Editor's Note: Last week, I received the following question from a SafetyXChange member:

I've looked everywhere on the net to try to answer my question. We have several employees who move pallet jacks by pulling with both arms behind their backs. It looks like this could strain the back much easier than pulling with one arm. Is this safe?

We put the question to you. Thank you to everyone who wrote in. In a nutshell, the consensus seems to be push, don't pull. Here's more of what you have to say on the matter.

Push, Don't Pull

Is this safe? Absolutely NO! The human body is meant for pushing, not pulling. It would seem that your workers need a little training in body dynamics. A local Physical Therapist or Occupational Therapist should be able to help.

During my active EMS (emergency medical services) years, I was involved in training EMTs, Paramedics and Nurses in back injury avoidance. Clearly this is a difficult task when what you are moving can move anyway it wants. But my instructions were pretty simple: when the load (patient) is on the stretcher push don't pull, the strain on your back, shoulders, wrists and arms is tremendous.

Name Withheld

Pulling May Lead to Back Injuries

Pallet jacks are designed to be pushed. They are not designed to be pulled by one or both arms. If employees are pulling pallet jacks, they are using their backs more than their legs to move the load. They tend to bend forward creating a curvature in their spine making them more susceptible to back injuries. By pushing the load, they can keep their back and spine straight, using the stronger and larger muscles and bones in their legs to apply the force necessary to move the load. Pallet jacks should not be pushed except to make small adjustments in the positioning of the load, while standing erect.

Charles Rogers
Risk Management Specialist
Health and Human Services Commission BH-1520
Office of Enterprise Risk Management

You Can Push More Than You Can Pull

I read the question with some concern about the worker's safety when pulling with a pallet jack. I've been involved with safety for over 30 years and I am currently the Corporate Safety and Environment Manager for a heavy equipment manufacturer with branch offices in Canada, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. I have worked in warehouse environments and I have used pallet jacks in many applications from unloading trucks to moving pallets around within a warehouse environment.

The one thing that concerns me the most is that a person can push almost 4 times what they can pull and if a worker feels it's necessary to use both arms to pull then the worker is probably overexerting and at risk for a lower back injury or a shoulder injury while pulling the pallet jack. Has anyone ever seen a person pull a car that is stuck in the snow to get it going? We have an inherent logic about pushing because we know that we are stronger when we push with our legs, which is the same principal as lifting with our legs rather than our back, but too many workers pull pallet jacks because they don't think about the body mechanics involved. Using both arms to pull a pallet jack behind yourself is also a recipe for being run into by the pallet if you have to stop suddenly. It is impossible to always push a pallet jack but pulling should only be allowed to position the pallet for moving not for actually moving the pallet around.

David Wilson
Safety and Environment Manager
Madill Equipment

Pushing Gives You More Control

Many of our employees were trained in material handling including the proper use of pallet jacks. Throughout the training (about 4 hours in duration), it was repeated that you should always push, never pull a pallet jack.

Yes, it will put un-necessary strain on the back and shoulders, not to mention the potential of a more serious tripping/falling hazard should the worker's foot make contact with the wheels or the load while pulling a pallet jack backwards.

Also, you can have & maintain much more control over the jack and the load by pushing it. You can steer/maneuver away from obstacles easier than pulling, and when needed, you can stop it a lot quicker, too.

This would be good to put in writing as part of your company's written safe work practices and procedures and have the workers sign of that they understand this and they are warranted to follow company policies and procedures.

Along with enforcement of this, you will have a better time defending yourself should an injury or incident happen.

Name Withheld

Pushing Works Better But Takes Practice

It is easier on the back and arms if you push the load rather than pull a load. Reason employees will pull a load with a manual pallet jack is it's easier to steer the pallet. It takes practice but if you push the load you are using less effort and it is easier on the body; lower back, arms, shoulders legs. Ask your employees to spend the day pushing instead of pulling and see if they notice the difference at the end of the day. They may be surprised!

Keith Cook
Oberto Sausage Company
Safety Committee Chairman

How to Push Properly

As H & S Consultants this is our basic recommendations regarding this type of hand truck:

Hand Trucks (Dollies)

When hand trucks, dollies, Pallet Jack or special lifting devices are used to move containers or large tires for example, push the hand truck whenever possible instead of pulling it. Pushing uses leg muscles instead of back muscles in order to reduce risks of back injuries

• if a hand truck must be pulled, do so with a steady force
• do not jerk it up curbs or steps
• do not ride on hand trucks
• do not walk backwards when pulling
• inspect hand trucks and other lifting devices prior to each use

Georges Fenech
Consultants S.P.I.C. Ltd.
Laval, QC- Canada

The Hazards of Pulling

Biomechanically, pulling with two arms is safer, in the sense that the spine is kept more in alignment during the work. One-armed pulls twist the torso, and also put a lateral torque on the muscles of the lower back. They also put a huge strain on the elbow joint if heavy loads are frequently moved in this fashion. Workers also tend to have a "blind side" when using the one armed pull, as they tend to not twist their heads to look directly in front of them (to fully see the line of travel). The restricted peripheral vision is on the side opposite of the hand used to pull. They may not see loads, objects or personnel approaching from this side.

There are also risks in pulling something in a trailing fashion with both arms however. During the work, most employees will tend to bend over, especially when first beginning the pull in order to overcome the inertia of the resting load. If the worker loses traction or trips, he has no means to catch himself with both hands positioned far behind the back. At best, he or she will have an extended fall before a hand or arm can be brought out.

It is very likely under these circumstances that more serious hand, arm, shoulder and even facial injuries will be incurred. Also it is noteworthy that if loads are being moved down an aggressively sloping floor, the pallet jack can "run away" if the worker loses concentration on his task, and roll forward far enough to strike the feet and lower legs.

The short answer to the question is that both methods present their own dangers. If work surfaces provide good traction, and the employees' shoes provide good traction, the overall risk of injury might actually be less with a two-armed pull. Never allow workers to be in front of a pallet jack while moving it down a steeply sloped surface.

Ralph B. White
Safety and Maintenance
Smith Industries
Midland, TX

Use Electric Equipment and Mind the Toes

Safety professionals teach that the preferred method for applying force is to push, rather than pull a load, but with manual pallet jacks, that practice is hard to follow. As a specialist and expert witness in forklifts and materials handling, I will say that in practical usage, both pushing and pulling are necessary to move, transport, and place a load. This is why electric pallet jacks were invented, to take the strain off the body and be able to move heavy loads safely and efficiently.

Getting back to the specific question of whether it is better to use two arms or one arm to pull the load, the way I see it, it would depend on the individual's strength and weight. To move a "dead" load and keep it moving, takes a certain amount of force applied, both for movement and control. If an individual is more comfortable using two arms rather than one to accomplish the task, then they are distributing the load with more equal force on their body than with just one arm, and are in a better position to control the load.

Keep in mind that users of manual pallet jacks should wear safety toe shoes, and be taught to drop the load, by using the hydraulic release lever, if the load gets out of control. Ramps and inclines present specific hazards and should be avoided.

If the writer is truly concerned about the need to move heavy loads by his employees, it's probably time to consider purchasing electric pallet jacks and training his employees in their use.

Bob Jasinski
LiftSafe Inc
Forklift Safety Consultants

GO FIGURE

Holiday Health

By Catherine Jones

What does this number represent?

350

Answer: It's the approximate number of calories contained in a single glass of eggnog. Here are some other holiday food figures for you:

3, the number of pounds you can expect to gain simply by eating an extra 200 calories a day between now and New Year's

125, the number of calories floating in a 5 oz glass of mulled red wine

503, the number of calories baked into a slice of pecan pie

114, the number of calories in a wedge of camembert cheese

227, the number of delicious calories in a brownie

For the next four weeks, we'll all be faced with dangerous food temptations. And while it's easy to shrug off the prospect of gaining a few pounds over the holidays, the fact is that most of us will not be that successful losing the extra weight, despite our New Year's Resolutions.

So here are half a dozen suggestions from the Harvard Health Publication on how to make it through the holidays without packing on the pounds.

1. Choose your calories carefully. At a party, don't blow your calorie budget on just anything. Browse the buffet or food table carefully and select only your favorites.

1. Take 10 between helpings. There's a bit of a communication gap between our bodies and our brains, and it can take several minutes before the stomach notifies the brain that it's full. Before going for a second helping, have a chat with someone or drink some water. Give yourself a 10-minute break. It could be that you're full and just don't know it yet.

1. Step away from the table. At a party, try to maintain some distance between yourself and the food table, where it's too easy to eat mindlessly while you socialize.

1. Eat first. Before going out - whether to a party or even just to the mall - have a slice of apple with a bit of peanut butter, or some other combination of complex carbohydrate and protein. This will help you resist any tempting treats.

1. Mind the drinks. There are a lot of calories in a glass of wine, beer or hot buttered rum - ranging from 125 to 300. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of water between drinks.

1. Keep moving. Try to enjoy a bit of exercise, such as dancing or walking, to work off the holiday calories.

(Sources: Harvard Health Publications, MayoClinic.com and USDA.)

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