Materials Handling Safety

Lifting and moving materials is such a routine part of the workday that it’s easy to stop thinking about it — and that’s exactly when injuries happen. Thousands of workers are hurt every year handling materials, usually because safe work practices were skipped. This course walks you through how to prepare yourself, your equipment, and your route before you move a load, how to lift and carry without straining your body, and how to safely operate the equipment you rely on every day, from hand trucks and dollies to pallet jacks and forklifts.

Course Highlights

• Preparing for a materials handling task, including checking your own physical and mental readiness and never working under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Selecting the right personal protective equipment, such as gloves, steel-toed non-slip boots, and hard hats when working around falling or flying objects
• Sizing up the load — weight, hand holds, warning labels, and whether you need a coworker or equipment to help
• Surveying and clearing your travel path to remove clutter, spills, and obstructions before you move
• Applying ergonomic principles to avoid awkward positions such as leaning, twisting at the waist, and overreaching
• Recognizing the risks of overexertion and repetitive motion, and using task rotation and rest breaks to reduce wear on your body
• Following safe lifting protocols: feet shoulder width apart, bending at the knees, keeping your back straight, and lifting with your legs
• Carrying loads safely with your head up, your vision clear, and your feet — not your waist — doing the turning
• Coordinating a team lift by agreeing on direction, speed, and destination before anyone lifts
• Meeting OSHA requirements for stacking and storing materials so tiers are stable and secure against sliding or collapse
• Inspecting and safely using two-wheeled hand trucks, including proper load placement against the backrest and pushing rather than pulling
• Loading four-wheeled dollies using the 45-degree method and the deadlift method, and limiting their use to even ground
• Checking rated load capacity on carts and platform trucks and choosing the right stacking method — interlocking (brick, pinwheel) or column stacking (block, split block)
• Operating pallet jacks correctly, including positioning the wheels on the ground before raising the forks and maintaining control when pushing or pulling
• Following safe forklift operating practices for seatbelt use, travel height, load stabilization, visibility, horn use, and grades and ramps
• Reacting correctly during a forklift tip-over by bracing and staying in the seat rather than jumping
• Staying safe as a pedestrian around forklifts, including designated walkways, reflective vests, rear-wheel swing, and never standing under a raised load

By the end of the course, you will have learned

• How to prepare yourself, your PPE, your load, and your route before starting a materials handling task
• How to evaluate whether a load is safe to lift alone or requires help or equipment
• How to work ergonomically and avoid the awkward postures that cause strains and sprains
• How to recognize and reduce the risks of overexertion and repetitive motion
• How to perform a safe lift, carry, and set-down using proper body mechanics
• How to coordinate a safe team lift with a coworker
• How to stack and store materials so they remain stable and secure
• How to inspect, load, and move hand trucks and four-wheeled dollies safely
• How to use carts, platform trucks, and pallet jacks within their rated capacity and with the correct stacking method
• How to operate a forklift safely and respond correctly if it begins to tip
• How to protect yourself when working on foot around forklifts and other powered equipment