Many types of work require a person to lift heavy loads, and if these actions aren’t carried out in the correct way, an excessive amount of strain is going to be placed on the lifter’s back. Most professions, though, don’t require a person to lift a load that’s constantly moving.
That’s why persons in the healthcare and home care industry are in a unique position. Care workers may be asked to lift an individual weighing hundreds of pounds multiple times throughout the day, and these lifts can be hazardous. The danger is made even more so when dealing with patients who are actually working against your own movements.
In observing an event in the United Kingdom called BackCare Awareness Week, tips are being rolled out in in a new report in order to ensure back health. And because the theme this year is Caring for Carers, the advice aims to help those persons who care for others protect themselves when engaged in heavy lifting.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do is submit to the type of training that can protect your back and overall health for years to come. If you’re new to your position, or it’s been a few years since you’ve submitted to training on the best techniques on lifting, then you should brush up on your skills. Speak with your supervisor and tell them that you’d like to take a safety course. If you work for a hospital, a nursing home, or some other type of organization that requires you to help lift people, such materials should be readily available.
Training can help you understand the proper techniques that you need to put in play when you’re lifting someone. It will offer hints on taking the stress off of your back and onto your feet. You could find that one simple misdirection of form could be imperiling your overall health.
Those things you do when not actively engaged in a lift will also play a role in back health. As you walk around at work and even outside of work, get in the habit of standing fully erect. The most helpful thing you can do for yourself is to place your shoulders on a straight-up, even plane with your hips. When you do that, your back will necessarily be straight. Your back should stay in the same position when you sit down as well.
You can further protect yourself by wearing the right shoes when you’re going about your workday. A flat heel may actually not be your best bet; you should have some heel and cushion to help your feet. And when you’re engaging in any action, your movements should be assured, with sudden twists and turns minimized.
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