Lifting

How you lift safely depends on the situation. Be aware of the following points and assess which ones are important in your situation:

• Think about how you are going to lift and estimate the weight, feel what you can handle.
• Is manual lifting the right method, or is there an aid available?
• Do not lift too much or too heavy, lifting together with a colleague can help. Then pay attention to the distribution of weight.
• Don't lift too much at once, it's wiser to walk twice.
• Give objects (interchangeable) handles or wrap them with slings, for example when lifting slippery cardboard boxes or other objects with a shape that is difficult to contain.
• Use gloves for a lot of lifting or for an irregular surface of the object.
• Use safety shoes where necessary for proper support and safety of the feet.
• Check whether the floor is clear and not slippery. Make sure there are no obstacles you could bump into during the lift. Also ensure that the place where the object will be placed is completely free and accessible.
• Make sure you are stable, legs slightly spread and straight in front of the object to be lifted. Do this both when lifting and when putting away.
• Stand close to the object to be lifted, while lifting the object is directly in front of the body and not above the shoulders.
• If you lift off the ground, see if you can easily grab the object by a handle. And see if by tilting the object first, you lift a narrower and higher load instead of a wide and lower load. Avoid lifting below knee height.
• Lift like a weightlifter with a hollow to straight back, which is more loadable.
• Lift slowly and not quickly, lifting with control limits the risk of damage.
• Support where possible. If you can, find support for your body while lifting or lifting with one hand.
• If possible, divide the lifting into more lifting moments, so that you can rest the object and/or adjust your posture in the meantime.
• Make sure the scaffolding or cart is clearly filled, frequently used items at the front and in a favorable place between shoe and seat height
• Take enough breaks to avoid excessive fatigue and listen to your body, don't force anything in case of complaints.

In ideal circumstances, the maximum weight to be lifted is 23 kilograms, but in practice a lower weight will often apply. Listen to your body.

Explanation

To assess the maximum lifting weight, the Dutch Labour Inspectorate uses the NIOSH method. This method looks at the weight of the object, but also at the conditions under which it is moved. Such as the frequency, the distance of the displacement, the height to the floor and the rotation of the body. Based on this data, the NIOSH method calculates the recommended weight. In ideal circumstances, that maximum weight is 23 kilograms, but in practical circumstances a lower maximum weight will often apply.

Calculating with the NIOSH method

During pregnancy and up to three months after delivery, lift as little as possible. If you do need to lift:

• During the entire pregnancy and up to three months after delivery, do not lift more than 10 kg in one operation.
• From the twentieth week, lift weights heavier than 5 kg no more than 10 times a day.
• From the thirtieth week, lift weights heavier than 5 kg no more than 5 times a day.

• lifting and drivingin facility work
• lifting and driving in the Nutrition department
• lift in the warehouse the right way
• an aid for lifting boxes in the warehouse
• lifting well in the kitchen