Back Safety

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Back Safety

Date Reviewed:  February 21, 2023

All workers must take precautions to avoid workplace back injuries by following guidelines set out by the company.

A. Purpose of this Practice

This practice establishes the requirements of workers for back safety. These practices must be followed in detail to ensure the safety of all company employees.

B. Responsibility

All workers must be vigilant of 4 guidelines to proper back safety.

Maintain good posture.

Use of proper lifting techniques.

Regular exercise.

Control of weight.

C. Back Safety Practice

Employees must always be aware of how they move their bodies while carrying out different work activities.

(1) Maintaining Good Posture

To maintain good posture while standing all workers should:

Balance their weight evenly on both feet.

Tuck their buttocks in to help straighten their spine.

Pull in their abdomen.

Hold their head straight.

Relax their arms at their side.

To maintain good posture while sitting all workers should:

Sit in straight backed chairs with a firm seat (to avoid slouching);

Keep their knees bent.

To maintain good posture while sleeping all workers should:

Sleep on their side with your knees bent (this is proven to be the best position);

Make sure that they have a firm mattress.

(2) Proper Lifting Techniques

When lifting, workers are to use their legs to do the work by bending at both their hips and knees.

The basic rules that workers must follow for lifting are:

Balance your feet (have them shoulder width apart with one foot slightly ahead of the other)

Bend your knees;

Keep your back straight;

Get a good grip on the load with your palms;

Keep the load close to your body;

Turn with your feet, not your body, and avoid twisting while lifting.

 
When lifting heavy loads workers are required to find assistance. Workers are not allowed to catch loads and when reaching up workers are to tighten their stomach muscles to help support their back.

(3) Regular Exercise

Workers should maintain their health and good physical condition by keeping up with a regular exercise program. This can include walking, swimming, or biking. They should exercise on a regular basis, which means at least three to four times a week for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Workers who have not exercised in a while should consult with their doctor.

(4) Weight Control

Workers with extra weight have a shifted centre of gravity. This shift creates more force on the back and increases its regular curvature, placing more strain on their back. To avoid injury these workers should lose weight.

Workers in question should consult a doctor before beginning a weight loss program.

(5) Extra Guidelines

Workers involved in a lot of standing have to adjust their work spaces to ensure that they are not putting any undue strain on their backs. If workers find that they have to stoop to work, their work space must be adjusted so they can work standing straight. Another way workers are to relieve stress on their backs is to keep one foot elevated, either on a foot rest or a rung, if nothing else is available and it has been deemed safe.