Common moving injuries to avoid

Ouch! No injury is fun. And guess what, moving injuries are no different. Like any other unfortunate events, moving injuries are something you want to avoid. And this entire article will focus on giving some factual advice as to how you can avoid these impediments. Especially when more people are involved. But, before we continue, how do these injuries happen? We are almost certain nobody wants to get injured on purpose, so what happens?

Accidents. They happen and they always will happen. Some would jump to a conclusion that the accident happened because it was a DIY move, but guess what? Even professionals can get into accidents. Nobody is impervious to moving injuries, and these unfortunate events can happen at any time. The best possible thing and the only possible thing you can do in order to prepare for this is to be aware of it. Acknowledge that these moving injuries exist. By doing so you already acknowledged that there might be a potential problem. By doing so you become prepared. You become ready. Preparation is key to victory. Or you can always find professionals to do moving for you.

Moving injuries – what are they?

Moving injuries can be minor and major. You could be injured alone or involve other people. The consequences can be serious or irrelevant. The range is huge and it is impossible to cover all of it. However, we are going to be able to pinpoint some that we experienced or at least know someone who has. Plus, now that we are on the topic, try to think of someone you know who has suffered the same faith. Try to learn from their mistakes. We sure as heck did it ourselves! Or learn proper techniques for lifting.

One way to avoid serious moving injuries is to hire professionals who know how to handle heavy things.
Lifting heavy things has the most impact on the spine. By all cost avoid causing spine injury as it can leave you immobile.

These injuries vary from something dropping on your foot to you falling down a flight of stairs with another furniture landing on top of you. The first one – not so dangerous. The second one? Very much dangerous. To answer your questions, none of the examples we are going to bring forth was fatal. However, some brought grievous injuries with it. The worst scenario we have ever heard of was when one unfortunate professional mover lost solid ground and started free-falling down a flight of stairs. To make matters worse, he was on the downside of a couch that followed him in his fall, landing on his legs.

The outcome? One leg was broken, a hurt shoulder and a minor concussion from the fall. He is a trained professional, and it happened. Another amateur might have been doing the same thing without any injuries. Luck, or lack of it, plays a huge role in all this. So, never underestimate this type of work.

How to avoid them?

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent an accident from happening. They are definitely not planned. However, there are ways for you to reduce the chances of these accidents happening. Never will you be able to fully abolish these odds, but you can always reduce them significantly. So, how do you do it? Before you can proceed to reduce the odds of accidents happening you need to identify what is it that can be highly dangerous during a move. Which brings us back to the fact that the preparation for the moving event is key to avoiding any moving injuries that might occur. The easiest way to prepare is to start a moving checklist.

Good way to see what obstacles you will have in your way is to identify them and note them on a list.
Start a checklist, and mark all the obstacles in your way of moving.

So, in very broad terms we are going to list some most common sources of accidents. The list goes far beyond this one, so do not think that we have covered everything. Besides, with every new move – new potential hazards are discovered. Some of which were probably in front of our face the entire time without us realizing it. The potential hazard sources are:

  • Wet floors
  • Frozen surfaces
  • Heavy furniture
  • Pets being in the way
  • Other family members being in the way
  • Lack of moving equipment
  • Lack of expertise
  • Lastly, lack of strength

All of these are sources of accidents that we have either witnessed or know someone who did first hand. Some of these, as you can imagine are unavoidable. However, some of these are easily avoidable and you should do all in your strength in order to try to do so.

The ones you can avoid

First and foremost, having either your pets or family members in your way is a big no. Furthermore, if you have hired moving professionals to do it for you, you should make sure that your family and pets are out of the picture. Neither of these groups can be of any assistance. They just risk hurting themselves or someone else. Or both. One is just worse than the other. At least this one is so easily mitigated. Simply make sure that none of these actors is present on the moving site during the move. Your family can stay somewhere else and your pets can be taken with. Furthermore, if you only have pets, there are countless pet babysitters around. Find one that would safely keep your furry friends for a little while.

Though it's usually fun when they are playful, you don't want to risk an accident when you carry heavy things.
It’s a good idea to get your pets out of the way. That way you rid yourself of a potential accident.

Or simply ask your friends for help. Or call a moving company and see how much they would take for a move. It’s not that hard.

As far as the infamous slippery surfaces go, make sure you prevent it. It is easy. Simply go over the entire route, piece by piece, and make sure the entire path is safe. Check it, walk over it and around it. Jump on it. Possibly walk over this surface several times. This should show some merit as to whether it is safe or not.

Overall, be careful. Be vigilant. Look around. Try to spot any hazards before they have the chance to manifest.

Good luck!