• When moving materials by hand, workers should attach handles or holders to loads.
• Workers should use PPE such as gloves, eye protection, and steel-toed safety shoes or boots to prevent injury.
• Workers should use blocking materials to manage loads safely.

When moving materials manually, workers should attach handles or holders to loads. In addition, workers should always wear appropriate personal protective equipment and use proper lifting techniques. To prevent injury from oversize loads, workers should seek help in the following situations:

• When a load is so bulky that employees cannot properly grasp or lift it,
• When employees cannot see around or over a load, or
• When employees cannot safely handle a load.

Using the following personal protective equipment prevents needless injuries when manually moving materials:

• Hand and forearm protection, such as gloves, for loads with sharp or rough edges.
• Eye protection.
• Steel-toed safety shoes or boots.
• Metal, fiber, or plastic metatarsal guards to protect the instep area from impact or compression.

Employees should use blocking materials to manage loads safely. Workers should also be cautious when placing blocks under a raised load to ensure that the load is not released before removing their hands from under the load. Blocking materials and timbers should be large and strong enough to support the load safely. Workers should not use materials with cracks, rounded corners, splintered pieces, or dry rot for blocking.