PESO: Manual Material Handling

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Oregon OSHA

Summary Statement

Brief description of activities involving handling construction materials, the hazards, and how to safely lift these materials. Part of a collection. Click on the 'collection' button to access the other items.

Five activities of manual material handling
Lift / lower
Lift / lower
Push / pull
Push / pull
Twist
Twist
Carry
Carry
Hold
Hold

Never lift and twist at the waist!

Turn with your feet, not your waist.

Never lift

Imagine placing a tomato between the palms of your hands and applying pressure with both hands. It is well within your abilities to apply enough force to cause the tomato to burst.

Now imagine using another tomato and apply force while at the same time twisting your hands is opposite directions. The tomato would burst under much less force.

The results would be similar but the latter example would happen more quickly and with less warning.

Squashed tomato

Two correct lifting methods

Adapted from: The Saunders Group Inc., 4250 Norex Drive, Chaska, MN 55318

The Power Lift
The Power Lift
Partial squat, head up, back arched, feet spread one foot ahead as you lift.

The Diagonal Lift
The Diagonal Lift
Squat, head up, back arched, feet spread one foot ahead as you lift.