Correct posture for Manual Handling.

Why posture is everything here

Where your spine sits during a lift decides whether the force spreads safely across your back muscles and bones, or piles up in one spot and does damage.

Lift with a straight back and bent knees and the powerful muscles in your legs carry the load. Bend at the waist with straight legs and you dump huge strain onto the discs and ligaments of your lower back.

The same 10kg box held out at arm's length loads your spine far more heavily than one hugged in close. Where you hold it, and how you stand, change the injury risk dramatically.

The three principles

Keep your spine's natural curves

Your spine curves naturally in three places - neck, mid-back and lower back. Good lifting posture keeps those curves rather than flattening or exaggerating them.

• Look ahead, not down at your feet
• Draw your shoulders back a little
• Switch on your core muscles
• Keep the back straight, even if it is not vertical

Keep the load close

The further out a load sits, the more leverage works against your spine. So always:

• Slide the load toward you before lifting
• Hug it against your torso
• Avoid reaching while you hold weight
• Step in and reposition rather than stretch

Never twist

Twisting under a load is one of the most common ways people hurt their backs. The discs in your spine are most at risk when it is both bent forward and rotated at once.

1. Line yourself up facing where the load is going
2. To turn, step round - do not twist at the waist
3. Take small steps to change direction
4. Never throw or swing a load