1. Material Handling Safe Lifting

2. REASONS FOR SAFE LIFTING AND MATERIAL HANDLING
1 million workers suffer back injuries each year
1 out of 5 workplace injuries are back related
4 out of 5 back injuries are to the lower back
3 of those 4 injuries occur when lifting
Material handling is responsible for other types of accidents and injuries as well
Why have a whole training session about material-handling aids? Here are some very good reasons:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than a million workers suffer back-related injuries each year.
In fact, one-fifth of all workplace injuries are back related.
Of the million workplace back injuries, four out of five are injuries of the lower back.
Three of those four lower back injuries occur when a worker is lifting materials.
What’s more, material handling is also responsible for other types of accidents and injuries. For example, shoulder, elbow, or arm strains. In addition, you could trip and fall while carrying a load, cut yourself, or drop a heavy object on your foot.

3. TYPES OF MATERIAL HANDLING
Lifting/Lowering
Pushing/Pulling
Carrying
Weights and Forces
Frequency of Activities
Load Center of Gravity

4. RISK FACTORS IN MATERIAL HANDLING
Weight of the Object
Location (position of load w.r.t. worker)
Frequency of Lifts
Stability of the Load
Hand Coupling
Workplace Geometry Twisting/Stooping
Environmental Factors
There are several factors that contribute to potential risk when an employee is performing manual material handling,, such as:
The weight of the object to be lifted
The location or actual position of the load with respect to the worker
How frequent is the worker lifting
Is the load a stable load
Where is the person placing their hands when grabbing and moving the load
The layout of the work area – how far does the load need to be moved, does the employee have to twist holding the load,
is the worker stooping over to pick up the load? Body mechanics is very important to observe
Environmental factors – is the workplace cold, hot, is the work conducted outside in the elements?

5. PERSONAL RISK FACTORS Gender Age Lift technique Attitude Strength
Training

6. USING MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT – WILL :
Eliminate the need to lift and lower manually
Eliminate the need to push or pull
Convert lift/carry tasks to push/pull tasks
Eliminate the need to carry heavy objects

7. What Ways Does Management Help Protect You?
Engineering controls
Administrative controls
Because we understand the hazards of material handling, we take steps to prevent injuries and make your job easier.
For example, we use engineering controls to eliminate hazards whenever possible. Examples of engineering controls include designing workstations and adjusting shelf heights to minimize stresses and strains on your body. We might also reduce the size and weight of objects to be lifted manually to reduce the chance of back injuries. And perhaps most important of all, we provide and encourage the use of a variety of effective material-handling aids.
We also have established work policies and practices intended to reduce the chance of material-handling injuries. These administrative controls include such things as training in safe lifting and carrying techniques, scheduling rest periods and using job rotation to reduce the wear and tear on your body, and encouraging you to keep strong and flexible through physical conditioning and stretching exercises, both of which can help prevent injuries.

8. WHAT YOU CAN DO Maintain proper back posture Plan ahead Get help
Of course, the company can only do so much. The rest is up to you. Fortunately there’s a lot you can do to prevent material-handling injuries, too.
For example, even when using material-handling aids, you still need to think about your back posture to prevent injuries. You must keep your back straight and strong whether you’re using a hand truck, a pallet jack, or lifting and carrying by hand. Remember, any body movement potentially puts pressure and strain on your back, shoulders, arms, and so on. If you fail to maintain the correct posture while working, you’re making yourself more susceptible to injury.
Another very important thing you can do when handling materials is to plan ahead. Is the load stable? Does it need to be secured? Have you checked the route of travel to make sure it’s clear? Are there hazards along the route such as ramps, pedestrian traffic, or tight spaces?
Part of planning ahead is getting help, if necessary. A major contributing factor in lifting-related injuries is the weight and bulkiness of the objects being lifted. Never attempt to lift an object alone—even with the help of a material-handling aid—if it’s too heavy or awkward for you to handle so safely. Ask a co-worker to lend you a hand.

9. WHAT YOU CAN DO (Continued)
Use proper lifting and carrying techniques
Use the right tools
Wear appropriate PPE
But there’s even more you can do to help prevent material-handling injuries.
Always use the lifting and carrying techniques you’ve learned in training sessions. Remember to lift with your legs, not your back. And always make sure you can see over any load you’re carrying.
Use the right tools. If the load is too big or heavy to move by hand, use an appropriate form of material-handling aid.
And finally, wear appropriate personal protective equipment whenever you use any of the material-handling aids we’ll discuss during this session. Remember, material handling injuries don’t involve only back strains. You may need to wear gloves to protect against sharp edges or rough surfaces. You may need safety shoes with steel toes to protect your feet in case a heavy object drops on them. And you might need a hard hat, too, if there’s a risk of falling objects.

10. Manual Material- Handling Aids
Hand trucks
Pallet jacks
Carts
Box trucks and tilting dumps
Ratchet hoists and pullers
Wheelbarrows
Now we’re ready to get down to specifics. Let’s begin with manual material-handling aids. We’ll be talking about equipment that requires your muscle power to operate such as:
Hand trucks;
Pallet jacks;
Carts
Box trucks and tilting dumps;
Ratchet hoists and pullers; and
Wheelbarrows.
Remember that even though these manual tools are simple, there are still hazards involved in their use. Loads can topple over. Heavy objects can fall on your feet. Equipment can collide with people, objects, and other material-handling equipment. Wheels can run off the edge of platforms and bridge plates or get stuck in gaps between elevators and landings. Hands can get jammed between the material-handling aid and other objects. And, of course, the strain of pushing or loading this equipment could injure your back.
Think about other manual material-handling aids you use on the job.

11. Choose the right hand truck for the job
Hand Trucks
Choose the right hand truck for the job
Stack carefully
Make sure you can see over the load
Secure the load, if necessary
Hand trucks are probably the most common material-handling aid. Just about everybody’s used one. So what’s there to be trained on?
You need to know how to choose the right hand truck for the job. For most jobs—like moving a few cartons—you can just use a standard flat-bottomed, flat-backed hand truck. But hand trucks have rated capacities. So that standard hand truck might not be sufficient for moving a very large, heavy object. And there are special hand trucks designed for handling drums, compressed gas cylinders, and other nonrectangular items. Using the wrong hand truck could damage the object you’re moving or cause an injury.
When using a hand truck, be sure to stack carefully, putting the largest, heaviest items on the bottom so that the load isn’t top-heavy and the axle carries the weight. And make sure the load isn’t piled so high that you can’t see over it.
Secure loads, if necessary—especially bulky or pressured items.
Do you always select the right hand truck for the job and load it safely?

12. Hand Truck Operation Get a firm grip Watch your fingers
Use safe lifting techniques
Push, don’t pull
Watch where you’re going, and keep the hand truck under control
Once you’ve safely loaded a hand truck, you have to use it safely, too. Safe hand truck operation involves several important points.
First of all, be sure to get a firm grip on the handle. You don’t want the truck to slip out of your hands while you’re moving.
Watch your fingers, especially in a tight area such as going through a doorway. Pinching your hands or fingers can be painful. You could even break a bone. When possible, position your hands so that they are inside the framework of the hand truck.
Be careful lifting items on and off the hand truck. Use safe lifting techniques and protect your back from injury.
Remember that hand trucks are designed for pushing, not pulling. And your back is stronger and in a better posture when pushing a load rather than pulling it. You’re also safer being behind the load than you are in front of it should the load topple over.
Of course, watch where you’re going. Never walk backwards. Keep the hand truck under control at all times. Don’t run down ramps or let go of the handle while under way. And be careful around edges or when pushing up inclines so that you don’t lose your footing.

13. Pallets Use the correct pallet
Stabilize the load and make sure it’s balanced
Keep the pallet and load low when moving it
Inspect pallets before loading
Don’t use pallets as a ladder or manlift, or for scaffolding
Pallets are another essential tool used in stacking, storing, and transferring materials.
It’s important to use the correct type of pallet for the job. Make sure the pallets you use can hold the weight being placed on them.
Stabilize the load by interlocking the stacked material, stretching plastic wrap around items, or using straps to tie down the load. Also make sure the weight of the load is centered and balanced on the pallet. For example, you wouldn’t want to stack bricks on one side and bags of cotton on the other.
When moving pallets, keep them low to the ground. Material raised high during transfer could fall and cause an injury or other damage. At the same time, you don’t want to drag pallets across the floor because that could damage the pallet and destabilize the load.
Inspect pallets before loading them. Damaged pallets should be taken out of service until repaired. Workers have been killed when damaged pallets loaded with material have fallen apart, bringing heavy materials crashing down.
Finally, remember that pallets are designed for material handling only. Don’t use them as a ladder or manlift, or for scaffolding.

14. Pallet Jacks Make sure the jack can support the load Check the load
Watch where you’re going, and keep the load under control
Don’t fool around
Manual pallet jacks, like hand trucks, appear to be pretty simple pieces of equipment. And they are. But using them properly takes a little practice so that you don’t bump into things or people. And you need to take a few other precautions as well.
The first precaution to take when using a pallet jack is to check the capacity rating on the jack to make sure it can support the load.
You should also need to check the load before moving it. Inspect the pallet to make sure it’s in good condition, and make sure the load is stable and secure.
Watch where you’re going so that you don’t hit objects or people. Also make sure you keep the load under control. Pallet jacks can be difficult to use on slopes, particularly when the load is heavy. They’re also hard to push or pull on uneven surfaces or in areas that have debris such as small pieces of wood or gravel.
And don’t fool around. Remember, pallet jacks aren’t skateboards. Use them only for their intended purpose.
Pallet jacks must be used correctly to be safe.

15. Different types of carts Material-specific carts
Different heights of working surfaces
Tips for safe use
Now let’s look at the hand truck’s first cousin—the cart. Carts come in every conceivable variety. The one thing all types of carts have in common is four wheels for extra stability and a flat surface for easy loading and unloading.
Some carts are made for very specific materials, including large and long pipes, long metal bar stock, and sheets and panels.
Carts can also have different working surface heights. Some, for example, have surfaces that are low to the ground. This type of cart works well when you’re transferring material from the cart to another low surface such as the ground or a pallet. On the other hand, when loading material from a shelf that is of waist height or above, you’ll want to use a cart that is also waist high. This will put the least strain on your back when transferring material.
When using a cart, make sure not to overload it, and be certain you can see over the load. Also avoid lips and edges. The small wheels make pushing the cart over lips and edges difficult. And watch out for pinch points. Hand jams are a particular problem when using carts.

16. Box Trucks and Tilting Dumps
Good for handling loose objects
Dump and lift feature
Potential hazards
Box trucks and tilting dumps are another category of manual material-handling aid that you may use on the job.
These devices are low platform carts with high sides—like shopping carts. They are effective for handling loose items that can easily be thrown into a bin or hopper, transferred to another location, and then either manually removed, dumped over, or lifted and dumped.
The lift and dump feature is especially ergonomic because it allows you to empty the bin or hopper without having to bend over the side and manually remove the contents. Repeatedly bending over and reaching into a bin or hopper can put stress on your back.
When maneuvering box trucks and tilting dumps, watch out for potential hazards. For example, be careful to avoid pinch points and collisions with people, other equipment, and stationary objects.

17. Ratchet Hoists and Pullers (‘Come-alongs’)
Don’t overload hoists and pullers
Check anchor points
Never straddle equipment
Don’t exert more force than the device can handle
Don’t use damaged chains, rope, or cable
Inspect equipment before each use
Now let’s talk about ratchet hoists and pullers. These material-handling aids are frequently known as “come-alongs” and are used for horizontal pulling of loads and vertical lifting of loads. They usually consist of a ratchet mechanism, a handle, and a chain, rope, or steel cable with hooks attached to the ends. Some are designed only for horizontal pulling, and others can do both the horizontal pulling and vertical lifting. Hook slips associated with chain or wire rope whip are the most common types of accidents with these devices.
To prevent accidents, remember these safety tips:
Don’t overload hoists and pullers—keep within rated capacity;
Check anchor points to make sure they can handle the load;
Never straddle the equipment—keep your body away;
Don’t use a cheater bar to exert more force on a come-along than it is designed to handle;
Don’t use chain, rope, or cable that’s knotted, kinked, or damaged; and
Always inspect the ratchet mechanism, hooks, and chain, rope, or cable before each use.

18. Mechanical Material- Handling Aids
Forklifts
Hydraulic- and winch-operated trucks
Hydraulic lift tables
Cranes and hoists
Freight elevators
Mechanical material-handling aids are even more ergonomically friendly than their manual counterparts. Mechanical aids eliminate some or all of the need to lift and lower manually, push or pull, and carry or hold heavy objects. This greatly reduces the stress on your body and decreases the risk of injury. In the next few screens, we’ll focus on mechanical material-handling aids such as:
Forklifts;
Hydraulic- and winch-operated trucks;
Hydraulic lift tables;
Cranes and hoists; and
Freight elevators.
Think about other kinds of mechanical material-handling aids you use on the job and how they help you perform material-handling tasks, reducing the stress on your upper body.

19. Forklifts Trained and authorized operators only Capacity and stability
Operator inspections
Forklifts are probably the most used and effective mechanical aids for material handling. They can move a lot of heavy material quickly and easily. But their power also makes them hazardous—especially in the wrong hands.
OSHA has strict forklift operator training standards. These regulations say that only fully trained and authorized employees are allowed to operate a forklift. If you are not trained and authorized, do not operate a forklift. In inexperienced hands, a forklift can be a deadly weapon.
Part of the training forklift operators go through teaches them to check the weight and stability of every load they pick up. If the load is beyond the rated capacity of the lift truck, another forklift must be obtained or the load must be broken down so that each piece is within the forklift’s capacity.
Forklift operators must also inspect their lift trucks at the beginning of their shift. If a forklift is not safe to operate, it must be removed from service until it is satisfactorily repaired.

20. Forklifts (cont.) Operator safety rules Pedestrian safety rules
Obey speed limits
Keep alert to pedestrians
Be careful at intersections
Use the horn to warn
Pedestrian safety rules
Stay in walkways
Look both ways before crossing aisles
Obey traffic signs
Keep alert to forklift traffic
Here are some important safety rules for both forklift operators and employees working or walking in forklift traffic areas.
Forklift operators should always:
Obey speed limits;
Keep alert to pedestrians and yield right of way;
Be extra careful at intersections and blind spots; and
Use the horn to warn pedestrians and other power trucks of their presence.
Pedestrians should always:
Stay in marked walkways whenever possible;
Look both ways before crossing aisles;
Obey all traffic signs; and
Keep alert to forklift traffic in the area.

21. Hydraulic- and Winch-Operated Lift Trucks
Lift, lower, transport, stack, position
Load capacity
Load center
Fork length and width
Like forklifts, hydraulic- and winch-operator lift trucks are excellent material handling tools. They are designed to reduce or prevent bending, stretching, and repetitive lifts, which helps prevent injuries.
These material-handling aids can be used to lift, lower, transport, stack, and position heavy objects. You can move a heavy object from the floor onto the lift and raise it level with a workbench where the object can easily be moved onto the bench. Many of these lifts are designed with fork attachments that can be used to raise pallets for stacking or positioning the load. Other attachments include a flat plate, a boom with hook for hoisting, and a drum handler.
Make sure the weight of the load is within the capacity of the lift or the lift could collapse, injuring workers and damaging materials.
Also be sure to consult the manufacturer’s instructions about how far the center of gravity of the load can be from the backrest of the lift. This is called “load center” and is typically 24 inches. Lifting loads with larger load centers could cause the lift to tip over.
When using attachments, be sure fork length and width are appropriate. Manufacturer’s instructions usually provide this information. Forks that are too short or narrow could cause the load to tip over.

22. Hydraulic Lift Tables
Prevent bending, reaching, and repetitive lifting
Manually or battery operated
Rated capacity
Floor locks
Hydraulic lift tables are another type of ergonomically friendly material-handling aid that allow you to raise or lower items to a height at which they can be more easily worked on or transferred. They can be either mobile or stationary. They are similar to hydraulic lift trucks except they are stable so that the location of the center of gravity of the load is not a concern.
Hydraulic lift tables prevent the stress on your body caused by bending, reaching, and repetitive lifting.
They can be battery powered or manually operated with a handle, much like a car jack.
Hydraulic lift tables are designed for a maximum weight load. Be sure you know the rated capacity of the lift tables you use and never exceed it.
Most mobile lift tables are equipped with floor locks for safety. Locking the table in place prevents it from moving when you transfer or work on an item.

23. Cranes and Hoists Trained and authorized operators only
Rated load capacity
Chains and slings
Inspections
Cranes and hoists are also extremely useful material-handling aids—particularly for very large and heavy loads.
As with powered industrial vehicles, crane and hoist operators must be fully trained and authorized. This equipment is very dangerous if not operated properly.
Understanding the load capacity is probably the most important part of operating a crane or hoist. Every crane and hoist is labeled with it load capacity. Slings, chains, and hooks used as part of the lifting system also have rated capacities that must not be exceeded.
Chains and slings must also be free of kinks or knots. In addition, any sharp edges on loads must be padded to prevent them from cutting the sling. And operators must be careful to limit the angle of slings and chains because this greatly increases stress on these parts.
Chains, slings, hooks, and all the other parts of cranes and hoists must be carefully inspected on a regular basis. Some components require daily inspections. Others must be inspected and maintained on an annual basis. Consult your supervisor about inspection schedules.

24. Cranes and Hoists (cont.)
Stay out of the danger zone
Pick up a load only when it is directly under the hoist
Never transport people
Don’t leave loads suspended
Use lines to stabilize large, heavy loads
Avoid crane operation around energized circuits
Here are some important safety rules for operating and working around cranes and hoists:
Stay out of the danger zone—never walk under a load or allow a load to be carried over people;
Pick up a load only when it is directly under the hoist;
Never use cranes or hoists to transport people;
Don’t leave loads suspended unless the operator is at the controls;
When swinging large, heavy loads, use lines to stabilize the load; and
Avoid crane operation around energized circuits.

25. Cranes and Hoists (cont.)
Mark levers, buttons, pull chains, and other controls
Accept hand signals from only one ground person
A couple of other points for crane and hoist operators:
Mark levers, buttons, pull chains, and other controls used to raise and lower or move loads; and
Accept hand signals from only one ground person.

26. Conveyors Operate only if you are trained and authorized
Watch out for powered rollers and pinch points
Do not climb over or under conveyors
Don’t perform maintenance unless the conveyor is locked out
Conveyors are helpful aids for quickly and easily moving a lot of materials from one place to another. Conveyors are efficient and save you from all the stress and strain of loading and unloading materials manually or even carrying them from place to place. But conveyors can also be extremely hazardous.
Never operate a powered conveyor unless you are trained and authorized.
If you work around a conveyor, keep alert and be careful. Watch out for the powered rollers and pinch points. Hands, arms, feet, legs, hair, or loose clothing can be caught between rollers or between the support members and the conveyor belt and mangled or amputated.
Another important safety rule for working with or around conveyors—never climb over or under a conveyor.
Finally, never perform maintenance on a conveyor unless it is locked out.

27. Conveyors (cont.) Do not ride on conveyors Know the safe load limit
Know where emergency stops are located
To avoid the possibility of a serious injury, never ride on a conveyor. They’re not meant for moving people—only materials.
Be sure you know the safe load limit for conveyors. Overloading a conveyor could cause an accident or damage to materials.
And finally, know where the emergency stops are located. Usually they are located on both ends of the conveyor, and sometimes they have emergency stop cables that run the length of the conveyor.

28. Chutes Don’t walk under chutes
Don’t stand right in front of the opening
Be careful when throwing things down chutes
Don’t overload the chute
Always brace temporary chutes
Chutes are another useful type of material-handling aid. They, too, are good for quickly and easily moving a lot of material from one place to another without the bother of loading, unloading, and transporting. Chutes are simple and easy to use, but like all the other material-handling aids we’ve discussed in this session, they can be hazardous if used improperly. So remember these basic safety rules:
Don’t walk under chutes;
Don’t stand right in front of a chute opening;
Be careful when throwing things down chutes—people have accidentally fallen into chutes with the materials they were depositing and been injured;
Don’t put too much in at one time—it could overload the chute and cause a jam or collapse; and
Always brace temporary chutes.

29. Handling Special Jobs: Drums
Dollies and hand trucks
Lifters and stands
Tilters/dumpers
Forklift attachments
The final issue we’ll discuss is handling special loads such as drums. Drum handling can be hazardous because of the shifting weight of the drum due to sloshing liquids and the awkwardness of the drum’s shape. You should never attempt to handle drums with material-handling aids that are not designed for managing these items. Using the wrong equipment could result in injury or the spill of a hazardous chemical.
The most common drum handling aids are specially designed dollies and hand trucks. Their hazards and precautions are basically the same as those we discussed earlier about standard hand trucks.
Drum lifters and stands are similar to hydraulic lifts but are specially designed for drums. They can be used to lift drums safely and easily onto storage racks or onto secondary containment pallets.
Tilters and dumpers can also be used to lift drums and tilt them so the contents can be dumped into a process or storage tank. These can be electrically operated or manually operated with a winch-type system.
Forklift attachments are also available to lift and carry drums as well as tilt and dump the drum.

30. Key Points to Remember
Material handling aids help you work more efficiently, saving time and effort
They also save your back
This equipment can also be hazardous
To work safely with material-handling aids, you need to understand the hazards and take the proper precautions
Here are the main points to remember from this session on material-handling aids:
Material handling aids help you work more efficiently, saving time and effort.
They also save your back from constant lifting, lowering, carrying, and positioning.
But this equipment can also be hazardous.
To work safely with material-handling aids, you need to understand the hazards and take the proper precautions.
This concludes the material-handling aid session.

31. Let’s review the handout and quiz
QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS?
Let’s review the handout and quiz