Moving is a ton of work. It’s also a lot of fun, sometimes making us forget about safety. Serious injuries can happen to you or someone helping you to move. Using the right techniques and equipment makes for a safe, stress-free move!
Take a moving safety class.
When moving, you want to ensure your belongings are safe and secure. When it comes to moving heavy items, you will need a little bit more help than if you were just moving small furniture.
It’s important to take a moving safety class to know what steps to take when moving large or heavy items. The best way is through an accredited school or association that teaches classroom training sessions on how to use equipment such as dollies and hand trucks safely, as well as lifting techniques for larger objects like appliances and desks.
In addition, it’s important that those who do their self-move understand the difference between using professional movers versus doing it themselves with rented equipment such as trolleys or hand trucks. The former involves hiring professionals who have been trained in handling heavy items, while the latter is simply renting these tools yourself without any prior training whatsoever!
Get in shape
- Go to the gym.
- Start working out.
- A little exercise can go a long way, and working out is an excellent way to get in shape while you’re getting ready for your move. You’ll feel better, sleep better, eat healthier, and be more focused and productive at work—and who knows? You may even meet someone special at the gym!
Do a thorough walk-through of your new home
- Do a thorough walk-through of your new home.
- Look for unsafe conditions, hazards, and bad smells
- Check for damage, pests, and leaks (water or gas)
- Look for poor lighting and ventilation, heating/cooling systems that don’t work well enough, plumbing that leaves you with no hot water during peak hours or in freezing weather, and electrical wiring that may come loose if bumped by furniture moving around.
Get good sleep before the move.
Getting a good night’s sleep before your move is crucial to be effective, safe, and healthy while on the job. Sleep helps you to be alert and focused throughout your workday; it allows you to get more done with less effort; it helps keep your body healthy by strengthening muscles and regulating hormones; and finally, it allows you to stay safe when moving heavy objects.
Making sure that you’re well rested before starting any kind of large project, such as a house or office cleaning, is important because it’s impossible for anyone – no matter how much experience they have – to complete their task without adequate amounts of sleep beforehand. Suppose your body isn’t getting enough rest each night. In that case, its ability to function properly will diminish significantly over time which could eventually lead to serious health problems down the road if left untreated!
Keep kids and pets away from the action on a moving day
As the adults in your household are moving, it’s a good idea to keep your kids and pets out of the way. Kids who try to help with the move tend to get in the way and break things. If you have pets, make sure they’re safe outside or somewhere else where they won’t be disturbed by moving supplies and movers.
When it comes time for your belongings to leave their old home, keep kids away from the movers helping you—you don’t want them playing in or on any vehicles that might be used during your move!
Label boxes with their destination room for easy unpacking
This is one of the easiest ways to ensure you don’t lose any important pieces of furniture during your move. Label boxes with their destination room for easy unpacking.
- Use masking tape and a marker, or
- Use a permanent marker, or
- Use a label maker.
Get rid of clutter and junk before the move.
Before you start packing, it’s important to ensure your home is as clutter-free as possible. If you’re moving long distances, this will be a necessary step so that the movers know exactly how much space they’ll need for their trucks and how many people they’ll need to assist them with loading and unloading the truck.
If you’re moving locally (within 30 miles of your current home), getting rid of clutter can help save money on packing materials like boxes and bubble wrap and professional moving services. Here are some tips for decluttering:
- Donate or sell items that aren’t in good condition or don’t fit into your new space (and give away those items that just don’t belong anywhere).
- Go through closets, drawers, and cabinets one by one to make sure everything inside is something you regularly use—if not, consider donating them somewhere else.
- Remove duplicate items such as kitchen utensils, small appliances, and clothing accessories you never wear (like winter coats if it’s not winter).
- Turn unwanted furniture into extra cash by selling it online through Craigslist or eBay; also consider posting pictures of these items on Facebook Marketplace so friends can buy them from you directly!
Avoid last-minute packing
It’s crucial to avoid last-minute packing. This can be disastrous for your health and your sanity, not to mention the safety of everyone involved in the move. The best way to do this is by using a checklist and planning out each step of the moving process ahead of time.
First, you should only pack things that you need at your new location—don’t pack any belongings without first determining if they’re necessary or not! If there is any doubt about whether something needs to go into storage until after you move in (and if it doesn’t get lost or damaged), leave it out of boxes until after everything is unpacked at its new home.
Second, don’t pack items that are irreplaceable or sentimental (or both). These items should be kept safe in climate-controlled storage until they can be transported again safely—this might mean shipping them ahead so that they reach their destination before being placed into another box along with other belongings being shipped directly from one place to another (like when someone moves across the country).
Take your time loading the truck, and use ramps when possible
First, always take your time when loading. You want to be as organized and methodical as possible. This will help you avoid making last-minute mistakes that could damage your items or cause injuries to yourself or others.
Next, try using ramps whenever possible instead of lifting heavy objects onto the truck by hand. Ramps are available for purchase at most home improvement stores and are worth their weight in gold when loading a moving truck safely.
If you have to lift something heavy onto the truck without help from a ramp, ensure that someone else is there with you—for safety reasons, if nothing else! If this isn’t possible, at least make sure that someone sees what you’re doing, so they can help later down the road (or vice versa).
Invest in sturdy moving equipment, like dollies, hand trucks, and straps
The best way to avoid injury during a move is to invest in sturdy moving equipment such as dollies, hand trucks, and straps. You can also use your body parts (but only if you’re willing to risk injury). The following are some of the most common types of gear that can help make your move safer:
- Hand Trucks – Hand trucks are useful for moving heavy items across flat surfaces like the floor or sidewalk. They work well with furniture and appliances that need to be lifted into place but are too heavy to carry by hand.
- Dollies – Dollies are great for transporting large objects such as mattresses, couches, dressers, and tables through doors or tight spaces where wheeled carts may get stuck.
- Straps – Straps can be used with hand trucks or dollies to secure large items so they don’t fall off while moving from one location to another.
Serious injuries can happen to you or someone helping you move. Be smart and get help.
Moving is a great way to start the year on the right foot. It can also lead to serious injuries. You might be moving, or you might be helping someone else move. Either way, you want to make sure that everyone stays safe as they pack up their belongings and drive down the highway in their new vehicle (or walk). To help prevent injury, follow these tips:
- Be careful when lifting heavy items. Make sure you know how to lift properly so that your back isn’t put under strain while carrying boxes across rooms or bending over furniture.
- Wear the right shoes! Wearing the wrong shoes while moving can lead to sprained ankles or other problems with your feet. It’s best not to wear heels at all when moving unless you’re already used to wearing them all day long!
- Wear clothes that won’t get caught on anything during transport. This could cause injuries such as cuts on fingers or hands from nails sticking out of walls. Where pictures used to hang before being taken down for storage until next year when they’re redone again by another person who needs something new for themselves.”
Champion Movers Wants You to Stay Safe!
Hopefully, these tips for staying safe during your move will be helpful. Everyone wants to have a safe and efficient moving day. Just keep in mind that injuries can still happen, even if you’re being careful. The average person isn’t capable of lifting heavier items like furniture or appliances. This is why it’s important to have professional movers handle them for you. When you play it smart and get help from others, you can avoid getting hurt while moving into a new home.