Moving can come with its fair share of challenges – key among them is injuries. This is why you need to make safety a priority when planning for a move. Professional movers usually train their personnel on the best practices and use the right equipment to reduce the chances of injury. Here are some moving safety tips for your next move.
1. Have a Team in Place
You should never work alone. A move is best handled as a team effort. Having another set of eyes helps identify potential dangers as you move things around. Having someone guide you as you carry a heavy box of stuff out of your room can be a lifesaver.
2. Stretch
Like any other physical activity, you need to stretch out before the move. Doing this will help prevent muscle cramps and injuries. If you’ll be moving up and down the staircase carrying heavy boxes, you need to do some leg stretches.
3. Heavy Items Should Be Put in Boxes
Buy good quality boxes that can be used to carry heavy items without caving in. This is particularly important with long distance moves. If something fell out of a flimsy box while being carried, it could potentially injure the person carrying it.
4. Use Your Legs to Lift
Proper lifting techniques can help prevent back injuries. Use your legs to do the lifting instead of trying to use your back. When picking up heavy items from the ground, get into a squatting position instead of bending.
5. Exercise Patience
Moving is very stressful. This is why you want to get it over and done with fast. However, trying to rush things could end in disaster. It’s always best to take your time, especially when carrying heavy stuff around corners or down the stairs. A little patience can go a long way towards preventing injury.
6. Get Rid of Obstacles
Any obstacles in your path can easily cause an accident during a move. Clear any debris of items strewn both inside and outside the house to avoid tripping accidents. You don’t want to have to deal with gruesome fall because a toy was left lying around. All hallways in the house and pathways leading to the moving truck shouldn’t have any obstacles.
7. Keep Pets and Kids Away
If you have pets and kids, you don’t want them running around during the move. It’s best to keep them as far as possible from the moving melee as possible. You can make arrangements with a trusted friend to watch your kids and pets.
8. Be Aware of the Potential Dangers
There are items that are more likely to cause problems than others. Look out for items that are extremely heavy, fragile, not symmetrical, and oddly shaped. These items should be handled with extra care and clearly labeled for easy identification during unloading. This is one of the most important moving safety tips.
9. Hire Professionals
If you’re in doubt about executing a move safely, then you might want to hire professional movers to help. Having well-trained movers at your premises makes things much easier and guarantees the safety of your loved ones.
