Department of Occupational Health & Safety Kinsmen Building 4700 Keele St Toronto, ON Canada, M3J 1P3 416 736 5491 yorku.ca/dohs

Packing Requirements and Health & Safety Tips for Your Office Move Revised 2013.03.05 In this document, packing refers to the act of packing or unpacking. Please empty the drawers of your file cabinets and desks. Our movers will not move furniture that has not been emptied due to health and safety concerns, as well as potential damage to the furniture itself. Check the tops of tall cabinets and behind cabinets for items that may be stored there, as these present unseen hazards to movers. In addition to the safety of the movers, here are some tips on how to protect yourself from injury: Before Packing · Wear comfortable pants and shoes with good traction (e.g. low heels). · Don’t leave it all until the last minute. Do a little bit at a time. · Use the right-sized box for what is being packed (e.g. small boxes for densely packed material such as books or files). · Tape boxes securely to prevent them from breaking when handled. · Warm up o Handle lighter materials before handling heavier materials; then alternate between handling heavier and lighter items. o Don’t lift immediately after prolonged sitting. Filling/Emptying Boxes · Position boxes and materials so that you can work with your hands in the safe lifting zone (between mid-thigh and shoulder height). o An item on the floor will be more difficult to lift than the same item at waist height. · Fill boxes to a weight that can be handled safely. o Test the weight of the boxes as you fill them. · Be careful with pinch grips. o Use 2 hands on thick books and files; o Keeping at least one hand beneath the object as much as possible. · Label boxes, writing on the side of the box rather than the top, to avoid unnecessary handling when unpacking. Lifting & Lowering · Don’t lift if you can slide a box where it needs to go. · Test the weight before you lift. · Tighten abs (core muscles). · Maintain neutral spine (inward lumbar curve) o Bend at knees & hips o Look forward while lifting. · Slide/move objects as close as possible to body. · Keep upper body as upright as possible. · Avoid twisting spine. o Move feet. o Keep shoulders & hips facing same direction. · Be careful with sudden exertions. · For one-handed lifting, use free hand or elbow to support upper body. o  Use golfer’s lift. · Ask for help to lift items that are too heavy or unpack containers partially before moving them. More information More information and images of the postures described above are online at: U.S. Army Center For Health Promotion And Preventive Medicine More information and dates of upcoming workshops on general material handling is available at yorku.ca/ergo or call 416-736-5491.