SAFE Manual Material Handling INSERT YOUR ORGANIZATION HERE

Presentation Outline Background(10 Min) Risks for Injury(20 Min) Best Practices(25 Min) Questions(5 Min)

Section 1 Background Basic Anatomy Signs and Symptoms Treatment of injury

Basic Anatomy Musculoskeletal Injuries (MSI) – Mus-cu-lo-ske-le-tal Injuries Muscles (musculo) and bones (skeletal) – Strain/sprain – Pull/tear

Basic Anatomy Shoulders Lower-back Hips WEAK JOINTS STRONG JOINTS Knees

MSI Signs and Symptoms A Sign can be observed: – Swelling – Redness – Difficulty moving a body part A Symptom can be felt but not seen: – Numbness – Tingling – Pain

Treatment Sports Doctors are the most qualified to diagnose and treat MSI Depends on the injury – Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, Massage, etc Focus on correcting the malfunction not more treatments Active treatments are more effective than passive ones

Treatment Minor injuries can often be treated at home. – Cold for ouch – Heat for stiffness and aches – Apply for mins – Limit bed and couch rest – Walking is often a great way to improve a sore lower-back

Section 2 Risks for Injury Repetitive Motion Forceful Exertion Sustained / Awkward Posture Fatigue

RISKS FOR INJURY NOTE: – The following slides have generic examples – Replace the examples with actual tasks from YOUR workplace – Use pictures taken from your workplace – Put each example on a separate slide – Delete this slide before delivering training

Repetitive motion Definition: Continually performing the same movement without variation Examples: – Raking / shoveling – Production line work – Loading / unloading a cart – Chain-gang sandbagging

Repetition causes fatigue Strength Stress Force Time MICRO-BREAKS give the body a chance to rest & recover

Forceful exertion Definition: An action which may overload the body Examples: – Picking a heavy box up off the floor – Pushing/pulling a loaded cart – Carrying a heavy object

Forceful exertion AND Repetitive motion Strength Stress Time Force

Posture is more important than strength Picture Credit: Nicholas Griffin, Roundstone, Connemara, Co.Galway, Ireland

Posture is more important than strength Picture Credit: Nicholas Griffin Roundstone, Connemara, Co.Galway, Ireland

Posture is more important than strength Picture Credit: Nicholas Griffin, Roundstone, Connemara, Co.Galway, Ireland

Posture is more important than strength Picture Credit: Nicholas Griffin, Roundstone, Connemara, Co.Galway, Ireland

Sustained/Awkward Posture Definition: Non-neutral postures which increase the stress on the body Examples: – Slouching – Twisting at the waist – Reaching overhead – Lifting through the back

Section 3 Best Practices Proper Lifting Technique Proper Carrying Technique Team Lifting Mechanical Assistance

Proper Lifting Technique Squat LiftStoop Lift

Proper Lifting Technique Squat LiftStoop Lift

Pushing vs. Pulling

Proper Lifting Technique Golfers Lift Bridging (support the body with the non-lifting hand)

People are not pack animals

Proper Carrying Technique

Team Lifting Recommended for: Awkward lifts Heavy lifts Long carries Remember to: Use proper lifting technique Use a spoken count to coordinate lift AND lower

Mechanical Assistance Proper use of machines (dollies, hoists, cranes, carts, etc) reduce the risk of injury Use machines for material handling tasks wherever possible

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