manual handling. awkward postures
Sometimes the manual handling task requires the person to adopt an awkward posture. Removing forks from a fork lift truck is an obvious example. Just imagine the strain on the back of the person in this picture bearing in mind that even one fork is probably around 50 Kg.
Another example of awkward posture occurs when there is a height restriction such as retrieving objects from under a workbench or a desk. In these circumstances it's generally better to drag the object out first if that's possible before attempting to lift.
It's not only bending like this that can cause problems. Imagine a person standing on tip toe to place some heavy folders on top of a filing cabinet in an office. The list goes on.......