Unfortunately, it’s common for people to have accidents and get injured when moving house. Most of these injuries happen during DIY moves, when people are hurrying, stressed or not taking the proper safety precautions. Injuries happen throughout the moving process, not just when loading and unloading the truck. But you can avoid injuring yourself. Here are some moving safety tips to get you moved without injury.
It all starts with good planning
We underestimate the importance of planning when moving house. It seems like a simple job, a matter of packing and carrying boxes from one house to another. Moving is much more complicated, and when people fall behind, they get stressed. When you’re stressed you are much more likely to make mistakes and have an accident leading to an injury. Working to a plan has a positive effect on stress. It gives you a sense of achievement, and when you’re feeling good about each task, you’re setting yourself up for a successful move.
Respect your body
We all have different fitness levels, and you should never try to push yourself beyond your physical limits, especially when lifting heavy objects. There’s a simple rule for safety: never lift anything you can’t handle easily. Leave it for someone else, or hire the professionals.
Trying to do too much is one of the most common causes of injuries. People try to handle heavy items, lose control and drop them. Worse still, they suffer back injuries, which are painful, slow to heal and sometimes cause permanent damage.
Monitor yourself for fatigue
Moving is tiring and there’s no way to avoid it. However, it can also become fatiguing, which is completely avoidable as long as you’re aware of how you’re feeling. Fatigue isn’t just another word for tired, it’s a harmful physical condition that makes you vulnerable to injury.
Symptoms of fatigue:
- Slow reactions
- Difficulty thinking clearly
- Absent-mindedness
- Forgetfulness
- Poor awareness
- Inability to concentrate
- Risk taking
- Problems with coordination
If you experience any of these symptoms, you are probably starting to get fatigued. Hydrate and get plenty of rest before you resume any activity.
The right equipment for the job
There’s no need to put your body under physical strain when there is moving equipment designed to make life easier. Dollys, trolleys, lifting straps and various other types of equipment mean you don’t have to put strain on your back. Professional movers carry this equipment as standard, which is one reason we can move heavy objects quickly, efficiently and safely.
Don’t overload boxes
Never overload a box. The rule is: don’t put more weight in the box than you can easily lift. Aside from the risk of injury, you’re also more likely to damage the contents. Distribute weight evenly in the box and use the right box for the job. Put heavy items in small boxes, mid weight items in medium boxes and light objects in big boxes.
Don’t use your back like a crane
If you lift anything with your back in a crane-like motion, you’re likely to give yourself an injury. Always use good lifting technique, even if an object isn’t heavy, which is done with the legs, not the back.
Good lifting technique:
- Stand with your feet apart at the same width as your shoulders.
- Keep your feet flat on the ground.
- Bend down to a squat.
- Make sure you have a secure grip on the object you’re lifting.
- Keep your back straight as you lift, using your legs to come upright again.
- Keep breathing as you lift the object to oxygenate your muscles. Never hold your breath.
Check and clear your access
When carrying large objects like furniture and moving boxes, your field of vision gets obscured, especially around your feet. This exposes you to tripping and falling if you can’t see a hazard in your path. Before you carry anything to the truck, check and clear access ways to remove or mitigate hazards. The more effort you put into moving safely, the greater your chances of avoiding an injury.
Finally, there is a guaranteed way to avoid injuries altogether. Hire the professionals to manage your move.
