To minimize the risk of injuring yourself when lifting or moving a patient, you should:

• A. Flex at the waist instead of the hips.
• B. Avoid the use of log rolls or body drags.
• C. Keep the weight as close to your body as possible.
• D. Use a direct carry whenever possible.

Answer: (C)

Keeping the weight as close to your body as possible is the safest way to lift or move a patient. When the load is near your center of gravity, the lever arm (the distance from your spine to the weight) is short, so the torque your back must resist is much smaller. That means less strain on the spine, better control, and more use of your leg muscles rather than your back.

If you let the weight drift away from you, the lever arm lengthens, increasing the bending moment on your spine and raising the risk of injury. So, bringing the patient in close before lifting, maintaining a stable stance, and using proper leg strength are key ways to reduce injury risk. Using appropriate equipment or assistance and avoiding awkward twisting also help, but the core idea is minimizing how far the load sits from your body.

Bending at the waist instead of at the hips increases spinal strain, so that option would raise risk rather than reduce it. Relying on a direct carry in the arms can overload the back and arms and is not inherently safer. Log rolls or body drags are context-specific techniques that should be performed with proper training and assistance; they’re not the single best risk-reduction principle in general.