How to Avoid Injury When Moving House
If you need Help Moving in Melbourne, give us a call
June 2018
Moving to a new home is a strenuous task, and not one for the faint-hearted! Often requiring more than a full weekend to pack and unpack your belongings, the physical challenge of moving home yourself should not be underestimated.
Sure, those who muster up the courage to tackle their move on their own might be able to save money that would otherwise be spent on professional movers, but they may end up paying the price for their DIY move with a strained back, sore arms or bruised toes.
People who move house on their own often walk away with a list of strains, bumps and bruises, and an invoice for the physiotherapist to sort you out after the move. Not only can you injure yourself, but you can also damage your belongings at the same time. Dropping items due to a back strain or a stubbed toe can result in permanent damage that you’d rather avoid.
Moving house is a massively time consuming effort, and to get the job done quicker, people tend to cut corners rush through the move. However, in doing so, they compromise their own safety as well as risk damaging their belongings.
If you’re determined to move home by yourself, you need to know how you can protect yourself and your belongings and avoid damage and injury. All it takes is a little pre-planning, some protective equipment and some common sense.
Here’s How to Avoid Injury When Moving House:
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Prep Yourself for Moving:
Muscle cramps and tensions are a common moving day injury and one that is easily avoidable. Do a quick stretch before you start so your muscles are warm, keep hydrated throughout the day, and take breaks as necessary to avoid fatigue and increased risk of injury.
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Wear Comfortable Clothing:
Clothes that are easy to move in are key. Clothes that restrict your movement can end up being a hazard, and anything too baggy can run the risk of being caught on door handles and latches. Form fitting clothing that is movable, breathable and comfortable is the best option.
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Wear Protective Items:
If you have steel-capped boots, wear them. If not, then at least wear closed toe shoes to protect your toes should you drop anything. Protective gloves are also a great idea to avoid cuts and scratches, and to provide a bit of padding should you jam your hands or fingers.
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Use Proper Lifting Techniques:
Be sure to bend at the knees when getting your grip on heavy items before lifting. Bending at the hip will result in your back doing the lifting, rather than your legs. Knees are made for bending, backs are not! Keep your back upright and straight at all times. Set your grip at the base of the heavy furniture, with your hands placed as widely as comfortably possible for balance. If it’s too heavy for one person..
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..Phone a Friend:
Call on some friends to help lift the heavier pieces of furniture. Know when your limits are reached and you need one or two extra pairs of hands to help. Follow the advice above so you can all avoid injury when lifting heavy items. Make sure you have one person who is not carrying the furniture to help you navigate the furniture out of the house – announcing steps, ledges, and doorways so you can safely move the furniture.
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Use the Right Equipment:
If it’s just too heavy for you and your helpers, use the right equipment to help move the furniture. Hoists, trolleys, rollers, sliders, straps and more are all useful tools to help you move heavy furniture. Don’t risk injury if there is equipment that can assist you.
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Prep the Environment:
Clear your hallways and doorways of any obstacles such as rugs, mats, shoes, and doorstops. It can be hard to spot these hazards if you’re carrying large furniture without someone helping to navigate you through the house. Tripping on one of these can cause serious injury to you, and serious damage to your furniture and home. Make sure all necessary doors are open before moving and don’t attempt to open doors while you’re still carrying the furniture.
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Protect Your Furniture:
Protect your furniture with bubble wrap, blankets, sheets, padding and more. This can help you in two ways. Firstly, if you drop or bump your furniture, the protection will minimize the risk of damage to your belongings. Secondly, it will minimise the personal injury you may experience in the process of dropping or dumping your furniture.
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Call the Professionals:
Sometimes it’s just not worth the risk to yourself and your furniture to move your belongings on your own. If you have lots of heavy items to move, its best to leave the heavy lifting to the professionals. They are the experts after all! Furniture movers have all sorts of professional protective equipment on hand to ensure your furniture is moved without damage. Using a professional furniture removalist also ensures you remain injury free!
If you’re moving house and the thought of doing it on your own is a bit daunting, John Ryan Removals can help. Our friendly team of moving professionals are the best in the business, providing a range of services such as unpacking and packing your furniture, long and short term storage, transit insurance and more. As the trusted furniture removalist in Melbourne, John Ryan Removals have been helping happy customers move around the country and around the world.