[All_staff] Safe Lifting Reminder

[deborah magaldi]

All,

Last week, a technician was lifting a relatively heavy and awkward piece 
of equipment out of a container.  Although the employee lifted in 
accordance with training (squatting down, facing the load, keeping the 
load close to torso), the equipment caught the lip of the container. As 
a result the employee's body was jerked, injuring the individual’s back. 
  The employee was diagnosed with lumbar muscle strain and placed on 
work restrictions that affected the individual’s ability to perform all 
routine work assignments.

10 CFR 851 (DOE's Worker Safety and Health Rule) incorporates by 
reference, a limit of less than 40 pounds for an unaided manual lift.  
The employee (and other knowledgeable persons) estimated that the 
equipment weighed approximately 35 pounds; however after the event they 
weighed the equipment and discovered it weighed 44 pounds.

There are two lessons learned from this event. The first is that we tend 
to underestimate the weight of an object.  The Bureau of Labor 
Statistics estimates that 14 percent of back injuries due to lifting are 
due to underestimating the weight of the object.  This is why labeling 
your heavy equipment serves a useful reminder.

The second lesson learned is to get assistance when lifting heavy 
objects.  10 CFR 851 references a NIOSH equation which takes into 
account weight, angle of lift, and height of lift among other things. 
The cartoon below from the ES&H Manual, Appendix 6106-T3 
<https://www.jlab.org/ehs/ehsmanual/6106T3.htm>, gives some quick 
guidance as to the risk involved when lifting. If your lift falls into 
the "Medium" or "High" risk ranges, consider asking for help, employing 
a lifting device, or ask for an ergonomic consultation by contacting 
Occupational Medicine.


-- 

Mary Logue

Associate Director, ESH&Q

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

12050 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 602

Newport News, VA 23606

757-269-7447


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