Staying safe during a move

When relocating many people focus on keeping their belongings safe. They sometimes completely forget about their own well-being. And that is something that you shouldn’t allow yourself to happen! Moving is much more dangerous than we perceive it. Our body needs to handle lifting and carrying heavy things. Ask any movers and packers in Maryland and they’ll tell you the same thing. However, your body also has to handle all the stress that goes with the moving process. And not to mention changes in your routine and unusual circumstances and conditions. That is why staying safe during a move should be your primary concern! 

But no worries if you haven’t thought about that! As we’ve decided to give you some of the most important tips about staying safe during a move. Of course, we can’t cover every situation because there countless different possible scenarios. So, we’ll focus only on situations that are most likely to happen. And, naturally, the most common ways people get injured during a move. So, stay with us!

Hire professional movers to stay safe during a move!

The risk for sustaining an injury is much higher in a do-it-yourself kind of a move. That’s why our first tip is going to be to hire some reliable moving company! Let the professionals handle your relocation. Yes, you won’t save any money by doing that. But what you will save if you hire experienced movers is your time and energy.

By hiring movers you basically won’t have to do anything physically during the move. That is if you ask also for packing services. And that means that you almost won’t have a chance to get injured! Only things you’ll have to do are things like:

• taking care of the utilities
• changing the address
• making a moving plan
• finding and hiring a reliable moving company
• overseeing the relocation

And I trust you can manage to stay safe during a move if those are your only tasks. If, however, you still prefer to move yourself then the tips below are for you.

What is the proper equipment you should get?

One thing that is a must if you are opting for a do-it-yourself kind of a move is proper equipment! There are some things that you can move on your own and that you don’t need any equipment for. Whereas, there are some things that you can’t move without the equipment. It isn’t safe either for you or for that item. So, for example, you won’t ever see piano movers moving a piano without any equipment.

We’ve talked with professional movers about the equipment that is the most valuable to them and that they can’t do without. And there are two things that have come up in every conversation – a dolly and non-stick mats. Dollies make lifting heavy things much easier. And not to mention that by using a dolly you can move more boxes at the same time! And as for the non-stick mats, they are there to help prevent a fall. You should cover all the slippery surfaces and stairs with them. These non-stick mats are especially important when the weather is not so great and everything is slippery.

Do you know how to lift things properly?

Proper equipment won’t save you from an injury if you don’t know how to lift heavy things. If you want to stay safe during a move you must know how to lift heavy items in the right way. So, the first thing you have to pay attention to is that you bend at your knees and not at your waist when you are lifting! So, the best way is to squat while keeping a straight back and your chest up. That way you are reducing the strain on your lower back.

After you’ve lifted a moving box or whatever it is, you should try and keep it close to your body. And one more important thing – try not to twist or turn while you’re carrying something heavy. If you must twist or turn then do it with your hips first and then follow with your feet and not the other way around. Furthermore, try to stretch at least a little every chance you get!

Common mistakes and reasons for an injury

You wouldn’t believe how many get injured just because they overestimate themselves and their strength. Many of us prefer to carry as many things as we humanly can instead of dividing them and going back one more time. But when the things you’re carrying are not your groceries but heavy moving boxes this is something you shouldn’t do! It’s always better to go back for one more moving box than testing the limits of your body. 

Another common mistake people make and jeopardize their safety during a move is to leave the pathways unclear. When you’re carrying something big and heavy, chances are that you can’t see before your feet. Therefore, anything that’s left on the floor becomes a dangerous thing that you can stumble upon. And there’s also furniture and various items that people leave along the pathway to the moving truck. Those things are also dangerous because you can easily bump into them and hurt yourself or drop the thing you’re carrying which can also cause an injury.

Final words about staying safe during a move

So, now that you know the most important things about staying safe during a move, it’s time to make a decision. If it just seems too complicated or too much you can always hire movers in Potomac MD. You can rest assured that they will handle everything in no time. If, however, you decide to move on your own then the only thing left for me to do is to tell you to try to stay safe during a move and to wish you good luck!