Manual and Team Lifting Safety

• Back, shoulder, wrist, or knee strains from lifting
• Awkward, heavy, or unstable loads
• Poor communication during team lifts
• Pinched hands or fingers while setting loads down
• Trips from unclear travel paths
• Loads dropped from poor grip, imbalance, or sudden movement

Manual lifting is common, but it should not be treated as automatic. Every lift should be evaluated before someone grabs the load.

Workers should look at the load before lifting. Weight, size, shape, grip points, sharp edges, balance, and travel distance all matter.

If a load is too heavy, awkward, slippery, or unstable, workers should use equipment, carts, dollies, hoists, forklifts, or additional help.

Good lifting technique includes stable footing, keeping the load close, avoiding twisting, and moving the feet instead of turning from the back.

Team lifts require communication. Workers should agree on the route, who leads, when to lift, when to stop, and where the load will be placed.

Hands and feet should stay clear of pinch points when lifting, carrying, turning, and setting down materials.

The travel path should be checked before the lift begins. Wet floors, cords, hoses, steps, doors, uneven ground, and clutter can turn a lift into a fall hazard.

Safe manual and team lifting depends on planning, using the right help or equipment, communicating clearly, and stopping when a load cannot be moved safely.

• Plan the lift before picking up the load.
• Check weight, balance, grip, and travel path.
• Use equipment or help for heavy or awkward loads.
• Keep the load close and avoid twisting.
• Communicate clearly during team lifts.
• Keep hands and feet clear of pinch points.
• Stop if the load shifts or feels unsafe.

• Is this load safe to lift manually?
• Does the task require a team lift or equipment?
• Is the travel path clear?
• Who is leading the team lift?
• Where are the pinch points when setting the load down?