5 Safety Tips for Moving Homes During the Summer

Accidents happen, so there is always a little bit of risk associated with moving into a new home. It is easy to pull a muscle or worse while lifting heavy objects, and there is always a chance that you will drop something heavy on your foot and cause an injury. Moving during the summer is even more dangerous because you need to deal with high heat. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to mitigate the risk. All you need to do is remain aware of your environment and make sure to follow good safety practices, and you can be confident that you will avoid serious injury under normal circumstances.

Stay Cool

Heat is your enemy during a summer move. Getting too hot can lead to serious medical problems, up to and including death, so it is absolutely vital to stay as cool as possible while working. That is often easier said than done, since moving can involve working in the sun and doing a lot of physical labor, but there are ways to compensate.

It is vital to take breaks to cool off. If you are worried about taking too long and not getting the work done, try to alternate between working in the heat and doing lighter tasks in the shade, such as taking important items out of boxes. You should also dress lightly while working, and try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Hydrate

Getting hot means sweating, which can lead to dehydration. You should be sure to drink plenty of water while you are moving, but be aware that water on its own may not be enough. Humans also lose sodium when they sweat, and your body needs to replace that. There are plenty of drinks that are designed to do so, and most of them are marketed towards athletes. Choose your favorite brand and drink it along with plenty of water to make sure that you stay hydrated. If possible, keep the drinks in a cooler to help prevent them from getting hot so they can help you avoid overheating.

Lift Carefully

Heat is not the only problem when moving. You can also injure yourself when lifting heavy boxes or furniture. You can mitigate this risk by using the right tools to help you lift, or lifting with proper form. Try to break heavy loads into smaller ones to reduce the strain on your back. When that isn’t an option, be sure to lift with your legs and keep the load close to your body. If possible, stack items on tables or in trucks so that you can lift them without bending over. If you start to feel pain, take a break so your body can recover.

Spread The Work Out

Most of the danger in moving comes from forcing your body to do more work than it can handle in a day. You can greatly reduce your risk of injury by spreading the work out over several days. You can bring your boxes to the new home in multiple loads in some cases, but you can still use this technique if you are only making one trip. Take everything that could suffer heat damage into the home immediately, but leave things that are sturdy in the truck for the next day. Bring them in over time to avoid putting stress on your body.

Schedule Carefully

Good timing can avoid a huge number of problems during a summer move. The most basic technique is to schedule your move for the early morning or late in the evening, since temperatures tend to be at their lowest during those times. You should also keep an eye on the weather report to try and pick a day that will have relatively low temperatures.

Try to avoid moving during holidays or the days surrounding them. They tend to have more traffic than other periods, which increases the risk of an accident and makes it harder to stick to a tight schedule when driving. The extra aggravation that comes with dealing with the traffic will cause stress that can lead to mistakes, while the lost time can cause people to act hastily and have dangerous accidents instead of taking their time.