24 May The Importance of Manual Handling

Moving house is an activity full of manual handling tasks. You’ll need to move small and large furniture from one room to another, to the van, to the truck, or maybe to the storage. You might need to climb up or go down the stairs with your hands full of bulky items. And don’t underestimate the packing boxes and suitcases either. Lift them the wrong way, not-so-heavy items can give you the risk of injury, too. In Koala Box, we train and assess our team members in manual handling regularly to avoid injury as well as to protect our customer’s valuable stuff from any damages.

These are our tips to reduce the risk of injury when performing manual handling tasks:

• Being physically fit.
• Maintaining correct posture as spinal alignment will ensure that the load is evenly distributed. The spine should be kept in its normal curves.
• Wearing comfortable clothing and enclosed toe shoes. Our Koala Box operator will come to your address wearing a comfy uniform shirt and a pair of strong shoes.
• Warming up prior to task.
• Cooling down after task.
• Removing any obstacles. Don’t let yourself exposed to the slipping or tripping hazards.
• Avoiding twisting and bending.
• Avoiding over reaching. Move your body close to the load, the secure your grip and hold the load close to your body.
• Keeping hands at waist when lifting for better control, while holding your head upright.
• Powering the lift with legs and body weight, not with your hands or shoulders.
• If doing a one handed lift rest other hand on your knee to assist with spinal alignment.
• If you need to operate some manual equipment such as trolley or heavy-duty trolley, make sure you know how to operate it and read the manual/ instruction if available. Koala Box packing boxes will come with a trolley and our operator will explain to you how to use it safely.
• Positioning feet in a scissor formation, shoulder width apart, when lift is above shoulder or below knee.
• Planning the movement of items before starting the move, this includes assessing the load size, shape, level of stability and weight; clearing a path; checking the route for ramps; and agreeing how many people are required and roles and timing.

Risk of injury can increase if the load is very heavy or you are sick or tired. It’s wise to seek for assistance and get your moving going safely. You can use a removal service or ask some friends, neighbours or family members to help you for the special load.

Safety and manual handling issue are the reasons why Koala Box Team will assess the items you’d like to send to our My Storage facility. The maximum weight of a filled Koala Box is 20 kg to ensure that our team can handle each of your box safely and cautiously. Whenever you need us to transport heavier items such as large furniture, all you need is a clear communication. Our additional team members are ready to give you the best service.