9 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Hand Truck

If you are looking to buy the best hand truck for stairs, either for commercial or for personal purposes, there are 8 things you must know. These tips will enable you to use your hand truck safely. They will also ensure that your hand truck lasts a very long while.

Things You Should Know About Your Truck

  1. When using a hand truck, you should place the load on the axels. Placing the load anywhere else simply means that the weight would be borne by the wrong side of the truck which just wasn’t designed for load-bearing.
  2. If you are moving up or down a flight of stairs, place the load at the bottom. Doing so will stabilize your movements and avoid unnecessary shifts.
  3. Secure the luggage placed on your hand truck. When you are moving up or down stairs, there is the possibility of having the load shift no matter how careful you are. The load carried needs to be secured. Some hand trucks come with bungee cords or tough ropes to help you secure and protect the loads which you carry. If your hand truck doesn’t come with one, you can purchase one at a hardware store. Securing your load frees you to move your truck with reduced risks of accidents.
  4. Before use, check the cart for damages or tampering that could make it unsafe to use. Also, check the tires to ensure they are in good working condition.
  5. An expensive truck is not necessarily the best. Pick a hand truck that does what you need.

Safety Tips For Your Body When Lifting

  1. Pushing instead of pulling is healthier for your back. When you pull, the movement of the hand truck depends totally on your own strength. When you push (especially from up the stairs) however, you allow the hand truck to take a higher share of the work.
  2. Put a higher strain on your hands than on your back. When attempting to raise a load onto your truck, position your back to be as straight as it possibly can. You do not want to get a medical problem from hand trucks.
  3. When piling load on the hand truck, ensure you can see above it. The load should not block your view. Pushing towards a direction you cannot see is an easy way to get injured.
  4. As humorous as it may sound, you need to take extra care to protect your fingers and toes. They are most likely to get injured by a hand truck. Take extra care to ensure you do not jam your finger in-between any parts of the hand truck. Also, make sure that the machine does not slip back over your toes or anyone else’s for that matter. For added protection, wear hand gloves and work boots especially if you are an employee in an organization.

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