Which technique describes safe patient lifting in rope rescue?

• A. Use your legs, not your back
• B. Keep weight close to your body
• C. Position your feet on solid ground
• D. Lift with a twisting motion

Answer: (A)

Using your legs, not your back, best describes safe patient lifting in rope rescue. Leg muscles are stronger and built for lifting, so driving the lift through the hips and knees keeps the load closer to your center of gravity and maintains a neutral spine. This reduces the forces and torques on the back, giving you better control and lowering the risk of injury as you move a patient in a rope system. Other good habits—keeping the weight close to your body, placing your feet solidly, and avoiding twisting—support safe lifting, but the key technique that minimizes spinal strain is to lift with the legs rather than with the back.