Lifting Heavy Items Safely: A Guide for Drivers and Helpers

Third job of the day, a chest freezer on the second floor, and the customer's cousin is already pulling at one end before anyone has agreed which way it is going. The driver grabs the other end, twists on the landing to clear the railing, and feels something pull low in his back. He finishes the job. He does not work for the next four days.

For a driver on Sphere, your back is part of your vehicle. If it fails, the van stays parked. This guide is about lifting in a way that lets you keep working week after week. It applies on every job where you have agreed to lift, from one fridge to a full house.

Decide before you lift

Most lifting injuries start with a rushed decision, not a heavy object. Before you touch anything heavy, take thirty seconds:

1. Look at the item. Is it heavier at one end? Does anything slide or swing inside it, like a drawer or a loose shelf?
2. Walk the route. Steps, wet tiles, rugs, a tight turn on the stairs, a gutter by the gate.
3. Decide how many people it needs. If you have to ask yourself if you can manage alone, you cannot.
4. Clear the path. Shoes, buckets, children's toys and extension cables all go.

If the carry is long, plan a rest point halfway, like a landing or a table, where you can set it down safely.

Make the item easier to lift

Lighter and smaller pieces are safer than one big awkward one.

• Empty drawers and take them out. Carry them separately.
• Take off table legs, bed rails and wardrobe doors where you can.
• Remove shelves from fridges and secure the doors shut.
• Ask the customer to pack heavy items like books in small cartons, not one huge box.

A bag of cement weighs what it weighs, but a chest of drawers with its drawers full is a different job from the same chest empty.

The basic lift

Most people have heard "lift with your legs", but on a busy day it gets forgotten. The steps are simple:

1. Stand close to the item, feet about shoulder width apart, one foot slightly forward.
2. Bend at the knees and hips, not at the waist. Keep your back as straight as you can.
3. Get a firm grip with your whole hand, never only your fingertips. Use the bottom corners or proper handholds.
4. Tighten your stomach muscles and lift smoothly by straightening your legs.
5. Keep the load close to your body, around waist height.
6. Turn by moving your feet. Never twist at the waist while holding something heavy.
7. Put it down the same way, bending your knees.

Jerking or snatching the load up is what usually hurts people. Slow and steady is safer and, over a full day, faster.

Lifting as a team

Two or more people carrying one item need one plan and one voice.

• Agree who calls the moves. Everyone lifts and lowers on that person's count.
• Agree the route and which end goes first before anybody lifts.
• On stairs, the stronger or more experienced person usually takes the lower end, because more of the weight comes down on them. Go slowly and keep talking.
• If anyone needs to stop, they say so, and both ends put it down together.

Helpers who have never moved furniture before often let go at the wrong moment. Brief them in plain words before the first lift, and do not let a keen customer grab an end without agreeing the plan.

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Use what you have

Straps, a hand trolley or a sack truck, moving blankets and a piece of cardboard to slide items across smooth floors all reduce how much you actually lift. A trolley is worth having on the vehicle if you often carry appliances, generators or cartons of drinks.

Be careful with special items. Generators, fridges and anything containing fuel or fluids have their own handling rules, so follow the manufacturer's guidance. Our generator safety checklist covers the extra steps for those.

Look after yourself across the week

• Warm up before the first job with a few minutes of stretching and walking.
• Drink water. Lagos heat on a long day drains you faster than you notice.
• Wear shoes with grip, never slippers.
• Use gloves for rough wooden items and sharp metal edges.
• If something hurts, stop. Pushing through a twinge often turns a day off into a week off. See a health worker if the pain does not settle.

Loading also matters for your body. A well-planned load means fewer lifts and less shifting things around in the vehicle. Our guide on how to load a van or truck efficiently works hand in hand with this one.

How to do this on Sphere

When a request comes in, read the load description and look for heavy items, stairs and long carries before you respond. If the customer wants loading and offloading help, agree exactly what that covers before they accept your offer, and say if you need extra hands for a heavy item. If the job needs more people than the customer mentioned, say so in your counter-offer.

Drivers keep 90% of each job on Sphere, and joining is free. If you have a truck or pickup van in Lagos, Abuja or Ibadan, see drive and earn with Sphere.