Questions to Ask before investing in material handling equipment
Countless
injuries occur each year from using the wrong storage and material handling
equipment. This article will help utility cart buyers become more aware of
their role in preventing workplace injuries.It is said that location, location,
location are the three most important factors in buying a home. When buying the
material handling equipment from Reflex
equip, it can be said that ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics are the
three most important factors.
Listed
below are the top ten questions a utility cart buyer should ask in order to
achieve the greatest possible harmony between work and worker (maximum
ergonomics):
1) What is work?
Utility vehicles have become very special. The names of many utility carts
(janitor carts, laundry carts, mail carts, book carts, audio visual carts,
luggage carts, tool carts, ladder carts, etc.) define the purposes for which
they were designed. Many utility carts that have fewer specific names (platform
cart, tilt truck, hand truck, moving dolly, etc.) are designed for different
tasks.
2) What is the work flow?
Choosing a utility cart that can't easily navigate tight aisles or lifts will
eventually result in injury when the worker compensates for a poor selection of
material
handling equipment.
3) What is the floor surface?
Workers put themselves under stress by carrying materials on rough surfaces on
small wheeled carts. Special wheels may be needed to move heavy loads on the
dirt or sand found on a typical construction site.
4) What is the weight of the material to be stored
or transferred? Utility vehicles come with maximum load
capacity. Often, the same cart structure is rated differently due to the
structure and the wheels used to support the load.
5) What is the height of the load?
Instability of storage and/or handling equipment often occurs when large loads
are placed above the ground. Long and narrow devices should be avoided due to
stability concerns. When work entails potentially unstable equipment, special
precautions should be taken such as the use of tilt inhibitors or permanent
attachment to a concrete structure.
6) What is the minimum size of worker?
A job utilizing the skills of a small woman (librarian, IT trainer, etc.) will
require special attention to ensure that the utility cart chosen is sized for
the person driving it.
7) What is the frequency of work?
Utility carts come in standard, medium, heavy and extra heavy duty
constructions. Vehicles exposed to duty cycles for which they were not designed
will wear out quickly. Wearable devices are a major cause of injuries at work.
Additionally, even though a task is easily done once, injuries can occur over
time if the equipment
and the task are not properly matched.
8) What is the best height for a utility cart?
Avoid lifting. What goes up must come down and vice versa. Try to choose a
vehicle that makes the most of the height at which the work will be done.
9) What movement does the worker need for the job?
Twisting and bending are the causes of most back injuries. Guard carts that are
ergonomically designed for specific tasks, such as mopping the floor or
emptying trash cans, can significantly reduce injuries.
10) Which utility car will the worker buy?
Given the opportunity, will the actual employee purchase the same equipment the
purchasing department is planning to purchase? If not, why?
Final
thoughts
The
buyer should not sit at the desk while asking the above question. At a minimum,
the buyer should try to walk through the area, talk to people, and search for
past injury records.
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