Section 9 - Hand Truck Safety
9.11 Hand Truck Safety
Two-wheeled trucks require that the load be carried by a single axle, so proper balance is very important. Apply the following:
- Keep the load's center of gravity as low as possible.
- Never walk backward with this type of hand truck.
- When going down an incline, keep the truck in front of you.
- When going up, keep the truck behind you.
Four-wheeled hand trucks require similar safety rules to those used for two-wheeled hand trucks. Emphasis should be placed on:
- Keeping the load even and not so high as to cause spillage and/or obstruction of view.
- Pushing rather than pulling four-wheeled trucks. (If a truck has a third or fifth wheel with a handle, it can be pulled.)