How to safely lift, carry and install Excaliber™ Concrete Sleepers Concrete sleepers.
Please use the following suggestions to safely lift, transport/move and install your concrete sleepers. Please note for heavy concrete products, such as 2.4m Long sleepers we would suggest using a sleeper grabber or perhaps a ding with a forklift attachment or even a forklift where possible for OHS reasons.
Excaliber™ Concrete Sleepers Excaliber 1.555mL x 109mmH x 75mmW sleepers weigh approximately 53kg each & require 2 people to lift each sleeper at either end.
We suggest you wear safety clothing such as steel cap boots, gloved, adequate clothing to protect your arms, torso and legs.
When lifting Excaliber sleepers, make sure they are standing up right on the bottom edge with the face presented outwards.
Lift in a squatting motion, with a straight back and your legs positioned either side of the sleeper, holding firmly with you hands on the bottom of the sleeper either side.
Contract your glute and leg muscles (not using your lower back muscles) and keep your back straight when lifting the sleeper, in a fluid upward motion. Once standing upright, carefully turn towards the direction you a installing your sleeper. Please note here that you should not be carrying your sleepers a great distance. Your pallet of sleepers should be placed as close to you installation point as possible. If there is a large travelling distance we suggest you use some sort of machinery to transport your sleepers closer (e.g a dingo with a fork lift attachment etc) before lifting the sleeper into place.
Once you have brought your sleeper over to you channels, brace your hip and upper thigh or knee (which ever may be more comfortable) against the secure post for extra support. This should take the majority of pressure off of your back. Lift your sleeper in unison with your partner, sitting it on top of your channel for support while readjusting you hold from the bottom of the sleeper to grasping the top firmly. Then pick up the sleeper and slip it carefully into the channels.
Try to be conscious of not putting pressure onto you back/lower back by constantly bending to pick up or put down sleepers instead of squatting.