1. 1/05 School Safety Training Back Safety

2. 2 Notice  This presentation is provided to all Educational Service District 101 (ESD 101) schools at no cost.  This presentation contains copyrighted materials purchased by ESD 101 for the exclusive use of training school personnel within ESD 101.  This presentation may not be reproduced except to print “handouts” or “notes pages” for use during training within ESD 101 school districts.  If the school district does not have Microsoft’s PowerPoint software available, a PowerPoint viewer can be downloaded from the internet at no cost.  Questions may be directed to the ESD 101 Risk Manager.

3. 3 Back Activities  Reaching, bending over, sitting  Skiing, hiking, bike riding  Playing with your children and grandchildren  Working and feeling productive

4. 4 Back Safety Goals  Back injury and injury prevention  Lifting techniques  Quiz

5. 5 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

6. 6 Back Parts  Vertebrae  Spinal cord  Disks  Muscles, ligaments, tendons

7. 7 Potential Back Injury  Strain or sprain  Bulging disk  Herniated disk

8. 8 Causes of Injury  Years of abuse  Poor posture  Unconditioned back  Excess weight and potbellies  Bad lifting techniques

9. 9 Back Posture  Maintain the back’s natural curves  Standing  Sitting  Sleeping  Changing posture and stretching  Adaptive posture

10. 10 Conditioning Your Back  Physical conditioning  Flexibility  Excess weight and potbellies

11. 11 Exercises  Walking  Stretching  Sit-ups  Leg lifts  Squats

12. 12 Lifting Equipment  Powered equipment such as forklifts, powered carts, and electric pallet jacks  Handtrucks, carts, pallet jacks  Cranes and hoists  Conveyors

13. 13 Back Safety Goals  Back injury and injury prevention  Lifting techniques  Quiz

14. 14  Size up the load Weight Shape and size  Clear the path Objects Tight doorways or corners  Unloading zone Lifting Plan

15. 15 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 with your legs

16. 16 Carrying the Load  Make sure you can see  Take small, stable steps  Do not twist your back

17. 17 Proper Unloading  Squat down with the load  Do not bend your back over with the load  Be careful of fingers

18. 18 Overhead Loads  Shoulders level with the load  Slide the load close  Use your legs

19. 19 Long Loads  Pick up one end  Place the balance point on your shoulder  Watch the ends

20. 20 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

21. 21 Team Lifting  Designate one person to lead the lift  Lift at the same time  Keep the load level  Unload slowly together

22. 22 Think About Your Back  Don’t be lazy  Think long term  Don’t try to lift too much  Consider your back in all things

23. 23 Back Safety Goals  Back injury and injury prevention  Lifting techniques  Quiz

24. 24 Summary  Maintain back posture and conditioning  Use available lifting equipment  Have a lifting plan  Use your legs  Always think about your back

25. 25 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 2 things to check before attempting to lift a load: ______________, ________________. 4. Lifting with your legs is necessary only when attempting to lift heavy loads.True or False 5. Describe 2 of the more common back injuries: __________________, __________________.

26. 26 Quiz (cont.) 6. A “weekend warrior” might incur a back injury because his 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 school district has available: __________________. 10. Is your back more suited for pushing or pulling a load?

27. 27 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.

28. 28 Quiz Answers (cont.) 6. The “weekend warrior’s” back is usually not properly conditioned for strenuous work. 7. Designating a lift leader helps to coordinate the lift to keep all participants safe. 8. False. Back injuries are usually the result of years of abuse until the weakened back snaps. 9. Material handling equipment might include: cart, forklift, handtruck, pallet jack, conveyor, hoist. 10. The back has more strength pushing than it does when pulling.