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SAFETY TIPS: How to Lift without Injuring Yourself

In recent weeks, one of my co-workers injured himself while trying to lift a box containing a crib for his newborn baby boy. Vince told me not to mention his name in the blog so I told him I won’t. What I will do is tell you how he hurt himself. First off, he is about 5’6 inches tall and about 150lbs soaking wet trying to lift a box a bit more than half his weight. He told me he did not stretch or prepare for the lift because he did not realize how heavy it was. He barely bent his knees and when he lifted the box which was a bit further from where he was so he had to reach a bit over on front to lift, and the rest was history. This is totally the wrong way to lift any heavy object. Now, I am going to explain how to lift a box properly without hurting yourself so when you receive a package from UPS containing R1 Concepts rotors, you know what to do:

According to family doctor.org:

  • Warm up by stretching your legs and your back before lifting anything especially if you are over 25yrs old, lol.
  • Make sure you have enough room to lift safely.
  • Make sure the weight is balanced and packed so it won’t move around.
  • Be sure you have a tight grip on the object before you lift it.
  • Get as close as you can to the load. Slide the load towards you if you can.
  • Don’t arch your back; avoid reaching out for an object.
  • Do the lifting with your legs and your arms, not your back.
  • Use slow and precise movements. Hurried, jerky movements can pull and strain the muscles in your back.
  • Keep your body facing the object while you lift. Twisting while lifting can hurt your back.
  • Lifting with your legs should be done only when you can straddle the load. To lift with your legs bend your knees, not your back, to pick up the load. Let your legs lead the way up. Keep your back straight.
  • Try to carry the load in the space between your shoulder and your waist. The box should be snug against your body. This puts less strain on your back muscles.
  • And last but not least, if the box is too heavy, GET SOME HELP!

Note: Need brake rotors and pads for your loading vehicle? Visit us at R1 concepts

(Info provided by family doctor.org)

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