A Practical Guide for Reducing

Material Handling Loss Time Injuries

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

Lifting Training that Works!

Definition of Materials Handling:

Pushing-Pulling-Bending-Reaching-Sitting, Standing & Lifting

The basic body mechanics that need to be learned to generate safe material handling skills are all derived from Lifting techniques.

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

Your Goal:

Reduce material handling injuries in your operation.

Create a material handling safety culture based on

sound Ergonomic Principles and

POWERLIFT® Training.

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

Three Basic Requirements to Creating a

Material Handling Safety Culture

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

1. Effective Technique

You need to teach technique that actually works in real life.

We teach a Wide Stance POWERLIFT® Technique vs. the Squat Lift Technique.

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

Squat Lift:• Forces the lifter to come up on the balls of the feet.

• Knees and legs get in the way = load too far out.

• Knees bent in a deep squat position.

POWERLIFT® :• Feet flat on the floor – just like a weight lifter.

• Knees & legs out of the way, gets you closer.

• Knees only bend to a 100 degree angle – much easier on the knees and a stronger position.

POWERLIFTON A LOAD WITH HANDLES

POWERLIFT — ON A LOAD WITH HANDLES

POWERLIFTON A LOAD WITHOUT

HANDLES

POWERLIFT — ON A LOAD WITHOUT HANDLES

BRIDGING

STANDING UP A PALLET

2. Hands On Experience

You need workers to compare their

old way of material handling with

the new way - in other words, they

need hands-on, practical application in

the classroom and out at the task

sites.

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

3. Ongoing Training Changing behaviors is the key to

reducing injuries. Ongoing Training in the form of Coaching and POWERLIFT® Safety Talks are the

key to changing behaviors. Safety Talks must be reality based and

cover tasks common to the workers jobs at work as well as at home tasks.

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

Safety Talk Examples

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

LIFTING A PUMP

LIFTING AN EXTENSION CORD

LIFTING LARGE BULKY BOXES

LIFTING ANCHOR PLATES

PULLING ROPE & WIRE

HANDLING HOSE

LIFTING FORMS FROM THE GROUND

LIFTING HEAVY GENERATORS & PUMPS

OPENING RAIL CAR LIDS

OPENING THE STORAGE SHED DOOR

LIFTING POSTS

LIFTING REBAR

LIFTING STEEL PLATE

LIFTING FURNATURE

LIFTING A COOLER

LIFTING FROM THE GROUND

STANDING TO WORK

HANDLING STEEL

LIFTING YOUR CHILD FROM THE SOFA

DOES IT WORK?

POWERLIFT® Training has been found to be exceptionally effective over the past 20+ years.

Incident reductions of 50% to 100% are easily achievable provided you engage the three components of creating a material handling Safety Culture based on POWERLIFT®.

POWERLIFT® must become a part of the TOTAL SAFETY CULTURE.

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

7

15

60

10 0

10

0 0 0 01 0 0 3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant

OSHA Recordable CasesLost Time CasesLost Time DaysRestricted Days

Year before Training Year of Training 1st Year after Training 2nd Year after Training

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

WORKERS' COMP - BACK INJURIES MANUFACTURING PLANT ~ 900 employees18

14

6

$61,864

$219,267

$14,137

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

# Back Cases Total WC Cost Incurred (Back)

Year before Training Year after Training Year of Training

Post Training Survey

Dr. Michael J. SchaeferPOWERLIFT® Training

Risk Management Consultants Ltd.Office: 623-516-9552Cell:    623-229-1251

Email:  DrMikeSchaefer@PowerliftTraining.comWebsite: www.PowerliftTraining.com

 

© Risk Management Consultants, Ltd. 1.800.470.7010

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