http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/8-1-2005-74049.asp
Here is a great article about how to avoid back injury by using a hand truck
Hand Trucks Safety
ALWAYS INSPECT HAND TRUCKS FOR DEFECTS
Hand Truck Operations
When loading hand trucks, keep your feet clear of the wheels. Do not exceed the manufacturer's load rated capacity. Read the capacity plate on the hand truck if you are unsure. Place the load so that it will not slip, shift or fall. Use the straps, if they are provided, to secure the load. For extremely bulky or pressurized items such as gas cylinders, strap or chain the items to the hand truck. Tip the load slightly forward so that the tongue of the hand truck goes under the load. Push the tongue of the hand truck all the way under the load that is to be moved. Keep the center of gravity of the load as low as possible by placing heavier objects below the lighter objects. Push the load so that the weight will be carried by the axle and not the handles. If your view is obstructed, ask a spotter to assist in guiding the load. Do not walk backward with the hand truck, unless going up stairs or ramps. When going down an incline, keep the hand truck in front of you so that it can be controlled at all times. Move hand trucks at a walking pace. Store hand trucks with the tongue under a pallet, shelf, or table. Employees repeatedly move beverages from a delivery truck to a hand truck or stack. Product to be moved can be stacked to shoulder height and may need to be lowered to ground level. These lifting tasks pose an increased risk of pain and injury and should be considered hazardous unless appropriate solutions are implemented.
• Torso Bending
• Load Angle
• Curbs & Stairs
• Tire Maintenance
Torso Bending Potential Hazard:
• Employees must repeatedly bend the torso when unloading product from delivery trucks.
• Bending the torso.
Possible Solutions:
• For large quantity loads provide a four-wheel platform-style cart or a two-wheel hand truck that converts to a four-wheel platform-style truck. This will minimize bending the torso.
• Modify the current hand truck or supply a new one that has an adjustable height load platform or toe plate.
• Devices having this capability include a palletized hand truck, a chain/crank lifting hand cart, a hydraulic foot pump hand cart, and/or a scissor cart with counterbalanced technology. Or, provide a spacer for hand trucks with a fixed toe plate so that the bottom loading level is elevated to approximately knee height.
•Elevating the load by adjusting the height of the toe plate will minimize torso bending.
Load Angle Potential Hazard:
• When pushing up an incline the employee frequently has to lower the angle of the load to generate enough force to push the load up the slope. Lowering the load angle increases the amount of weight the employee must lift. In addition to providing force in a horizontal direction, the employee must now provide force in a vertical direction. This places additional stress on the shoulders, back and legs.
Possible Solution:
• Provide a fold down third wheel on the back of the hand truck so the load can be self supporting. This ensures that the employee must only provide force in a horizontal direction.
Curbs & Stairs Potential Hazard:
• Employees who deliver to locations without docks must pull fully loaded hand trucks over uneven walking surfaces, up and over curbs and up stairways.
Possible Solutions:
• Provide and use curb ramps. Curb ramps allow for easy movement over uneven walking surfaces eliminating the need to lift and pull fully loaded hand trucks.
• Use trucks that have several doors on the side so loads can be accessed by means other than the back door.
• A short ramp from a side door could eliminate pulling the hand cart up steps and curbs.
Tire Maintenance Potential Hazard:
• A poorly maintained hand truck will greatly increase physical stress on an employee. When hand truck tires are under or unevenly pressurized, the employee's arms, back, and legs must provide more force to move the hand truck.
Possible Solutions:
• The employee should have the option of hard wheels or balloon tires for the two-wheel hand truck.
• Keep balloon tires in good repair and properly inflated. Check tire pressure on a quarterly basis or more often if needed.
• Make available to the employees a pressure gauge, air compressor, and pressure hose. Hard rubber tires do not have the air pressure problems associated with balloon tires. However, hard rubber tires do not move very well over rough terrain.
• If rough terrain is encountered, use a four-wheel hand truck in the upright position as a two-wheel hand truck.
