As a drywaller or plasterer, you are carrying plasterboard on a daily basis, and with that comes safety implications such as damage to your fingers and hands, not to mention how heavy it can be. Carrying heavy plasterboard up steep drive ways, and up stairs, is obviously going to be extremely hard work, especially if you are going back and forth a lot too. Although two pairs of hands are better than one, working alone is common for many plasterers which means that extra pair of hands is not always available to help you carry the boards.

There are many tools and accessories out there that can help with the chore of carrying plasterboard and can be a great benefit to apprentices who may just be starting out in the industry and not sure how to carry the plasterboard correctly.

If there is more than one of you on the job Drywall Tools Direct have a brilliant tool from Edma. Board Carrier Handles by Edma allows you and a colleague to safely carry plasterboard without putting too much pressure on your hands and fingers. This product will help you to correctly carry the plasterboard and it will allow you to get the job done quicker as a result of the innovative design.

Another popular product on the market is board carriers. These small contraptions may feel lightweight and flimsy but can usually carry a good load of plasterboard, which enables you to do more solo work without causing damage to your body by manually carrying plasterboard. Again, for less experienced plasterers this tool can be invaluable when time isn't on your side and you need to get a job done efficiently by allowing you to carry more plasterboard than you can by yourself.

If you don't wish to purchase these tools to help you to carry your plasterboard it is crucial that you know exactly how to carry the boards correctly so that you can reduce the risk of danger to your health and safety, especially your back.

When carrying a sheet on your own, large boards can be safely carried under your arm for short distances. Start lifting from the centre of the sheet and face the direction you need to go in. Bending your knees into a squat and positioning your hand so that it is on the top of the board and the board itself, is tucked under your arm. Then grab the top of the sheet with your other hand, stand up from squatting and walk.

If there are two people carrying a sheet, both of you should be a very similar  distance in from the end of the sheet, this will help to distribute the weight evenly. If the sheet of plasterboard is longer than average sizing, you both must move in towards the centre of the sheet. Both of you should be standing, facing the sheet and using both hands to pick up the board  as high as possible, whilst doing this, drop the carrying hand to the bottom of the board and position yourself to face the direction you need to walk in.
The board should be leaning against your shoulder. With most plasterboard sizes the hand you are not using can be at your side resting. However, with longer sheets the free hand can be used to assist with steadying the balance of the board.