Lifting in the workplace is one of the most dangerous actions that takes place when it comes to producing injuries. Non-ergonomic work policies related to lifting and handling of materials can contribute to a significant amount of strain to a worker’s back, upper body and arms. One type of injury which is frequently reported when it comes to materials handling in the work place is related to overexertion. In 2003, 340,000 overexertion injuries were reported by employees in the United States alone. Many of these injuries stem from the fact that employees are not properly trained in ergonomic lifting methods, but more importantly, in many cases there is usually no company-wide policy in place to guide employees when they make lifting decisions.
In any job, whether it be in an office, in a warehouse, or out in the field, employees should be able to consult specific guidelines that help them know what is safe and what is not with regards to the lifting of materials and equipment. Overexertion injuries frequently occur when the object a worker is lifting is either too heavy for them, or requires an awkward or unnatural lifting position. To prevent these types of situations from occurring regularly, employees should be trained in the correct method for lifting. This usually means keeping the object in the worker’s power zone, which is located between their shoulders and knees, avoiding stooping in order to pick cargo or materials up off of the floor, and not reaching over their head to place an object on a shelf. If it is not possible to move the materials in question without violating these guidelines, then the worker should not attempt to do so, and should seek an alternative solution to the issue at hand. This can mean using lifting equipment or using a team of workers to help lift. It can also be useful to establish a firm rule that any cargo above a certain weight should not be moved by an individual worker without the use of lifting equipment.
Reducing the amount of lifting that needs to be done across the board can also lower musculoskeletal injuries by decreasing worker exposure to manual lifting. Streamlining of inventory and production processes can ensure that items are not repeatedly moved by hand as a result of an inefficient workflow. Workflow design should maximize throughput, and the most rapid method of moving materials is in a straight line from one part of the process to the next. Any interim steps that can be eliminated, and any re-handling of materials that does not move them along to the next step in the process should also be removed. An excellent example of minimizing cargo handling can be found during the unloading process. Instead of unloading cargo to a staging area, and then moving it again to where production begins, cargo can be unloaded directly into the production area. This removes the interim moving step, and lowers the chances that a worker will injure themselves unnecessarily.
Sources:
Brodie D, 2005. Reducing the Risk of Manual Materials Handling.
Kincaid W, 2005. Realistic, Cost-Effective Ergonomics for Real People.
