Employers and employees each have their own responsibilities. In sectors where physical stress is common, the health and safety catalog can be found which agreements they have made.
Lifting and carrying
Employees who lift or carry objects every day have a high risk of (permanent) back problems. It is therefore important to limit this form of physical strain as much as possible or at least to carry it out in a responsible manner. Employers are required to take measures so that employees can lift and carry safely.
Back pain due to lifting
In many professions, daily lifting is performed, for example by warehouse employees, order pickers and truck drivers, but also by care and nursing staff. Lifting is taxing on the body, especially if it is done often. When lifting heavy objects, there is a risk of damage to the back muscles, the connective tissue bands around the spine or the intervertebral discs.
The heavier one lifts, the greater the risk of damage. But lifting light objects can also lead to damage, for example by incorrect posture or by lifting too often in succession. It is mainly the weight of the trunk that forms the load when lifting light objects.
Once a person has suffered back pain, it is difficult to get rid of it, so that the chance of returning to the original profession is often minimal. It is not for nothing that back complaints are the most common cause of absenteeism and disability .
Lifting and carrying: points of attention
Employers can take many steps to make lifting and carrying safer:
- do not allow employees to lift unnecessarily, use as many aids as possible, such as forklifts, tail lifts plus carts and hand trucks with a lifting device
- shorten walking distances between locations by adjusting logistics
- make sure there are no obstacles in the way
- alternate lifting work with other tasks
- give certain objects handles, so that at least the grip improves
- with heavy objects preferably place the handles at hip height and certainly not at floor level
- have employees use work gloves and shoes with non-slip soles and steel toes, these provide better grip and protect the toes if the load falls.
The employees themselves have to pay close attention to their way of lifting. Do not lift loads heavier than 23 kg. If you have to lift frequently, the weight to be handled changes. For example, if you lift more than 12 times a day, you should not lift more than 12 kg at a time.
- always lift with two hands and make sure both feet are on the floor
- stand straight in front of the object, prevent the back from turning
- stand close to the object prevent the arms from reaching far, keep the load against the stomach as much as possible
- involve colleagues in the lifting work
- don't lift too much at once, it's wiser to walk twice
- lift heavy loads between knee and shoulder height
- take enough breaks to avoid fatigue
- listen to your own body, don't force anything in case of complaints
- lift from legs and not from back and keep shoulders low
Pushing and pulling
Pushing and pulling objects, even if they are on wheels, requires a lot of energy and can lead to health problems due to physical overload. It is therefore important to work in a responsible manner.
http://www.arboportaal.nl/onderwerpen/dynamische-werkhouding-duwen-en-trekken
If you are pregnant
Lift as little as possible during pregnancy and up to three months after delivery.
If you must lift:
- during pregnancy and up to three months after delivery, do not lift more than 10 kg in one operation
- from the 20th week, do not lift weights of more than 5 kg more than 10 times a day
- from the 30th week, do not lift weights of more than 5 kg more than 5 times a day Til tijdens de zwangerschap en tot drie maanden na de bevalling zo weinig mogelijk.