Staying safe in the workplace might seem like a no brainer, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013, there was more than 1,000,000 non-fatal injuries in the workplace along with almost 5,000 workplace fatalities. Although this number has been on a steady decline since 2003, it's important to remember that safety is never a joke.
There are hundreds of ways that someone can get hurt at the workplace, but the most notable form of injury comes from tears, strains and sprains that occur when conducting everyday tasks. That is why we chose to use this post to talk about warming up, proper lifting form when picking up heavy objects and resting.
THE WARM UP
The best step towards injury prevention is to warm up and stay warm. I know, that might be hard to do when it's 8 degree outside and you've been sitting in your chair or car for 2 or more hours, but trust us, if you warm up, your chances of injury can decrease exponentially!
A great way to warm up is as follows:
- 30 seconds of torso turns (slowly turn your upper body left to right as far as comfortably possible)
- 30 seconds toe touches (reach for your toes slowly and stand up slowly and then repeat)
- 30 seconds arm cross overs on each arm (take your right arm and pull it across your chest towards the left side of your body and hold there / repeat with left arm)
- 30 leg swings on each leg (while holding a something with your left hand, swing your right leg forward and then backwards as far as comfortably possible / repeat with right hand and left leg)
Although we do not think this is a complete warm up, it shouldn't take too much time!
To stay warm, make sure to walk a short distance at least once every hour. Not only will this keep your blood flow going, it will also help you burn fat!
PROPER LIFTING 101
Now that you have some blood pumping through your veins, let's talk about proper lifting technique. For this, we though it would be better to break them out into rules:
- NEVER EVER lift with your back, instead lift with your butt and quads.
- Maintain a tight core by taking a big breath in and engaging your abs. Your back should stay straight throughout the entire time the object is being lifted.
- Keep all weight on your heels to avoid knee injury.
- If you find that your back is bowing in because the object is heavy and awkward, ask for help. It is better to get aid then need aid.
- Take it slow and maintain focus.
- Stay hydrated.
This is mostly just a review, but if you would like to go through an in-depth video to find out more about lifting at work, please feel free to click here.
TAKE A REST
It might be nice to try and get through all your work as quickly as possible, it is recommended that you take a rest especially when lifting large quantities of items. The rest can consist of sitting down, leaning against the bar and getting hydrated! But make sure not to stand around for too long or else you will need to warm up again before getting back to work.
IN CONCLUSION
Never forget that being safe is being alive. Warm up, stay warm, lift well, and take needed rest!
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to let us know with a comment below!
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