How to prevent moving day injuries

Everybody dreams about a perfect moving day on which everything goes fast and smooth. However, in reality, it can be difficult to accomplish such a relocation flow. Especially, without professionals by your side. There is too much hard physical work involved, and the level of stress is certainly not much of a help. In a situation like this, safety should be your number one priority. You can either achieve this by hiring some of the best movers Ottawa that follow all the safety measures. Or, if you prefer doing everything alone, by working with extreme care. Remember that successful relocation starts with an excellent organization. Besides that, the implementation of several safety precautions is a must. Here are some of our suggestions on how to prevent moving day injuries.

Minimize rush

No matter what is the nature of relocation, the rush is your biggest enemy. On the other hand, if you plan everything timely and leave yourself enough space to work comfortably, the chances for injuries are much lesser. Here are a few very effective strategies that will help you with that:

• Choose the appropriate moving date– one that is well ahead in the future and doesn’t overlap with other activities.
• Make a detailed relocation plan– mention your goals and everyone’s responsibilities on that day.
• Get enough packing supplies Ottawa on time– the last thing you want is to run around the city doing the last-minute supplies shopping.
• Make water breaks– this way you are both staying hydrated and resting your muscles.
• Remind yourself how dangerous rushing can be – every now and then.

Of course, you wish to relocate to your new home or office as soon as possible, and that is perfectly understandable. Nonetheless, try to keep in mind that there are better ways to achieve that than rushing and that health always comes first.

Injury proof your home before the help arrives

Spending most of our time at home, we tend to forget about its hidden dangers. However, not everyone is familiar with our furniture layout and potential tripping hazards. Perhaps there is some water leakage in the bathroom or kitchen that you are taking for granted. Or some broken piece of furniture or appliance wire pointing out. Spending every day around those, you are used to avoiding them. But when you are having friends or professional movers helping, you should take care of all threats.

On a moving day particularly, when there is too much swirling around, everything should be immaculate. So before the moving day arrives, you should:

• Declutter.
• Wipe and dry all the floors to avoid tripping.
• Fix all the furniture that is fixable.
• Throw away all the broken appliances.

Remember that now is the best time to get rid of all the non-essential items. Not only you are avoiding injuries this way, but you are making everyone’s job much easier. On top of that, your relocation will cost much less once you reduce the moving load. It is completely a win-win situation.

Stretch before lifting to prevent moving day injuries

Do you remember your gym instructor or fitness trainer always repeating how important was stretching? Well, they were right! Warming up and stretching your muscles before heavy furniture lifting will prevent most of the moving day injuries. That is because muscles prepared this way are much more flexible and resistant. This includes your arms, legs, and particularly your back muscles. Back injuries are among the most common and most dangerous ones whenever there is heavy weight lifting included. So, try your best to prevent them. If you already suffer from some previous injuries, better hire professional moving services Ottawa and prevent its worsening.

Use protective gear

Luckily, today, various protective working gear has been available for everyone’s use. For a starter, whenever participating in relocation, try wearing stretchy but durable clothing. Those will ensure good blood circulation and prevent scratches at the same time. Loong sleeves and pants are not optional since any skin exposure can be dangerous. On top of that, try using gloves, protective headgear, and any other accessories that you deem useful.

Use moving tools

Similarly, when it comes to the moving job itself, there are various useful tools available nowadays. This modern equipment can reduce your actual workload significantly. So whenever possible, you should include them in your work. When hiring professional help, residential movers Ottawa have all those readily available, of course. But, if you are planning DIY relocation, these are the equipment to consider buying or borrowing: 

• Furniture dolly
• Appliance dolly
• Stair rollers
• Sliders

None of these is cheap, but when you consider all the benefits, time-saving, and injury prevention, they are definitely worth considering.

Dismantle bulky furniture

Another great way to ease your relocation troubles is to dismantle all the furniture. You can follow the manufacturer’s guide or watch some youtube tutorials for instructions. Once everything is disassembled, it is much easier to pack and move all that weight. Another smart option is to leave most of the old items behind and get brand new furniture after moving into your new home. Once again, you will save energy, strength and reduce costs.

Distribute the weight equally to prevent moving day injuries

Packing plays a huge role in the process too. Whether you are packing your boxes or you are getting assistance from packing services Ottawa, you need to pay attention to the weight distribution. The major rule of packing is rather straightforward. Place the heavier items to the boxes’ bottom and heavier boxes to the bottom of the moving truck. This way, you will have better overall control of your load, and you will assure greater stack stability. And most importantly, you are reducing the risk of getting injured.

In the end, it is your relocation day, and you should make it comfortable for yourself. Don’t let anyone rush you or put additional pressure on you. If you see that you are running out of time, hire professional help. Always keep in mind that the most important thing is to prevent moving day injuries. Everything else aside, without that, you can not have a successful relocation. Stay safe!