Safety Awareness: Lifting/Pushing/Pulling
February 01, 2019
Risk Factors for Back Injuries
Back injuries account for 1 in 5 injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Individuals possess significant differences in their ability to withstand lifting and demanding physical labor. Because injuries result from different circumstances, an individual’s exposure and personal characteristics affect the chances of experiencing back injuries related to lifting. The following work-related risk factors should be identified:
- Heavy lifting
- Frequent lifting
- Lifting loads near one’s strength capacity
- Occasional stressful load handling
- Sudden unforeseen events (accidents)
- Prolonged standing or sitting
- Employee’s physical condition
- Other personal factors
- Other suspected risk factors such as whole body vibration, pushing, pulling, carrying, twisting, bending
All risk factors can result in workplace injuries. More than one million back injuries are sustained in the workplace every year. Jobs and tasks containing multiple risk factors should receive a higher priority in assessing back injury risks. The most cost-effective approach to examining workplace tasks involves a careful review of the job. A two-stage system is recommended when examining manual lifting operations. First, identify those tasks that involve multiple risk factors. Second, single out specific lifting tasks for further analysis to ensure use of proper lifting techniques. Please review the Lessons for Lifting document from AlaCOMP’s Online Safety Library to gain education related to analyzing risk factors associated with workplace tasks and understanding proper lifting techniques.
If you have questions or need additional help, please feel free to contact our Loss Control Consultants.