Protecting Yourself While You’re Loading

While there are certainly things you can do to ensure your belongings travel safely to your new home, you’ll also want to ensure an injury-free moving day. Share the tips below with anyone planning to help with loading or unloading your shipment.

• Have someone available to help lift heavy items. Don’t overdo it. If you have to strain to carry the load, it’s too heavy.
• If you need assistance with loading or unloading, ask your U-Pack representative; we can help!
• If you have heavy items, consider using a dolly.
• Avoid wearing clothing that may get snagged while carrying furniture out of doorways and into the moving truck.
• Wear leather gloves when handling large, heavy objects with sharp edges (you’ll need these for installing the trailer ramp and bulkhead, too. See U-Pack’s ramp set-up and ramp removal instructions and bulkhead installation instructions).
• Wear durable, supportive footwear with a good grip (avoid sandals or open-toed shoes).
• Pace yourself. If you have a lot to move, take small breaks throughout the process.
• Make sure you can see where you’re walking.
• Avoid walking on slippery, uneven surfaces.
• Bend your knees – not from your waist – when picking up and setting down objects.
• Always lift with your legs and not with your back.
• Keep your back as straight and vertical as possible – don’t arch your back or reach out for an object.
• Get a firm footing before picking up a heavy object (parting your feet and putting one foot slightly in front of the other helps give you good balance).
• When lifting, stand close to the item with your feet shoulder-width apart, elbows tucked in, and chin down.
• Use slow and smooth movements.
• Keep your body facing the object while you lift it – avoid twisting.
• Try to carry the object in the space between your shoulder and waist; this puts less strain on your back.
• When using a dolly, make sure the blades are centered and completely under the load.
• Always walk with the dolly in front of you and keep the load balanced, with heavier items on the bottom.
• Avoid loading items onto the dolly higher than chest-level.
• When going up or down the ramp or steps, have a second person help support the item.

SOURCE: http://www.upack.com/moving-resources/loading-tips.asp