Caregivers injure their backs at alarming rates. Some of these injuries are thought to be due to aspects of mechanical lift device use. In particular, the activity of sling insertion is thought to place caregivers at risk of injury. In this paper, we review common practices regarding sling use, conventional techniques for sling insertion, describe the results of our evaluation of the conventional sling insertion activity and describe two novel sling systems. The two novel sling systems are: the single roll sling and the pneumatic lifting strap inserter. We review the designs of these devices and evaluate their potential to reduce the risk of back injury in caregivers.