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Simple Solutions for Home Building Workers

June 2013
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-111
cover of 2013-111

Home building is physically demanding work and manual material handling may be the most difficult part of the job. Manual material handling includes all of the tasks that require you to lift, lower, push, pull, hold or carry materials. These activities increase the risk of painful strains and sprains and more serious soft tissue injuries.

Soft tissues of the body include muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs, cartilage and nerves. Soft tissue injuries cause workers pain, suffering and lost income. They can also restrict non-work activity, like sports and hobbies. Builders’ and employers’ costs include loss of productivity and high workers’ compensation insurance premiums.

Simple Solutions for Home Building Workers provides basic information about readily available work practices and equipment that can help both new and experienced workers, contractors and builders prevent serious manual material handling injuries.

This publication was designed to be printed as a booklet on 8.5 x 11 inches paper. Proceed with printing the document as recommended below:

  1. Bring up your print screen.
  2. Go to the page handling feature. For example, your print screen may read “Page Sizing & Handling” or “Page Handling”.
  3. Select booklet.
  4. Adjust the printer settings so that each page aligns from the top to bottom and reads left to right. On some printers the setting is “Print on both sides: flip up”.
  5. Print.
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