Back Safety in the Workplace

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Back Safety in the Workplace

• By John Baltes, Director of Loss Prevention and
  Safety
• Chou Lor, Safety Coordinator, FPM

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Back Safety Lifting

• Training Objectives
• Back Injury Statistics
• Common Causes of Back Injuries
• Back Injury Prevention
• Principles of Safe Handling
• Proper Lifting Techniques
• Exercises
• Summary

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Back Safety Lifting

• Back Injury Statistics
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
  (BLS), more than one million (1,000,000) workers
  suffer back injures each year.
• Back injuries account one (1) of every five (5)
  workplace injuries or illness.
• Eight of ten American will experience back
  pain/injury in their lifetime.
• After the first injury, an individual is 5 times
  more likely to experience a second or more severe
  injury.
• The average cost for a lost time injury is
  10,450 (NSC-2000)
• Fewer that 50 of lost time back injury sufferers
  return to work after 6 months. Less than 25 of
  those return after one year. (BLS, 1989).

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Back Safety Lifting

• Common Causes of Back Injuries

Heavy Lifting
Twisting
Reaching Lifting
Carrying Lifting
Awkward Postures
Sitting or Standing
Slips, Trips Falls
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Back Safety Lifting

• Job requires heavy lifting
• Use equipment when possible or ask for help.
• Try to avoid repetitive lifting over a long
  period of time.

• Twisting at the waist while lifting or holding a
  heavy load.

• Injury usually occurs when reaching over the
  head, across a table or out the back of a truck.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Injury usually occurs when carrying or lifting
  objects with awkward or odd shapes.

• Inappropriate postures that can contribute to
  back pain are caused by poor workstation layout
  and/or equipment design.

• It is very easy to injure your back, neck or legs
  while slipping, tripping or falling.

Slips, Trips Falls
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Back Safety Lifting
Sitting or Standing

• Sitting or standing too long in one position.
  Sitting can be very hard on the lower back.
• For every one to two hours sitting, stand up and
  take a stretch.
• For every one to two hours standing, sit down or
  move around and stretch.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Back Injury Prevention
• Avoid lifting and bending whenever you can.
• Place objects up off the floor.
• That way you wont have to reach down to pick
  them up again.
• Raise / lower shelves.
• The best zone for lifting is between your
  shoulders and your waist.
• Put heavier objects on shelves at waist level,
  lighter objects on lower or higher shelves.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Back Injury Prevention
• Reducing exposure to known risk factors
• Repetition
• Awkward Position
• Force
• Object weight
• Load Distribution
• Object friction
• Duration

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Back Safety Lifting

• Back Injury Prevention Cont.
• Avoid Hyper extension movements of the back.

• Avoid Hyper flexion movements of the back.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Back Injury Prevention cont.
• Maintain good posture
• Lift objects holding them close to your body
• Never twist when carrying, handling, or
  transferring a heavy object

• Avoid locking out the knees
• Use proper lifting techniques

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Back Safety Lifting
4
3
2
1
Assess
Plan
Prepare
Perform
Principles
of Safe
Handling
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Back Safety Lifting
Assess

• Assess the task
• Posture
• Pacing, rate of work, breaks
• Requirements for team handling
• Assess Your Own Capabilities
• Strength, height, etc.
• Health problems
• Gender, age, fitness

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Back Safety Lifting
Assess
Cont.

• Assess the Load
• Weight, shape, size
• Handles, packaging
• Stability
• Contents hot, cold, hazardous
• Assess the environment
• Space constraints
• Flooring condition, levels
• Temperature, humidity, ventilation
• Tidiness, general housekeeping

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Back Safety Lifting
Plan

• Task
• What is the most appropriate posture?
• Is there mechanical aid available?
• Is there anyone else to help?
• Route
• Consider start and end points
• Can any obstructions be cleared

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Back Safety Lifting
Prepare

• Prepare the load
• Can the load be split?
• Can the load be made more stable?
• Make sure contents are evenly distributed?
• Move the loads center of gravity close to yours
• Cover sharp / abrasive edges
• Prepare yourself and the area
• Check space constraints
• Move obstacles
• Check final destination
• Check housekeeping
• Get a good grip on the load
• Use PPE where appropriate

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Back Safety Lifting
Perform

• Apply principles of biomechanics to reduce the
  load on the spine
• Keep a wide base of support.
• Maintain the lumbar curve (low back) as much as
  possible.
• Get a good grip.
• Position feet in direction of travel.
• Use smooth controlled movements.
• Use friction to minimize force.
• Try to avoid twisting and stooping.
• Use team lifting where appropriate.

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Back Safety Lifting
Get close to the load
Slowly Lift
Proper Lifting Techniques
Hug the Load
Squat Down
Grip the Load
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Back Safety Lifting

• Proper Lifting Techniques

Get close to the load

• Get as close to the load as possible with your
  feet wide apart about shoulder width, with one
  foot slightly in front of the other for balance.

• Test the objects weight before lifting it.

• Ask for assistance from a co-worker when
  appropriate.

• Have the object close to the body and put less
  force on the low back.

• Avoid rapid, jerky movements.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Proper Lifting Techniques Cont.
• Keep yourself in an upright position while
  squatting to pick up.
• Squat by bending the knees and hips.
• Keep the three Curves of the Back properly
  aligned
• Ears, Shoulders, and Hips are in a straight line.

Squat Down
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Back Safety Lifting
Grip the Load

• Proper Lifting Techniques Cont.
• Tightening the stomach helps support the spine.
• Do not hold your breath while tightening the
  muscles.
• Get a firm grasp of the object before beginning
  the lift.
• Use both hands.
• Use whole hand, not just fingers.
• Use gloves as needed to prevent pinched grips
  or to protect the hands during lift.

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Back Safety Lifting
Hug the Load

• Proper Lifting Techniques Cont.
• Legs are the strongest muscles in the body so
  use them.
• Avoid back flexion.
• Hold objects close to body.
• Slide the object from the knee on the ground to
  mid-thigh.
• Keep the head forward.
• Hug the object to your stomach
  chest.

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Back Safety Lifting
Slowly Lift

• Proper Lifting Techniques Cont.
• Lift with the legs to allow the bodys powerful
  leg muscles to do the work.
• Flex the knees and hips, not the back.
• Avoid bending twisting at the waist.
• Try to keep the back straight during the lift.
• Do not look down at the object during lift.
• Look up to help straighten the position of the
  back for a safer lift.
• Never Bend, Lift, and Twist at the same time.

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Back Safety Lifting
Torque Load x Distance
Box 30 lbs.
Body wgt 170 lbs.
(30 lbs. x 36 in.) (85 lbs. x 12 in.) 2,100
in-lbs.
(30 lbs. x 16 in.) (85 lbs. x 0 in.) 480
in-lbs.
(Box)
(Box)
(Employee)
(Employee)
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Back Safety Lifting

• Exercises
• Exercises that work your back, hips, thighs, and
  abdominal muscles can minimize back problems.
• Stand behind chair, hands on chair. Lift one leg
  back and up, keeping the knee straight.
• Warm up slowly and exercise regularly.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Exercises Cont.
• Starting Position Standing tall, feet shoulder
  width apart, chin tucked in
• Place your palms on the small of your back,
  fingers pointing down.
• Keep your head up as you lean back slowly as far
  as possible.
• Hold for at least 10 seconds.
• Return to starting position and relax.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Exercises Cont.
• Wall Squats
• Stand with back leaning against wall
• Walk feet 12 inches in front of body.
• Keep abdominal muscles tight while slowly bending
  both knees 45 degrees.
• Hold 5 seconds.
• Slowly return to upright position.
• Repeat at least 5 to 10 times.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Exercises Cont.
• Lie on the floor on back.
• Keeping arms folded across chest, tilt pelvis to
  flatten back, chin tuck into chest.
• Tighten abdominal muscles while raising head and
  shoulders from floor.
• Hold at least 10
  seconds and
  release.
• Repeat at least
  5 to 10 times.

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Back Safety Lifting

• Summary
• Common Causes Of Back Injuries

• Heavy Lifting
• Twisting
• Reaching Lifting
• Carrying Lifting

• Awkward Positions
• Sitting or Standing
• Slips, trips, and falls

• Back Injury Prevention

• Reduce exposures to known risk factors

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Back Safety Lifting

• Summary Cont.
• Principles of Safe Handling

• Assess
• Plan

• Prepare
• Perform

• Proper Lifting Techniques

• Close
• Squat
• Grip

• Hug
• Slowly

• Exercise-Should You?---of course!!!

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Back Safety Lifting

• Any Questions, Comments!!!