It goes without saying that moving is stressful and painful. Difficulties could come not just from the move, but also if someone gets injured. A lot of people who choose to organize a self move do not completely realize the dangers that this decision exposes them and the other participants in the relocation process to. In other words, if you don’t know what you are doing and you are not well informed, you could hurt yourself during the move, or the other people you’ve asked to help who are not professional movers could. But a move doesn’t have to be risky and dangerous. Here is what you could do.
How To Observe Safety When Moving
Surely if you have chosen a DIY move you want it to go smooth, fast and easy, and to be an efficient one. In order for you to do this, you need to be prepared and you need to know HOW to do it. Here are a few simple ideas that can make your move a safe experience.
1.Do the packing right. It is important to not make the boxes too heavy. 50 pounds is considered the maximum weight which a cardboard box can hold and a person can move. Remember that the boxes may have to be taken up/ down the stairs, through corridors and narrow ways, in general draw the moving route in your mind. If you have a few floors to take by foot, it is preferable that you make the boxes lighter so you could move them more easily. For very large and heavy objects, have an extra person present and on standby to help if needed. When giving/ taking a heavy item, always confirm that the person taking it has a firm grip on, before letting go. Moving boxes safely is not difficult once you know what to beware of.
Clean up the path to the truck in both your old and new homes.
2.Prepare your back. Often, unprofessional movers hurt their backs during the move. You can avoid this by doing a bit of stretching of your whole body before lifting heavy stuff. This will prepare your body and decrease the chance of back trauma. It is important to stretch, especially if you have more boxes and heavy items to move. This will prepare your whole body for the move.
2.Use the right clothing. You need to have loose clothes on and closed shoes. Sandals are not comfortable for a move – your feet will not be stable in them, sandals break faster under the pressure of a move, and your toes could get hurt. You need shoes that will have a good grip and support for your ankles which will keep them safe. Your clothes should give you the ability to move freely but make sure they are not too wide so that they don’t get stuck during the move.
Do not overfill boxes! Heavy boxes are more dangerous to move!
3.Lift with care. When you bend to lift a box or any other heavy item, push your waist back a little bit and bend your knees. In this way the weight will be transferred to your legs and your waist will be safe. If you lift heavy items with your legs straight the pressure from the weight will fall on your waist and that could have unpleasant consequences. Always put the weight from lifting on your legs and arms, and never – on your waist. If you feel tension in your waist when lifting, it means you’re doing it wrong.
4.Rent the right equipment. Use dollies – they can be helpful when moving furniture, and can be used to stack boxes on. Use straps to secure the weight on the dolly. Use gloves – they can pad your fingers, provide for a better grip and give you a protection against splinters. Furniture sliders are also an advisable tool to have during a relocation.
5. Look for dangers. If you have a slippery floor in one of the rooms in your home, or it is a rainy day, or you haven’t had a good rest the night before, be extra cautious. Rain could get mud in your house and on your shoes and it could make the floor slippery. You can look for ways to protect your floors and carpets when moving. Look around the area for obstacles like low branches, uneven sidewalk, etc. Note those spots in your mind in order to know to be careful when reaching them. Check the weather forecast and be prepared with mops if rain is expected, or sand – in case of snow.
6.Have an emergency kit on stand by. Surely nobody wants to think of the dangers of a move and what could happen if someone gets hurt, but it is good to be prepared. Have painkillers, band aids and ointments on and ready. Hopefully, and most likely, you won’t need them, but as the saying goes – it is better to have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it, right? Everyone should know where the emergency kit is located, which telephone could be used in case of an emergency, where that phone will be, and the list with emergency numbers to call, just in case.
7.Keep kids and pets away from your move. Find someone to take care of them, give them to family or friends for the moving day, or hire a babysitter for your children. Small kids cannot help but are exposed to risks for injury during a move so protect them by not having them around when the move begins. Your pets could also get hurt by accident, not to mention that they could trip you, if they decide they want to play with you while you’re lifting a large item and don’t see where they are.
8.Hire movers for large, heavy objects. These are items that can put your health to more risk so it is better to trust the pros on this one. There are appliances and furniture that may need to be dismantled and disconnected before a move (dishwasher, for instance). If you are not sure how to do it, look for the experts on this one. After all, isn’t your health that really matters the most? In order to decide if you want to hire a moving company, get a free quote here.
We don’t want you to get yourself hurt when moving, so if you follow our tips, they will give you safety, moving furniture will be less dangerous for you and you will manage to stay healthy. We don’t want to burden you with details regarding what exactly could happen to you if you ignore these basic safety rules because we don’t want to scare you. As a conclusion we’d like to remind you that ensuring moving heavy items safely should be among your priorities in every move. If you have more to add to our list, make a comment and share your experience with us!
