To lift ergonomically, keep your back straight, bend at the knees, and keep the load close to your body while using your leg muscles to stand up. This technique distributes the load across the strongest muscle groups and protects the vulnerable structures in your back and joints. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about proper lifting, common mistakes, and when a lifting aid is the better choice.
Which muscles and joints do you strain when lifting incorrectly?
Lifting incorrectly places excessive strain on the lumbar spine, the intervertebral discs, and the surrounding back muscles. When you lift with a bent back and straight knees, your spine acts as a lever, creating enormous pressure on your lower back. This is the most common cause of back pain when lifting in the workplace.
Specifically, these are the structures that suffer the most when lifting techniques are incorrect:
- Intervertebral discs (L4-L5 and L5-S1): These discs absorb pressure, but when you adopt a hunched, forward-leaning posture, they are subjected to uneven stress, which can lead to a herniated disc.
- Back extensors and paravertebral muscles: These muscles become overloaded when they have to bear the full weight of a lift instead of the leg muscles.
- Knees and hips: If your technique is incorrect, your knees and hips won’t be used properly either, which can lead to wear and tear over time.
- Shoulders and wrists: A load held far from the body increases the strain on the shoulder joints and can cause tendon and joint problems.
Chronic strain on these structures leads not only to acute back pain, but also to long-term absenteeism and, in some cases, permanent disabilities. That is precisely why proper lifting ergonomics is not a luxury but a necessity.
What are the basic rules for ergonomic lifting?
The basic rules for ergonomic lifting are: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for stability, keep your back straight, bend at the knees and hips, keep the load as close to your body as possible, and lift slowly and in a controlled manner. These rules ensure that the strong leg muscles do the work instead of the vulnerable back muscles.
Translate this into a concrete approach for each lifting task:
- Assess the load first: Estimate its weight, check that it is stable, and decide where you are going to move it before you begin.
- Assume a stable starting position: Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with one foot slightly forward for extra balance.
- Bend your knees, not your back: Bend your knees and hips, keep your back as straight as possible, and tighten your abdominal muscles.
- Grab firmly and close to your body: Grasp the load with both hands and hold it close to your torso while lifting.
- Lift your legs: Straighten your knees and hips while keeping your back straight. Avoid twisting while lifting.
- Turn with your feet, not your torso: If you want to change direction, reposition your feet in the desired direction instead of turning your torso while holding the load.
These guidelines for safe lifting at work apply regardless of the weight of the load. Even relatively light objects can cause cumulative damage if lifted using incorrect technique repeatedly.
How do you lift properly when the load is heavy or awkward?
When handling a heavy or awkward load, adjust your standard lifting technique: always use both hands, ask a colleague to help lift loads weighing more than 25 kilograms, and use lifting aids such as slings or handles. With irregularly shaped loads, it is especially important to determine the center of gravity before lifting.
A number of specific situations deserve special attention:
Lifting with two people
When two people are lifting together, communication is crucial. Agree in advance who will give the signal to start, lift at the same time, and keep the load at the same height. An asymmetrical lift, where one person bears more weight than the other, increases the risk of injury for both.
Irregular or unstable loads
When handling boxes with shifting contents, bags, or drums, keep the load close to your torso and move more slowly. Also, make sure the packaging is sturdy enough to lift without tearing. For specific applications such as bag handling or drum handling, there are specialized ergonomic aids available that take over the lifting motion entirely.
When is a lifting aid necessary instead of manual lifting?
A lifting aid is necessary when the weight of the load exceeds the personal limit of 25 kilograms, when the load is lifted repeatedly, when the work environment makes proper lifting technique impossible, or when the shape of the load prevents a secure grip. In industrial settings, these situations are the rule rather than the exception.
Specific signs that manual lifting is no longer safe:
- Employees lift loads weighing more than five kilograms more than twenty times an hour
- The lifting task requires reaching above shoulder height or bending below knee height
- The load does not provide a good grip or is too large to hold close to the body
- Employees complain of back pain or fatigue after the workday
- The workspace is cramped, making it impossible to use proper lifting techniques
In such cases , vacuum lifters, hoists, or mobile lifters offer a safe and efficient alternative. These devices completely eliminate the physical strain, allowing employees to focus their energy on the task at hand.
What workplace design reduces the risk of lifting injuries?
Proper workstation design reduces the risk of lifting injuries by optimizing the lifting task: ensure that loads are at working height (between the knee and shoulder), minimize the horizontal distance between the load and the body, and eliminate unnecessary twisting movements by arranging the workspace logically. A well-designed workstation makes ergonomic lifting second nature.
Specific measures for an ergonomic workstation:
- Optimize table height: Place items at a height that allows you to lift them while keeping your back straight. Avoid storing items on the floor or above shoulder height for tasks that require frequent lifting.
- Keep walkways clear: Ensure there is enough space to maneuver with a load without having to turn in a confined area.
- Assistive devices within easy reach: Lifting slings, handrails, and lifting platforms should be readily available so that employees actually use them.
- Check the floor surface: Slippery or uneven floors increase the risk of falling when carrying loads. Non-slip mats and level floors are a basic requirement.
- Tailor the workspace to the individual: Take employees’ height into account when determining the ideal work height.
A thorough workstation analysis quickly identifies design issues and points the way toward targeted improvements.
What are the most common mistakes made in the workplace?
The most common lifting errors in the workplace are: lifting with a bent back, holding the load too far from the body, twisting the torso while carrying the load, lifting too quickly without proper preparation, and waiting too long to use a lifting aid. These errors are often caused by time pressure, habit, or a lack of training in ergonomic lifting.
Each of these errors has a specific consequence:
- Arched back when lifting: This exponentially increases the pressure on the intervertebral discs and is the main cause of herniated discs and chronic back pain when lifting.
- Keep the load away from your body: This triples the effective load on your lower back due to the leverage effect.
- Rotational movement with a load: Combines compression and rotation in the spine, which is a particularly harmful combination for the intervertebral discs.
- Lifting without preparation: Sudden movements don’t give muscles and joints time to brace themselves, which can lead to muscle strains and sprains.
- Ignoring pain or fatigue: Continuing to lift when you are tired significantly increases the risk of an acute injury, because tired muscles are less stable.
Raising awareness and regularly practicing proper lifting techniques are the most effective ways to systematically reduce these errors. However, training alone is not a panacea: if the lifting task itself is too heavy or too frequent, the risk remains regardless of the technique used.
How Logitrans Handling Helps with Ergonomic Lifting
Proper lifting technique is a first step, but in many industrial settings, manual lifting is simply not the safest or most efficient option. At Logitrans Handling, we guide companies through the entire process of eliminating high-risk lifting tasks and implementing customized ergonomic solutions.
What we offer specifically:
- Free workplace analysis: Our specialists will assess your current lifting tasks and identify the biggest risks and opportunities for improvement.
- Wide product range: From vacuum lifters and mobile lifters to pallet trucks and pallet inverters, our product range covers virtually every lifting application.
- Hands-on demo in Drongen: You can test our lifting solutions with your own materials in our demo area, so you can see exactly what works best for your situation.
- Training and guidance: During installation or delivery, we ensure that your employees use the lifting solution correctly and safely.
- Maintenance Contracts: We ensure that your material handling equipment remains in top condition, guaranteeing safety and efficiency.
Ergonomic work practices are an investment that pays for itself through reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and a healthier workplace. Would you like to know which solution best suits your situation? Feel free to contact us to find out what we can do for your organization.
