Question

Melissa is a cashier in a Cool Clothes store. While Melissa is visiting the warehouse, a clerk asks if she could help him move a couple of heavy boxes. The safety manual states the following:

“Back injuries are the most frequent and often the most persistent and painful type of workplace injury. All work should be carefully planned and supervised to prevent injuries. When working with heavy equipment and materials, employees should bend their knees and use the large muscles of the legs to lift objects. They should avoid using the smaller muscles of the back. They should also make sure to wear a safety belt. Workers who do not hold jobs that require heavy lifting should not be asked to perform this task.”

What should Melissa do to ensure that she stays safe in the workplace?

She should make sure to bend her knees as she lifts the boxes.
She should tell the clerk that she cannot help him move the boxes.
She should make sure to wear a safety belt to help out the clerk.
She should try to use the large muscles in her back as she lifts the boxes.

Answer 1

She should tell the clerk that she cannot help him move the boxes.

The safety manual says employees who do not have jobs that require heavy lifting should not be asked to perform that task — even though proper lifting technique (bend knees, use leg muscles, avoid back) and a safety belt are recommended for trained lifters.