Weight of the world on your shoulders? Be safe with heavy lifting

As a kid, you may have been nagged more than once about watching your back while lifting something heavy off the ground. “Bend at the knees!” and that sort of thing, always popular with moms and grandmas. 

These days, Appliance Warehouse’s Service Technicians and Installers take these safety messages with them as they go about their work days, bringing laundry machines in and out of homes, working in warehouses, and more.

Whether you move a lot, like to shift furniture in your home for a new look, or interact with heavy objects during your job or travels, the safety tips our team members follow can benefit all of us.

Minimize the weight. Asking for help to lift a heavy item will cut the weight in half, so ask a family member or coworker to give you a hand. 

Minimize the reach. How far the object is from your body’s center of gravity can greatly affect the danger of that lift. Something as simple as getting into your car to retrieve a bag of groceries can make the lift safer.

Minimize the bend. Mom was right. Bending your back less means bending your knees more. Back muscles are thin and much weaker than leg muscles and can be strained much more easily. Squat down with your knees and let your legs do the work instead of your back. Whenever possible, keep heavy items between knee and shoulder height to reduce the amount of bending to pick them up—think closets and kitchen pantries.

Don’t twist. Twisting while performing a lift significantly increases the risk of an injury. The muscle control required to perform the twist takes away from the muscles already working on performing the lift and can increase the risk of injury to your back. To keep it safe, move your feet to change direction, not your torso.

Get a good grip. Starting a lift without a solid initial grip may lead you to shift or attempt to fix your grip mid-lift. This extra motion can lead to a back injury. Use handles if the item has them; otherwise, hold the item with your hands securely under it so it won’t shift.

Our customers see safety at work every time they lease a washer/dryer set from Appliance Warehouse. Want to know more about how we can take care of you? Call Appliance Warehouse today at (800) 693-4343.