Whenever you're doing work that puts a strain on your muscles or joints, you need to think about manual handling techniques and body postures.

This includes the methods you use to lift and carry materials, place floor coverings in position and work on your hands and knees.

It's worth keeping in mind that joint and muscle problems are much more likely to be caused by gradual wear and tear on your body through bad work practices than from a one-off accident.

Flooring installers are particularly prone to injuries and long-term medical conditions in two parts of their bodies - their back and their knees.

Because knees can cause so much trouble for floor layers, we'll look at that separately in the next lesson. So for now, let's talk about back care.

Looking after your back

Back injury is sometimes caused by lifting a load that's too heavy, but it can also occur from pushing, pulling, or twisting while your back is under strain. The real problem area for most people is the lumbar region. This is the area that allows you to bend forwards, backwards, from side to side and to twist around. To understand why the lumbar region is prone to injury, you need to know how it's constructed.

The spine is made up of a set of vertebrae stacked one on top of another.

Between the vertebrae are discs, which act like shock absorbers - compressing when the spine is bearing a load, and springing back again when the load is taken away.

However, the discs can only cope with maximum pressure when your pelvis is level and your spine is in a balanced position above it.

So when you bend or twist while holding a load, you're putting uneven stresses on the discs in addition to the extra weight they have to bear.

Many injuries result in fatigued muscles going into spasm, causing back pain and difficulty in standing up straight.

In serious cases, a bulging disc can rupture and come into contact with a nerve in the spinal cord.

Some people call this a 'slipped disc'.

So how does this affect the way you should work? The general rule is - try to avoid putting too much stress on your back when:

• bending forward
  
  
• bending sideways
  
  
• twisting
  
  
• reaching past a comfortable distance.

Here are the main steps you should follow when you need to lift and carry a large, heavy or awkward object.

1. Size up the load and decide whether you'll need help to lift or move it.
   
   
2. Check the path you will be taking to make sure there are no obstacles in the way.
   
   
3. Place your feet firmly on the ground and put your body in a balanced position.
   
   
4. Bend your knees to get down to the load, and keep your back as straight as possible.

5. Use your legs to do the lifting as you stand up straight.
   
   
6. Keep the load close to your body while you're carrying it.

To put the object down again, use the same procedure as for picking it up - keep your body well balanced and use your legs, not your back. Also remember that while your joints and muscles are under strain, you should avoid twisting your back.

Carrying a roll

When you're lifting and carrying a roll of carpet, the basic principles are all the same - keep your back as straight as possible and your body in a balanced position.

However, this time you should support the middle of the roll on your shoulder.

If the roll is long or heavy, or if you need to manoeuvre it around awkward hallways or up stairs, it's best to get an offsider to help.

But remember, if you're lifting and carrying carpet with an offsider, good communication is vitally important.

You both need to work in unison and know exactly what the other person is about to do.

Here are some hints on how to carry a roll of carpet with another person.

1. Check that your offsider doesn't have any back or muscle injuries that might affect the work you're about to do.
   
   
2. Talk through the process. State which side you are going to stand on, what path you'll take, where you're going to put it, and how you'll deal with any obstacles or corners on the way.
   
   
3. Lift the carpet together. You might even want to lift on the count of three: '1, 2, 3, lift.'
   
   
4. When you get to the destination, count: '1, 2, 3, drop', and both tilt your shoulders at the same time to let the carpet roll off and drop to the floor.
   
   
5. If at any time you're not comfortable or the carpet is too heavy, call out 'Stop' and do the '1, 2, 3, drop' procedure together. Don't let go of your end unexpectedly, because this will jar the other person.