To avoid hurting your back when carrying heavy loads, follow the advice from the Health and Safety Executive, summarised below.
- Think before handling/lifting
- Keep the load close to your waist
- Adopt a stable position
- Ensure a good hold on the load
- Slight bending of your back, hips and knees is preferable to either stooping or deep squatting (but avoid rounding your back if you have osteoporosis)
- Don’t flex your back any further while lifting
- Avoid twisting your back or leaning sideways
- Keep your head up when handling
- Move smoothly
- Don’t lift or handle more than you can easily manage
- Put down, then adjust
Read the full HSE good handling technique guide.
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