How Many Hands Does It Take
Ask three people how many hands a case needs and you get three answers, usually based on how it felt that one time. Weight settles the count first: under about 15 kg one person can walk it, 22 kg upward is a two-person lift, and past 45 kg a third body buys sightlines rather than strength. Then geometry votes — handle height, stair width, a threshold, a turn at the landing. What follows is a table you can tape to the wall, and the four checks that go with it.
0115–22 kg: the one-person limit sits at handle height
Single-person limits are usually quoted at 15–22 kg, and where you land inside that band depends on whether the handle sits 65–85 cm off the floor, roughly at the waist. At waist level the lever arm is short and the legs do the work. Drop the handle to knee height or raise it to the chest and the same case feels a fifth heavier. Wide bodies force the forearms out, and that tires people faster than mass alone.
Lifts of 0.3–1.0 m cover most loading, shelving and floor work. Past a metre people hug the case against the chest, which shifts the centre of gravity and ruins a shirt. The practical single-person test: walk 10–40 m without switching hands. Needing to set it down halfway means you were over the limit before you started, whatever your mood that morning.
0222–45 kg: two carriers, and 90 cm of stair width
Two-person work starts near 22 kg and holds to 45 kg. Side by side, each carrier takes about 45 cm of shoulder width and the case takes another 40–60 cm, so anything under 90 cm of clear stair forces single file, the leader walking backwards with rhythm carried by shouting. Older buildings often leave a landing of only 1.0–1.2 m, too shallow to swing a long case around.
Holding two carriers within 0.3 seconds of each other is about calls, not muscle. Say it three times: lift, walk, set. Whoever pulls early hands the other side double the load. Setting down is riskier than picking up, because unequal heights mean one edge lands first and drives the other hand at the floor. Lower the near side first and release the far side last.
03Past 45 kg: a third person adds eyes, not force
Above 45 kg the third body mostly buys a view around corners and a judgement at the door frame. The stance is one ahead, two behind: the front person owns direction and clearance, the rear pair own height and stability. Crowd all three onto one side and they block each other. Under 90 cm of clearance, the third waits outside and takes the handoff through the opening.
At this weight, plan the route instead of the crew. Over 10–40 m, count the steps, thresholds, rugs and ramps, then decide where a rest point belongs. Keep passable slope at 10% or less; anything steeper needs someone bracing the downhill side, or the case keeps moving on its own and drags the carriers with it across the floor.
0420–80 lifts a shift: recovery sets the total
Carrying is a daily sum, not a single act. The spread from 20 to 80 lifts per shift has less to do with fitness than with whether there are 30–90 seconds between them. Ten lifts without a pause and form collapses around the eighth: back rounded, case drifting away from the body, the landing turned into a drop. A drop punishes the contents harder than the walk did.
The scheduling fix is to cut the count into blocks. After every 10–15 lifts, insert an interval for staging or paperwork so people change posture without stopping the line. Rotating two carriers costs less than hiring a third: one lifts, one logs, swap every 20 lifts, and neither spends the back half of the shift running on willpower.
05Tape it to the wall: four checks at the door
Check one: bodies match mass. One person stays under 22 kg, two stay under 45 kg, and past that you add a carrier or split the load. Check two: the handle sits 65–85 cm off the floor, near waist height. Outside that band, move the handle first — relocating a handle costs far less than putting a second person on every trip.
Check three: 90 cm of clear width, thresholds of 5 cm or less, slope at 10% or under. Miss any one and side-by-side carrying is off the table. Check four: past 40 lifts a shift, name a rest point and a relief. Four lines on a laminated sheet by the loading bay do more than shouting across a stairwell on the day.
| One-person limit | 22 kg |
|---|---|
| Two-person range | 22–45 kg |
| Three-person threshold | 45 kg and up |
| Handle height off floor | 65–85 cm |
| Lift height per move | 0.3–1.0 m |
| Carry distance per trip | 10–40 m |
| Lifts per shift | 20–80 lifts |
| Minimum stair width | 90 cm |
FAQ
Does a wheeled case still count as carrying?
Yes. Wheels only cover flat distance; loading, kerbs and stairs are still lifts. Count people against the worst segment of the route, never against the smooth floor at the end of it.
Can one person take 25 kg?
On flat ground, short distance, handle at the waist, barely. Add a step or a turn and it is past the single-person line. Most strains happen on the last trip of the day, not the first.
What if the stair is too narrow for two abreast?
Go single file, agree on the calls first, and let the upper person lead. The lower one cannot see past the case, so stop before turning rather than turning while still walking backward down the flight.
Do I plan lifts per shift on average or peak?
Plan on peak, not average. Past 40 lifts, set a rest point and rotate carriers. If the count rises while recovery stays the same, form breaks down as a matter of arithmetic.