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Free toolbox talk: lifting and back safety
A one-page talk on safe lifting for construction crews. Planning the lift, carts, dollies and team lifts, keeping the load close and turning your feet instead of twisting, storing heavy material at waist height, knee pads for floor work, reporting early aches, three questions for the crew and a sign-in block. Read it here or print this page.
Lifting and Back Safety
Why it matters. Strains and sprains from lifting, carrying and awkward postures are among the most common construction injuries. They add up over a career.
Key points
- Plan the lift: check weight, path and where you will set the load down.
- Use carts, dollies, hoists, lifts and team lifts for heavy or awkward items.
- Keep the load close, lift with your legs, and avoid twisting. Turn your feet, not your back.
- Break bundles down when you can, and store heavy materials at waist height when practical.
- Use knee pads and stools for floor work. Rotate tasks to limit repetition.
- Report early aches and pains. Small problems are easier to fix.
Ask the crew
- What is the heaviest thing we will carry today, and how will we move it?
- Where could we set material closer to the point of use?
- Who needs a hand with a two-person lift today?
Reference: OSHA ergonomics guidance | osha.gov/ergonomics
Sign-in
Date ______ · Job site ______ · Talk leader ______
| # | Printed name | Signature | Company / trade |
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The printable PDF has 12 sign-in lines.
How to run it
- Hold it where the day’s heaviest material is staged (drywall, block, bundles of shingles or lumber) so the crew plans the real lift, not a cardboard box.
- Ask what is the heaviest thing you will move today, and agree right there whether it goes on a cart, a dolly, a lift or a two-person carry.
- Look for one spot where material could be set closer to where it gets used, and move it before work starts.
- Ask the three questions, then have everyone sign and file the page with your safety records.
A training aid that supplements your safety program. Not a substitute for required training, a written safety program, a site-specific hazard assessment, or a competent or qualified person where OSHA requires one. OSHA references are federal (29 CFR 1926 and related parts), checked October 2026; state-plan states may have stricter rules. Not legal advice.
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