Lifting at Work and the Power of an Ant! Need a Job Analysis?

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In the past I’ve blogged about when my father managed a Culligan Soft Water branch. I remember watching the workers (like Gary and Big John!) move the 150# water softener tanks from the regeneration area onto the big trucks for the next step which is to drive to their customers’ locations.

Growing up, we (my brother Steven & I along with other friends, too) played human games on the shop dollies! Not something dad would’ve approved of!

I remember watching dad’s workers unload the tanks and bags of salt off the truck, maneuver the tanks onto a dolly, then push or pull the load to the customer’s house. They then donned a heavy strap across their bodies, and carried the tanks down a flight of steps into a basement. I was enthralled with that process!

These work tasks took strength and intelligence in how to best carry and maneuver a large and heavy object. The worker would then take the tanks that needed to be returned to the shop for regeneration back up the steps.

Then the bags of salt would follow, being carried down the steps and into the basement to be emptied into the tanks. Then back up and to the truck, and after securing all items, the drive was on to the next stop for the route drivers. The process was repeated throughout the day.

Nowadays the tanks and the bags of salt are about ½ the weight, which leads me to my topic for this blog – lifting…at work. 

I study the topic of lifting at work!

I’m not very big, nor very tall, and I really don’t know how much I can lift safely because all lifts involve time, place, setting and purpose!

Yes, being a petite person ~ I’m a bit more than 5’2″ with small wrists, I’ve learned many different ways to get want I want or need without heed to any physical challenge. I also exercise regularly and if I realize the object to lift is too heavy, I either get help or get smart!

I can improvise to get something off a high shelf (use a yard stick). I can figure out how to move something that weighs twice my weight (eg: a filled bookcase) with the use of furniture sliders. I can break any heavy item apart to make it lighter! Any person can lift objects and loads that are heavy using mostly brain power and not brawn power!

Brain over Brawn!

I’ve been trained how to perform a job analysis prior to preparing a job description; and have reviewed and critiqued many a job description. Here are my educated thoughts about a job description that lists the physical demands [of a job] requiring a worker to lift up to X amount of pounds.

When I am helping a job seeker who has a lifting limitation, say of 25 pounds, there are considerations to assess prior to including a job that may call for lifting more than, say 20 pounds.

Did you know ants can lift 20 times their own body weight?

The following considerations may be taken into account when assessing whether or not a person can safely lift at work or at home, or just about anywhere one’s body happens to be:

• the size and strength of the worker
• the load – what actually needs to be lifted and why? (to me, this is the most important question!)
• the weight of the object or load to be handled
• the muscle force applied by the worker to do physical lifting
• the postures adopted to lift the object
• the workplace environment and conditions, for example, slippery floors, walking up steps, restricted space to work in, lighting and the ability to get a good grip on the object
• the amount of time spent doing the lifting, or the number of repetitions of an action each day
• what accommodations are in place or could be in place to allow the job to be performed efficiently and safely?
• the workplace layout – the amount of moving of the objects required
• what equipment is available, or could be used, to help move the load?
• is safe lifting training offered?

It’s very important to specifically address what needs to be moved, where it is to be moved, and why!; and then be smart about the lifting process. Think about how any heavy or awkward lifting can be accomplished in a smarter manner. The load and the lifter will benefit. 

Think about the load!

Thank you for reading! Let me know what I could do to help you with return to work issues, especially if a job analysis would prove useful.  I can help you help your client in many ways!

Contact me at 515-778-0634 or email amyebotkin@lcpresourcesplus.com

 

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My professional consulting practice focuses on helping attorneys help their clients with civil litigation matters.