NEVER USE YOUR BACK TO LIFT!
- Start the lift by putting your feet close to the object. Get a firm footing.
- Center your body over your feet.
- Squat down like a professional weightlifter, bending your knees. Keep your back straight or slightly arched. You want your legs to do the lifting, not your back.
- Grasp the load securely with your hands, and pull the load close to you.
- Smoothly lift straight up. NEVER TWIST YOUR BODY WHILE LIFTING, KEEPING YOUR HEAD UP, AS IF LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD, NOT DOWN.
Carrying the Load: As you carry the load:
- Keep your back straight or slightly arched.
- Walk slowly and surely.
- Use your feet to change directions. Never twist your back.
- Avoid leaning over.
- Avoid lifting a load over your head.
- If you become tired, set the load down and rest for a few moments.
Setting the Load Down: Setting the load down is the reverse of lifting.
- Position yourself where you want to set the load.
- Squat down. Let your legs do the work, not your back.
- REMEMBER NOT TO TWIST YOUR BODY WHILE SETTING DOWN A LOAD AND KEEP YOUR HEAD UP.
- Once the load is where you want it, release your grip. Never release your grip on a load until it is secure. You don’t want to drop a load on your foot. Or, if someone is helping you, dropping a load unexpectedly can injure the other person.
Preventing “Right Turn” Accidents
The risk of an accident increases with any type of directional change, whether it’s a lane change, a turn, or backing. Each has its own characteristics and potential hazards. Right turns in a large vehicle require particular attention and drivers need special training and experience to prevent right turn accidents.
The commonly accepted method is to close off the right lane by staying close to the right, to prevent other vehicles from entering the right side of your vehicle. The street you are turning from and/or to may be narrow, requiring a different positioning of your vehicle. A well-executed turn would keep the right rear tires as close to the curb as possible, without rubbing or driving over the curb. You may need to keep close to the right, when approaching to turn and then angle to the left with the front of your vehicle or the tractor, keeping the rear of the trailer or truck to the right. Make sure no traffic is coming from the right, as you might need the extra room to your left as you complete the turn, constantly watching left and right, as well as the position of your right rear tires. You should be traveling slowly enough to be able to look in all directions and make corrections in your position, as you complete the turn.
