Above all, we want to make sure that you, your children, your pets and we movers all stay safe and healthy on moving day. The two biggest safety risks during a move are:
- The extra large moving truck we operate and
- Very heavy household possessions, like armoires, pianos, and treadmills, but only when we’re carrying them. (Heavy stuff is a bit like a snake: harmless as long as you don’t try to pick it up.)
We ask that you exercise extra caution around the moving truck and around the movers while we’re carrying heavy household possessions.
Dangers for Kids and Pets
It’s natural for children and pets to want to be at the center of the action in a household. Unfortunately, though, that’s a particularly dangerous place for them to be on moving day, especially when that action involves a 250-pound piano. We suggest asking a relative, friend, or sitter to care for your children and pets off-site on moving day. If that’s not possible, we recommend close on-site adult supervision and care.
A twenty-ton moving truck is an especially dangerous place for kids to play and explore. If a child climbs onto the truck, your crew has been instructed to stop work immediately and attend only to that child’s safety.
Severe Weather Hazards
Movers face two very different weather-related health and safety risks: dehydration from extreme heat in summer, and trip and fall hazards from snowy and icy conditions in winter. We’ll come prepared with our own water in summer, but on especially hot days we each need to drink as much as 2 gallons of water (yup, we sweat a ton). Sometimes, especially when the weather resembles an overheated sauna, our water jugs run dry. If you could let us refill them from your tap, we’d greatly appreciate it. And we’ll be a lot less likely to pass out on your front lawn.
In winter, you can help keep us safe by having your driveway, walkways, and steps cleared of snow and ice. If you’re unable to remove snow and ice yourself, we’ll come prepared with shovels, ice picks, sand, and salt to make the pathway to your door as safe as possible. (Please note: we charge our normal hourly rate for this service.) Thanks in advance for caring about our safety!
Hazardous Materials
Households often contain caustic, flammable, explosive, or otherwise hazardous materials that pose a threat to the safety of people, animals, personal property, and the environment if they’re not handled and disposed of properly. Household movers, including Spine Moving, are prohibited by law from transporting such items. Common household hazardous materials include but are not limited to the following:
- Kitchen: floor care products; furniture and metal polish; oven cleaner; stain remover; drain cleaner.
- Bathroom: toilet bowl cleaner; bleach; ammonia; mildew remover; abrasive cleaner; disinfectant; hair remover.
- Garage: antifreeze; brake and transmission fluid; engine degreaser; battery acid; lighter fluid; kerosene; gasoline; diesel fuel; oil; auto batteries.
- Lawn/Garden: weed killer; pesticides; bug spray; fertilizer.
- Workshop: oil-based paint (latex paint can be dried with kitty litter and disposed of in trash); adhesives; glue; resin; solvents; strippers; varnishes; stains; paint thinner; rechargeable batteries.
- Miscellaneous: ammunition; fireworks; photo developers; pool chemicals; acetylene or propane (empty tanks included); shoe polish; art supply chemicals; moth balls; nail polish and remover; syringes.
Live in Iowa City?
The Iowa City Landfill schedules individual hazardous waste collection appointments only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays between 7AM and 1PM, so it’s best to plan early so that you’re not scrambling on moving day. To make an appointment, call the landfill office at 319-356-5185. If you have questions about how to safely recycle or dispose of a particular hazardous material, please ask us: if we don’t know for sure, we’ll find out for you!
