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Lift the load close to you

Lift the load close to you

Lifting and back injury 5 min 29 CFR 1926.21

Why it matters

The employer trains you on the hazards of the work, and a bad lift is one of those hazards. Test the weight, keep the load close, and do not twist. If it is awkward, wet, or too heavy to hold close, get help or use a cart. A sudden sharp pain means you stop.

The talk

1926.21 says the employer trains you on the hazards of your work. A bad lift is one of those hazards, and this talk is part of that training. Before you lift, test the weight. Tip the load, or pull on a handle, so you know if it is going to come up. Do not find out with your back already bent over it. If it does not move when you test it, it is not a one-person lift. Stop there. Get help or get a cart. There is nothing to prove by being the one who picks up the heaviest thing on the job.

Keep the load close to your body. A load held out at the end of your arms pulls harder on your back than the same load against your stomach. Set your feet so you are stable, with a clear place to step. Bend the knees if you can. Get under the load instead of reaching down with straight legs and a round back. Do not twist the back while you hold it. If you have to turn, set the load down, move your feet, and pick it up again facing the new way. Your nose and your toes point the same way while the load is in the air.

If the load is awkward, wet, or heavier than you can hold close, get help or use a cart. Wet means it can slip out of your hands on the way up. Awkward means one side is heavier, or there is no place to hold it against you. A water heater and a bundle of shingles are the usual traps. They look like one person can muscle them. Do not be a hero. Use two people or a cart. If you feel a sudden sharp pain, stop. Do not finish the carry to show you are fine. Set the load down if you still can, and tell the foreman.

Key points

  1. The employer trains you on this hazard under 1926.21.
  2. Test the weight before you commit your back.
  3. Keep the load close to your body.
  4. Set your feet stable, and bend the knees if you can.
  5. Do not twist. Set the load down if you have to turn.
  6. If it is awkward, wet, or heavier than you can hold close, get help or a cart.
  7. A sudden sharp pain means stop and tell the foreman.

Do this

  • Test the weight before you lift.
  • Hold the load close, with your feet stable.
  • Bend the knees if you can, instead of rounding your back.
  • Set the load down, move your feet, then lift again if you must turn.
  • Get help or a cart for a water heater, a bundle of shingles, or any load you cannot hold close.

Do not do this

  • Do not find out the weight with your back already bent.
  • Do not hold the load out at arm's length.
  • Do not twist your back while the load is in the air.
  • Do not be a hero with a water heater or a bundle of shingles.
  • Do not finish the carry after a sudden sharp pain.

Talk about it

  1. What are we lifting today that should be a team lift or a cart?
  2. Where is the cart, and who asks for help before trying a one-person lift?
  3. What do you do, and who do you tell, if a lift causes a sudden sharp pain?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

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