Safe and Efficient Lifting and Moving of Heavy Stock for Moving Companies and Furniture Stores
If you are either a mover or work in a furniture store, chances are
you’re already familiar with the best way to safely lift heavy loads.
Just in case: Plan every lift of something heavy beforehand and know
your limits. You need to adopt a stable stance with a wide base; squat
down first, adjust your position accordingly, be sure you have a good
grip, and then lift. When you do so, keep this time-honored, classic
advice in mind: Lift with your legs, not your back. Not to downplay the
importance of that advice. It’s so often repeated for a reason: It
works.
However, sometimes the focus on the mechanics of lifting can overshadow a number of other legitimate health and safety concerns relevant to professional (or amateur) movers and furniture store employees or delivery drivers. Some of those concerns are pretty straightforward, such as the appropriate employment of a heavy duty hand truck, for instance. The fact is: Work that involves the repeated lifting and transportation of heavy items requires prioritizing and optimizing health and safety best practices to ensure those involved stay healthy and to lessen the risk of any incidents.
The Best Tools for the Job
As mentioned earlier, sometimes the best way to be safe is being sure to use the right tools. That doesn’t just mean to use a hand truck if something seems particularly heavy. It means using the right hand truck. If you’re required to carry anything heavy, awkward, or bulky up and down stairs—which is pretty much everything if you’re a furniture deliverer—utilize a stairclimbing hand truck or cart. If you’re moving heavy, bulky, and awkward loads in general, have an appliance hand truck on hand. They’re specifically engineered to transport heavy, harder-to-move loads.
Proper Securing of Loads
One of the (many) reasons why an appliance hand truck is so important is its inclusion of straps. Among the greatest risks that accompany transporting anything heavy is a load getting loose. It’s a threat to the cargo being transported, of course, but far more importantly it’s a risk to those moving the load and anyone in the path of something heavy that falls off of a hand truck, tips off a ramp, etc. Even if no one else is around and the load is undamaged, lunging, twisting, and pulling against something heavy to try and keep it from falling is a great way to throw your back out or otherwise injure yourself, which will prove miserable. So even if employing outside straps is necessary, always secure loads.
Driving and Health
Movers and furniture delivery drivers share a commonality beyond the lifting and transportation of heavy cargo: They spend a lot of time in delivery trucks. It may seem strange to include spending time in a truck as a health risk, but it can be in a few different ways, both direct and indirect. Indirectly, constantly being on the move, on a schedule, and on the clock often isn’t conducive to healthy eating habits. It can encourage a lot of fast food and snack food consumption. Taking the time to plan out healthy meals that can be prepared the night or morning before a shift (or even on the road) can be really helpful. Directly, make sure that your seating situation is ergonomic. Whether driving or in the passenger seat, ensure that your seat comfortably accommodates you and doesn’t require unnecessary stretching to reach anything. Adjust your seating as necessary and consider modifying the seat’s settings or adding items as needed to offer better back support while on the road.
About Magline
Magliner products are so trusted and valued in the material handling industry that many of those working in the business refer to all hand trucks as “Magliners.” As indicative of Magliners’ quality as that may be, the fact is: There’s only one Magline. And for over 70 years, Magline has been designing and manufacturing the most reliable, sturdiest, and most trustworthy material handling equipment available. Their lifting and transportation tools and solutions also include more specialized equipment, like stair climbing carts, appliance hand trucks, and their always-dependable hand cart line. If you consider efficiency, growth, and success as priorities for your business, choose Magliners.
To learn more about Magliner hand trucks and other material handling products, visit Magliner.com
However, sometimes the focus on the mechanics of lifting can overshadow a number of other legitimate health and safety concerns relevant to professional (or amateur) movers and furniture store employees or delivery drivers. Some of those concerns are pretty straightforward, such as the appropriate employment of a heavy duty hand truck, for instance. The fact is: Work that involves the repeated lifting and transportation of heavy items requires prioritizing and optimizing health and safety best practices to ensure those involved stay healthy and to lessen the risk of any incidents.
The Best Tools for the Job
As mentioned earlier, sometimes the best way to be safe is being sure to use the right tools. That doesn’t just mean to use a hand truck if something seems particularly heavy. It means using the right hand truck. If you’re required to carry anything heavy, awkward, or bulky up and down stairs—which is pretty much everything if you’re a furniture deliverer—utilize a stairclimbing hand truck or cart. If you’re moving heavy, bulky, and awkward loads in general, have an appliance hand truck on hand. They’re specifically engineered to transport heavy, harder-to-move loads.
Proper Securing of Loads
One of the (many) reasons why an appliance hand truck is so important is its inclusion of straps. Among the greatest risks that accompany transporting anything heavy is a load getting loose. It’s a threat to the cargo being transported, of course, but far more importantly it’s a risk to those moving the load and anyone in the path of something heavy that falls off of a hand truck, tips off a ramp, etc. Even if no one else is around and the load is undamaged, lunging, twisting, and pulling against something heavy to try and keep it from falling is a great way to throw your back out or otherwise injure yourself, which will prove miserable. So even if employing outside straps is necessary, always secure loads.
Driving and Health
Movers and furniture delivery drivers share a commonality beyond the lifting and transportation of heavy cargo: They spend a lot of time in delivery trucks. It may seem strange to include spending time in a truck as a health risk, but it can be in a few different ways, both direct and indirect. Indirectly, constantly being on the move, on a schedule, and on the clock often isn’t conducive to healthy eating habits. It can encourage a lot of fast food and snack food consumption. Taking the time to plan out healthy meals that can be prepared the night or morning before a shift (or even on the road) can be really helpful. Directly, make sure that your seating situation is ergonomic. Whether driving or in the passenger seat, ensure that your seat comfortably accommodates you and doesn’t require unnecessary stretching to reach anything. Adjust your seating as necessary and consider modifying the seat’s settings or adding items as needed to offer better back support while on the road.
About Magline
Magliner products are so trusted and valued in the material handling industry that many of those working in the business refer to all hand trucks as “Magliners.” As indicative of Magliners’ quality as that may be, the fact is: There’s only one Magline. And for over 70 years, Magline has been designing and manufacturing the most reliable, sturdiest, and most trustworthy material handling equipment available. Their lifting and transportation tools and solutions also include more specialized equipment, like stair climbing carts, appliance hand trucks, and their always-dependable hand cart line. If you consider efficiency, growth, and success as priorities for your business, choose Magliners.
To learn more about Magliner hand trucks and other material handling products, visit Magliner.com
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