
0.7
0.45
0.75
0.5
0.25
0.6
0.35
0.15
0.3
0.2
0
Example – 2-3 lifts every min for 1-2 hours = .85
Calculator for analyzing lifting
operations
Step 4
If your job involves twisting 45 degrees or
more Select 0.85. Otherwise select 1.0
Example – Our job involves twisting 45 degrees
or more = .85
Calculator for analyzing lifting
operations
Step 5
Using the numbers in the examples
we get, 50 x .85 x .85 = 36lbs.
Calculator for analyzing lifting
operations
Step 6
In our example, we started out with a weight of
45 lbs. However, our calculations indicated that
36 lbs. was the maximum safe lifting limit we
should use. Lifting the initial 45 lbs. could result
in an WMSD (Work Related Muscular Skeletal Disorder.)
Principles for reducing heavy lifting
• Reduce the weight
• Use mechanical assistance
• Slide instead of lift
• Team lifting
Reducing heavy lifting
Reduce the weight of the load
(plastic pallets)
This example shows using
lightweight plastic pallets, which
weigh anywhere from 13 to 30
pounds for a standard 40” x 48”
unit (the one in the picture is
about 20 pounds).
The traditional wooden 40” x 48”
pallets weigh approximately 60
pounds.
Reducing heavy lifting
Slide instead of lift
This example is
moving heavy duty
batteries from one
pallet to another .
Large batteries can weigh up to 110
pounds (this one weighs about 75
pounds). By taking the time to set another
pallet at the same height as the shelf or
battery to be moved, it can be slid rather
than lifted.
Reducing heavy lifting
Team lifting
Team lifting works better on larger objects, such
as the wallboard shown here.
Principles for reducing frequent lifting
• Use mechanical assistance
• Avoid unnecessary lifting
• Use mobile storage
Reducing frequent lifting
Use mobile storage
The example above is a mobile rack that can hold heavy boxes which require movement
from one place to another
Principles for reducing duration of lifting
• Rotate to other jobs
• Use mechanical assistance
Reducing duration of lifting
Rotate job tasks, i.e. lifting to nonlifting tasks
Principles for reducing awkward lifting
- reaching -
•
•
•
•
•
•
Remove obstacles
Slide items closer
Reduce shelf depth
Reduce package size
Use mechanical assistance
Team lifting
Along with object weight, lifting frequency and duration, the distance between the hands
and the low back when lifting is one of the main factors in determining whether a lift is a
hazard or not. The longer the reach of a required lift an object, the more of a load it
places on the low back and the greater the risk of injury.
Reducing awkward lifting
- reaching -
Remove obstacles
This shows lifting in and out of a bin with the side flipped down. Bins with flip-down
sides can reduce the reach in many cases, although there may still be some awkward
lifting.
Reducing awkward lifting
- reaching -
Slide objects closer
This example shows an employee, using an inexpensive, metal hook, made in-house, to
pull a box close to the edge of the shelf before lifting it. This works well for lighter items.
Heavier items would need to be stored lower and slid closer using both hands.
Reducing awkward lifting
- reaching -
Reduce package size
The drawings show the difference between lifting a large box with many items in it
versus lifting a smaller box with fewer items in it. Not only will this reduce the
weight, but it will also reduce the reach necessary to pick up the box.
Reducing awkward lifting
- reaching -
Team lifting
Team lifting can help to reduce the effort required to pick up a large object. Remember,
it’s not as effective as a piece of lifting equipment.
Principles for reducing awkward lifting
- bending -
• Use mechanical assistance to raise the load
• Add handles
• Arrange storage
• Avoid unnecessary lifting
Reducing awkward lifting
- bending -
Use mechanical assistance to raise the load
Workers can bring objects up to a
better height for lifting. The best use
is to place the cart at the same
height as the shelf or table in which
the object is being transferred to or
from, and then slide it over rather
than lifting. Carts with rollers or
roller balls also help make the sliding
transfer easier.
Reducing awkward lifting
- bending -
Add handles
This shows the difference in lifting posture
between picking up a box from the bottom, and
picking it up using handles near the top of the
box. In this case, this product is shipped in a
box with pre-cut handles. There’s still some
bending, but the box is now lifted from above
the knees, rather than below them.
There are a couple of other good ideas in this
photo as well. The box has been stacked on an
empty pallet to raise it up a little (sometimes
even raising something just 6” can make a
difference in posture).
Reducing awkward lifting
- bending -
Rearrange storage
The example shown is where they took a stack of heavy items
and rearranged them to be placed on shelves between knee and
shoulder level.
Reducing awkward lifting
- bending -
Avoid unnecessary lifting
This is an example of a commercial product designed to allow mechanics to hang
wheels off the sides of the lift when working on brakes, hubs, etc. This places the wheels
at a better height for lifting, instead of dropping the wheels to the ground. The hanger
folds flat against the lift when not in use.
Principles for reducing awkward lifting
– reaching above shoulders -
• Arrange storage
• Use mechanical assistance
• Use a rolling stair or
“safety ladder”
Reducing awkward lifting
– reaching above shoulders Arrange storage
This shows arranging storage so that larger, heavier and more frequently used boxes
are between knee and shoulder height. In this case, the height of the shelf for heavy
boxes is just above the height of the cart, so they can be slid instead of lifted.
Reducing awkward lifting
– reaching above shoulders -
Use mechanical assistance
The device shown is a stacker, which is like a hand truck with a hand-cranked winch to
move the platform up and down so that loads can be mechanically raised to the height
they are shelved or removed from shelves. Stackers are available with lift heights up to
12 feet.
Reducing awkward lifting
– reaching above shoulders Use mechanical assistance
This example shows using a forklift to combine a stack of bins,
rather than manually stacking the bins over shoulder height.
Reducing awkward lifting
– reaching above shoulders -
Use a rolling stair
This example is a cart with a stair attached (or a stair with a cart
attached). The advantage is that the steps are always there, so no
need to find a ladder, and they can set the load down as they go
up and down the stairs.
Principles for reducing awkward lifting
– twisting -
• Use conveyors
• Provide more space
• Arrange storage
Reducing awkward lifting
– twisting -
Use conveyors
Conveyors are especially useful when changing directions, to help avoid
twisting. This picture shows a gravity conveyor used to unload trucks in a
shipping department. It allows the receiver to bring the boxes over to the
computer to scan in the information and inventory the contents. The boxes can
then be slid directly onto carts to be put away. Lifting only needs to occur twice,
once to take the box from the truck and place it on the conveyor, and once to
put the box away.
Reducing awkward lifting
– twisting -
Re-arrange storage
This example shows raising the height of the racks to
provide more room to get at products on the lower racks.
Lifting techniques training
Teaching lifting techniques to
employees
– Giving training alone is
not effective
– Making changes to jobs
and equipment is better
– Making changes along
with training is most
effective
Training all by itself, without
making changes to the
workplace, is often not effective
in preventing injuries. Often
employees are taught “proper
lifting techniques” and then sent
out to work under conditions that
don’t allow them to use these
techniques. Training is an
important part of implementing
changes. Showing employees
how to use new equipment and
explaining why it’s important to
use them helps reduce the
possibility of WMSD’s
Lifting techniques training
• Job-specific, on-site, handson training is more effective
than classroom
• Have employees demonstrate
proper lifting techniques
before “graduating”
Being trained where they work, using the objects they typically lift
and the equipment they use on the job helps employees to relate
to what they’re being taught, rather than showing them a generic
lifting video. Make sure that employees have learned what you’re
trying to teach them by having each one of them demonstrate the
lifting techniques properly. Follow-up with them to make sure they
are able to use the techniques on the job.
QUIZ
1. Using the lifting calculator… can you safely lift an item
weighing 45 pounds, at waist to shoulder height (out 7”)
for 4 to 5 lifts each minute for 1 to 2 hours in duration and
your not twisting more then 45 degrees?
a. Yes
b. No
2. Job-specific, on-site, hands-on training is more effective
than classroom.
a. True
b. False
3. Name one of the three principles for reducing frequent
lifting.
____________________
Summary
• You have identified the types of lifting that may cause
injuries such as; Heavy lifting, Frequent lifting and
Awkward lifting. You also learnt some ergonomics
principles used in reducing lifting hazards and preventing
injuries such as; Reducing the weight you lift to increasing
the weight so that no one will attempt to lift the weight.
You also learnt that the use of mechanical assistance can
greatly reduce injuries and the use of team lifting works
better on larger items.
• With the proper use of the lifting techniques you just learnt
you can expect to have a productive and safe working
environment.
• Remember, proper lifting not only affects you but those
working around you.
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. Using the lifting calculator… can you safely lift an item
weighing 45 pounds, at waist to shoulder height (out 7”)
for 4 to 5 lifts each minute for 1 to 2 hours in duration and
your not twisting more then 45 degrees?
b. No…The safe weight limit would be 35 lbs.
1. Job-specific, on-site, hands-on training is more effective
than classroom.
a. True
3. Name one of the three principles for reducing frequent
lifting.
1. Use mechanical assistance
2. Avoid unnecessary lifting
3. Use mobile storage