Hospitality Focus on Safety: Bending and Lifting
Definition:
Bending and lifting refers to the work required to view objects at ground level or move objects from one place to another, when, if done improperly, can cause a serious injury.
Potential Exposures:
- Unpacking and transporting hotel supplies.
- Working in cramped, cluttered storage spaces.
- Repairing or cleaning items that are at ground level or require displacement.
- Transporting guest luggage.
- Working at a high pace.
- Working alone on a task that requires more than one person.
Prevention:
- In order to prevent a twisting and lifting maneuver when stocking shelves, you must be sure to be fully “squared off” when lifting the supplies up and then turn to be fully “squared off” with the shelves you are placing the supplies on. “Squared off” indicates a stand where the feet and upper body are fully facing the item to be lifted or placed.
- Keep items centered and close to your body while transporting.
- No items should be lifted if they are too heavy for the person stocking the shelves. The employee should either get assistance from another staff member or lift the items in smaller sections.
- No items should be placed on shelves that are higher than shoulder height.
- When bending to look at something at ground level or to prepare to lift an item, always bend at the knees; never bend at the waist.
- Keep your manager informed of any issues that may result in missing a time limit deadline.
- Always ask for help if time is an issue and you feel you are unable to complete the task by yourself.
- Work with suppliers to use smaller packing portions.
- Realize that even moving a small object incorrectly can cause an injury.
- Transport items in smaller quantities, allowing for more trips to be made.
- Keep storage rooms cleaned and organized at all times.
In the event of an injury due to bending or lifting:
- Follow the guidelines for the incident found in the Emergency Binder.
- If you feel you may have incurred an injury of any kind, report it immediately to your supervisor.
- Be very clear on whether you require immediate medical attention, imminent medical attention or request additional accommodations to prevent injury in the future.
- Report the incident to the Risk Management Team.
- Inform the staff of the incident and make corrections to procedures or errors to ensure that this incident does recur.
June McCreight
June McCreight began her career in the hospitality industry as a housekeeper in 1996. In the years since, she has risen through the ranks, learning maintenance, front office, sales and revenue management, property management and district management, bench management and opening team management. She has trained hundreds of hoteliers and won many awards for her management successes. In 2011, June wrote and published, The Strangers in My Beds, a fictional novel based strictly on the strange events of her career in hotels. In 2014, June partnered with her father, a very accomplished software architect, and opened the business, Coba Enterprise Management, LLC with a very unique and specialized CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management System) software for hotels.