Top 10 Moving Safety Tips Everyone Should Know
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 40 million people per year move.
Back injuries are the most common mishaps when moving, so it is important to protect yourself.
When you implement safety measures properly, you can avoid hurting yourself during a move.
Continue through this article to learn moving safety tips that will help you avoid common injuries while making your move.
Pay Attention to These Important Moving Safety Tips
1. Dress for the Job
When moving day comes, do yourself a favor and wear weather appropriate, loose-fitting clothing. You don’t want your clothes to be baggy, but you do want to have enough room to be able to move. Don’t move in flip-flops or sandals, but opt for enclosed shoes with plenty of support.
2. Don’t Overpack Your Boxes
It’s tempting to fit “just one more” item into a box. Say no to the temptation and pay attention to the guidelines on the box. If the box says it holds 25 pounds, keep the content’s weight under the limit.
Overpacking might not be all weight. Sometimes packing oddly shaped objects can cause an overpacking disaster. You shouldn’t cram items into a box and hope for the best.
3. Wrap Knives and Other Sharp Objects
An unwrapped knife can go right through a box and into someone’s hand. Carefully wrapping knives and other sharp objects will keep them from falling out and potentially injuring someone.
4. Have a Moving Plan
Packing and moving off the cuff usually doesn’t turn out well. Having a plan in place to get all of your things from one place to the other safely is key to an easy move.
One of the things you should factor into your plan is moving heavy objects. If you have something heavy to move, make sure you get someone to help you. Moving heavy objects on your own is a recipe for pain.
5. Avoid Lifting More Than You Can
To go along with the above point, you should never lift more than you can. While we understand that the job needs to get done, if you are on any doctor limitations, don’t do it. Ask a friend or hire a mover to get the objects you aren’t able to lift.
6. Follow Proper Lifting Procedures
There are right ways to lift, and there are wrong ways to lift. Lifting a heavy object the wrong way could cause back injuries, hernias, and other problems.
Follow the fundamentals of heavy lifting by:
- Keeping your spine aligned as neutral as possible while lifting
- Bending at the knees (not the waist) when picking up heavy loads
- Carrying heavy loads close to the body to maintain balance
- Twisting or turning at your hips first and not your feet
Keep these best practices in mind and use them throughout your move for the best protection while lifting heavy objects.
7. Use a Dolly
At the end of the day, you will be glad you had a dolly. A dolly can save your body a lot of strain and pain. While you might not be able to avoid picking up some heavy objects, there is a lot you can avoid picking up by putting them on a dolly and rolling them to their destination.
If you don’t own a dolly, you can easily rent one from a moving company or a hardware store.
8. Stretch It Out
Tight and stiff muscles can make it easier to get injured. Stopping to stretch throughout the day will decrease your chances of getting hurt.
Even if you are tempted to power through the day without stretching, keep in mind you are going to be in a lot of pain at the end of the day if you don’t stretch.
If you know of an area in your body you commonly experience problems, pay extra attention to that area. If your knees ache and lock up, take some time to swing your knee and do some quad stretches for good measure.
9. Clear the Way
While having a clear moving pathway might seem like common sense, it is easy to forget this important part of the moving process. Keep in mind that humans and pets should be cleared along with objects. Tripping over a child or a small animal can be painful to both you and the child or animal.
Set a specific path you will be using for the move, so everyone knows they need to steer clear of it.
10. Eat Well and Drink Plenty of Water
Eating well and drinking plenty of water is a good practice any day of the week, but when you are moving, it is even more important. Doing work that your body isn’t used to will call on more resources. You want to be sure that you have plenty of fuel in your tank to get the job done.
Take breaks for full meals and have healthy snacks on hand to grab in between heavy moves. Bottles of water near the moving path (but not in it) so you can easily grab them will help remind you to drink more water.
Following the Rules
If you have friends or family that are helping you with the move, make sure they keep these tips in mind. Experiencing an injury while moving won’t only slow you down, but it could also cause permanent damage.
Keep in mind that you could be legally responsible if people get hurt on your property. Make sure everyone is working in a safe environment to avoid any legal concerns.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of moving on your own or worrying about friends and family getting hurt, you should hire a moving company. Professional moving companies have insurance in case an injury happens, and you won’t be liable.
Making the Move a Success
Using these moving safety tips will help you make your move a success. If you decide you don’t want to make your move on your own, contact us today. We can help you find a company to make your move hassle-free.
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