1. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Blue Ridge Safety Association Safety Training Presentations Back Safety

2. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Activities Reaching, bending over, sitting Skiing, hiking, bike riding Playing with your children and grandchildren Working and feeling productive

3. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Safety Goals Back injury and injury prevention Lifting techniques Quiz

4. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Statistics 80% of Americans will have a back injury that requires medical attention Back injuries are the second most common cause of lost work time, next to the common cold Back injuries occur more often at home than they do at work Injured backs are often subject to reinjury In addition to missed work, there may be a lifetime of pain

5. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Parts Vertebrae Spinal cord Disks Muscles, ligaments, tendons

6. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Potential Back Injury Strain or sprain Bulging disk Herniated disk

7. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Causes of Injury Years of abuse Poor posture Unconditioned back Excess weight and potbellies Bad lifting techniques

8. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Posture Maintain the back’s natural curves Standing Sitting Sleeping Changing posture and stretching Adaptive posture

9. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Conditioning Your Back Physical conditioning Flexibility Excess weight and potbellies

10. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Exercises Walking Stretching Sit-ups Leg lifts Squats

11. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Lifting Equipment Powered equipment such as forklifts, powered carts, and electric pallet jacks Hand trucks, carts, pallet jacks Cranes and hoists Conveyors

12. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Safety Goals Back injury and injury prevention Lifting techniques Quiz

13. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Size up the load —Weight —Shape and size Clear the path —Objects —Tight doorways or corners Unloading zone Lifting Plan

14. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Proper Lift Stand close with a shoulder-width stance Squat by bending your knees and hips Pull the load close and grip it Tighten your stomach, lift your head Rise up using your legs

15. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Carrying the Load Make sure you can see Take small, stable steps Do not twist your back

16. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Proper Unloading Squat down with the load Do not bend your back over the load Be careful of fingers

17. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Overhead Loads Shoulders level with the load Slide the load close Use your legs

18. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Long Loads Pick up one end Place the balance point on your shoulder Watch the ends

19. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Lifting Bags Squat down next to the bag Grab it at opposite corners Lift it up to your thigh or waist Stand up Put the load on your shoulder

20. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Team Lifting Designate a person to lead the lift Lift at the same time Keep the load level Slowly unload together

21. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Think About Your Back Don’t be lazy Think long term Don’t try to lift too much Consider your back in all things that you do

22. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Back Safety Goals Back injury and injury prevention Lifting techniques Quiz

23. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Summary Maintain back posture and conditioning Use available lifting equipment Have a lifting plan Use your legs Always think about your back

24. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Quiz 1.More back injuries occur at work than at home.True or False 2.Poor __________ can cause back pain by disrupting the back’s natural curve. 3.Name two things to check before attempting to lift a load: _________________ and _________________. 4.Lifting with your legs is necessary only when attempting to lift heavy loads.True or False 5.Describe two of the more common back injuries: ___________________ and ___________________.

25. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Quiz (cont.) 6.A “weekend warrior” might incur a back injury because his or her back is not __________________. 7.When conducting a team lift, the first thing you should do is _______________________________. 8.Back injuries are usually the result of a single traumatic event.True or False 9.Name some of the material handling equipment that your company has available: __________________. 10.Is your back more suited for pushing or pulling a load? ___________________________________

26. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Quiz Answers 1.False. More back injuries occur at home. That’s why we also need to consider our backs when away from work. 2.Poor posture disrupts the back’s natural curves. 3.Size up or evaluate the load, clear the pathway. 4.False. Lifting incorrectly even with light loads constitutes back abuse. 5.Strained muscle, sprained or torn ligament, bulging disk, herniated or ruptured disk.

27. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Quiz Answers (cont.) 6.The “weekend warrior’s” back is usually not properly conditioned for strenuous work. 7.Designate a lift leader to help coordinate the lift to keep all participants safe. 8.False. Back injuries are usually the result of years of abuse. 9.Material handling equipment might include: cart, forklift, hand truck, pallet jack, conveyor, hoist. 10.The back has more strength pushing than it does when pulling.

28. 11006115 Copyright  Business & Legal Reports, Inc. Thank you for supporting BRSA We appreciate your comments about the effectiveness of this training method and the delivery system E-mail your comments to comments@blueridgesafety.org