Most back injuries happen with light loads and a twist
The rule
Move your feet, never your spine. Turn by stepping round rather than rotating the trunk, however light the object.
Close to the body
A load at arm's length is about ten times the spinal force of the same load held close. Distance matters more than weight.
The everyday risk
Lifting a child from a car seat, or a bag from a boot. Both involve reach and twist and both cause more injuries than any deliberate lift.
