Safety

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Safety is a priority at Taylor’s Removals & Storage, not just for the sake of our team but also to ensure the safety of all our client’s belongings! As such, it is only natural that we refresh our safety skills regularly. This is exactly what the Taylor’s team did recently through TAFE Queensland here in Toowoomba.

You might not think there is much to lifting boxes and furniture but trust me when I say, there is a technique. It is a skill, after all, that is why you hire removalists!

In fact, there is a list of principles our Taylor’s team follow when it comes to lifting and carrying. This might sound very removal specific but lifting and carrying equipment and boxes happens in every department of work, every single day.

You might not spend all day moving pianos like us but that does not mean these skills can’t come in handy to you as well! Injuries resulting from incorrect manual handling techniques are extremely common (not amongst us of course!) and they actually comprise 35% of all occupational injuries. Back, shoulders and abdomen are all common areas of injury resulting from poor lifting technique!

Of the 33 bones in the spine, 24 permit movement and in-between each of these moveable vertebrae are discs of fibrous tissue. When the back is straight, the pressures on the spinal cord are evenly distributed over the length of the spine and the surface area of these discs. Therefore, lifting with a bent back causes the load stress to be shifted and concentrated in specific areas, creating pressure by pinching the discs and causing scarring or even wearing the discs out. This is what creates back pain, in severe circumstances the disc may even burst under pressure. Ouch… Luckily, back pain is often caused by pressure and strain on the muscles surrounding the spinal cord as opposed to the disc themselves, much less scarring… literally.

The key take-away here? If you have something heavy to lift, LIFT WITH THE KNEES!