During any Champion operations, personnel may be required to handle large and/or heavy objects and materials, which can present the potential for injury. This procedure alerts all employees to the need for the use of proper lifting techniques and healthy living styles to prevent back injuries.
Lifting Techniques
- Size up the load. Test it to see if it can be lifted safely. If the load is over fifty (50) pounds, get help or use mechanical aids.
- Plan your route ahead of time. Make sure the route is clear of any obstructions and that you have a path to the location you will set the load down. Make sure the location is clear and that you know where the load will be placed. Work to make the location as easy to set the load down as possible (do not put it on the floor or up high if possible).
- Make sure your footing is secure and you can see over and around the load. 5.4 Do not twist while lifting. Pivot your feet when moving the load in another direction.
- Lift smoothly and slowly. Do not jerk the load.
- Organize the work to avoid lifting from the floor or above shoulder level. Items to be handled should be between knee and shoulder height. This is called the Lift Power Zone.
- Upper arm and lower arm are bent at 90 degrees from each other, and elbows are close to the body. Arms and wrists should be straight.
- Keep the load as close to the body as possible. If the load is too large, get help or use a mechanical device such as a dolly or forklift.
- Use the same principles when lowering or placing the load after lifting.
- Try to avoid carrying the load more than ten (10) feet without using a mechanical device.
Control Measures
- Lifting tasks will be performed mechanically, instead of manually, whenever possible.
- Provide variety in jobs to eliminate or reduce repetition (overuse of the same muscle groups).
- Decrease compressive forces by providing larger couplings (such as larger diameter handles) and increase friction with grip type / non-slip gloves.
- Awkward postures should be eliminated if it will put undue stress on the body, cause the employee to lose their balance, or require a static position.
- Consider repositioning the material being carried or worked on, changing the tools so that the employee can change to a less stressful position.
- Employees will use dollies or forklifts to move drums, large containers, and compressed gas cylinders whenever possible.
- Foremen and Project Managers will supervise employees to ensure they are following proper lifting techniques and are not carrying loads at awkward angles or with their vision obstructed. Supervisors are required to enforce the use of mechanical lifting devices where applicable.
- Employees will use at least two (2) people to lift objects weighing more than fifty (50) pounds or use a mechanical device such as dollies, hoists, and pallet jacks. When using drum grapples, they will use tether ropes to guide the load and will stand well back from the drum grapples so they will not be struck should the grapple become loose.
High Frequency Lifting > 6 Lifts/Minute
- Lifting is performed for longer than 8 hours per day
- Constrained lower body posture such as lifting while kneeling or seated
- Poor hand coupling such as lack of handles, cut-outs, or other grasping points
- Twisting while lifting will be part of the task motion
- Unstable footing creates inability to support body with both feet while standing
- During or immediately after exposure to whole body vibration
Protective Equipment
Employees will be provided with ANSI rated, cut-resistant (this may include leather) gloves while manually moving objects with sharp edges such as containers, sheet metal, angle iron, etc.
Crew of the Month
Columbia Generating Station
This month, we recognize the outstanding work of our Ironworkers, Pipefitters, Laborers, and their Supervisor at ENW’s Columbia Generating Station. As the first employees hired for this project, they successfully set up a new fabrication shop and pre-fabricated approximately 600 linear feet of small bore piping and three hydraulic beams essential to the Circulating Water Basin Project.
Their dedication and commitment to safety ensured these critical tasks were completed event-free, with zero safety issues. Their hard work keeps the project on schedule for the upcoming R27 Refueling Outage, demonstrating the expertise and teamwork that define Champion Specialty Services. Congratulations to this exceptional crew!
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