Remember the good ‘ole days when it seemed like no physical activity could slow you down. But as time marched on it seemed to march right on your joints, knees and lower back to the point where getting out of bed the wrong way can bring on aches and pains. If this sounds familiar you’re probably dreading the manual labor of your move.
Even those in peak physical condition can become injured during a move if they aren’t taking the proper safety precautions. We want to make sure all movers, both professional and novice, get through their move without doing damage to their backs and knees, common injuries that can occur when heavy lifting is involved.
The Square Cow Mover safety tips and advice below list ways to avoid back and knee injuries during a move.
Proper Lifting Technique Makes All the Difference
We’ve all heard it before “lift with your knees, not your back”. What that means is the proper way to lift a heavy object is to:
- Squat down as low as needed, don’t bend down at the waist
- Get a firm grip around the object
- Then slowly stand back up, lifting the weight with your lower body
You may also want to consider getting back and knee braces as an extra precaution against injury. They may not be stylish but there’s a reason why professional movers wear them.
Proper Packing Techniques Also Help You Avoid Knee and Back Injuries
How you pack up your things can greatly affect the potential for injury.
- The weight of a box should never exceed what you can comfortably lift.
- Never pack a box with more than 50 pounds of stuff.
- Keep in mind the shape of the box and how easy it is to hold onto – the larger or more awkwardly shaped a box is the lighter it should be.
For heavy and bulky items, like a couch or big screen TV, make sure you have enough help moving the item. You may need more than two people to get the job done safely. It’s also a good idea to enlist the help of professional movers in Austin if you are moving specialty pieces like a piano.
Moving Equipment That Was Meant To Do Heavy Lifting
When prepping for the move, add the following moving equipment to your list of must-have items. Even if you have to spend a few extra dollars to rent the equipment it will be well worth it and less expensive than paying a health insurance deductible.
- Dolly
- Moving Straps
- Ramps
The moving truck is also an important piece of moving equipment. Get it as close as possible to minimize how far you have to carry boxes, furniture, etc. The general rule of thumb for reducing the chance of injury during a move is to minimize the amount of manpower needed.
Original Source:https://squarecowmovers.com/avoiding-back-and-knee-injuries-during-a-move