Improving Manual Material Handling

Lifting/Lowering: 4. Use Safer Techniques

Avoid lifting from the floor whenever possible. If you must lift from the floor, do not bend at the waist. The techniques shown below help the worker to keep the spine in a safer position while lifting from the floor.

Caution: This technique may be effective only if loads are small, light weight, and can easily fit between the knees.

Keep the load close to your body and lift by pushing up with your legs
Lean the sack onto your kneeling leg   Slide the sack up onto your kneeling leg   Slide the sack onto the other leg while keeping the sack close to your body   As you stand up, keep the sack close to your body