Summary of Hazardous Activities and Solutions

The following pertains to retaining wall (dry stack only).

Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy retaining wall blocks - while stocking, or positioning blocks on wall
(Solution: use mechanical lifting aids, or two or more workers, to lift blocks; rotate workers to non-heavy lifting tasks)

Loading Block

The following pertains to loading block on trucks, or directly from stocking truck to wall location.

Hazardous Activity:
Heavy retaining wall blocks (60-120 lbs) are routinely loaded/unloaded by a single worker

Solution:
Using mechanical lifting aids, or two or more workers, to lift the blocks, would remove the hazard of lifting over 47 lbs per worker.

Unloading Block

The following pertains to unloading block from truck beds, from trailers, or from pallet on ground and carrying block to wall.

Hazardous Activity:
Heavy retaining wall blocks (60-120 lb) are routinely unloaded, lifted, held, and placed by a single worker

Solution:
Using mechanical lifting aids, or two or more workers, to lift the blocks, would remove the hazard of lifting over 38 lbs per worker.

Lifting Block

The following pertains to lifting block onto wall and positioning the block on the wall.

Hazardous Activity:
Heavy retaining wall blocks (60-120 lbs) are routinely lifted, held, and placed by a single worker. Workers are exposed to heavy lifting, and can be exposed to too many hours of back bending:
(Back bent: > 30 degrees for more than 4 hrs/day, or > 45 degrees for more then 2 hrs/day)

Solution:
Using mechanical lifting aids, or two or more workers, to lift the blocks, would remove the hazard of lifting over 42 lbs per worker.

Optional Good Idea:
*Store blocks up off ground (on pallets) (to lift blocks from above knee height)
(Back Bent)
*Rotate to other non-bending tasks