christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

Improve Health and Safety with the DJ Products Ergonomic Load Calculator

Sometimes older people shake their heads at the thought that many students are allowed to use calculators in school these days. And for their part, some young people ask why they have to learn how to do certain mathematical calculations without a calculator since once they leave school, they will be free to use calculators whenever they want.

At DJ Products, we know that there are some equations and problems that cannot be solved by someone counting on their fingers or making a “guesstimation.” When it comes to workplace safety, you want to make sure that you are examining the numbers and the factors as accurately as possible.

This is why we offer the DJ Products Ergonomic Load Calculator on our website. The calculator is designed to estimate the amount of horizontal force necessary to move loads (on wheels) using inputs from particular workplace environments. It doesn’t just look at numbers in isolation; the calculator will combine conditions related to the state of the “vehicle health”, floor condition, terrain and footing as well as the weight of the load being moved in estimating these forces.

When you use our ergonomic load calculator, you also input variables about the worker who is supposed to perform a certain task. In order to generate an ergonomic estimate of his much force a single worker should apply, it is important to consider that person as an individual. Ergonomic calculators and computer programs that attempt to give you this information using information for an average worker can miss the mark and when it comes to your workers ability to get the job done, you do not want to use miscalculated information.

If you use the DJ Products Ergonomic Load Calculator and want to discuss material handling solutions that might be of benefit to your workers, call us at 1-800-686-2651.

Worker’s Compensation Tips – Stay Savvy to Stay Profitable

Warehouse and distribution companies should pay special attention to the trends in workers’ compensation and employee healthcare. Risk expert Mark Walls of Property Casualty 360 examines how businesses are minimizing injury risks and keeping employees productive — and his insights have inspired us with some great new warehouse management tips.

Trends in Workers’ Comp Networks

For workers’ compensation, employers are moving toward outcome-based networks. OBNs send injured workers to care providers with a track record of fast, effective, and quality results.

It’s all part of looking at the bigger picture. Rather than choosing plans based solely on the price tag, OBNs help control costs and reduce unnecessary claims while also finding ways to get workers healthy and back on the job. Better health and less unnecessary claims lead to a healthier bottom line.

Reducing Injuries & Claims for Warehouse Employees

Many workplace injuries at warehouses stem from constant physical exertion, rather than spills and accidents. Manually pushing and pulling carts and equipment places great strain on the arms, back and legs.

Also, businesses using part-time staff should be aware that less-experienced employees are also prone to injuries. Thorough training and ergonomic tools like motorized carts help ensure a safe work environment for workers of all experience levels and physical abilities.

Ultimately, industrial cart movers reduce injuries so a business can expect fewer workers’ comp claims and a healthy workforce. Preventing injuries in the first place is always better than dealing with claims.

For more warehouse management tips, follow the DJ Products blog. Check out our CartCaddy4SC and other industrial electric carts to boost productivity and minimize workers’ comp risk.

Hospitals: Help Your Staff Treat Summer Injuries

Summertime and the livin’ is easy…people like to spend time outside, getting into summer sports and being more active. We all hope for the best but we know that an increase in activity increases the chances of injury. For this reason, hospitals need to stay on alert and be ready for patients who arrive and need help after a baseball game, water skiing, a race, or an impromptu tumble down a hill.

During the summer, you need all of your staff ready to work and assist. You will want your employees ready to work and not injured themselves from attempting to hurry while transporting supplies needed for patients that arrive with injuries. DJ Products makes powered carts including a Powered Dirty Linen Cart, Powered Housekeeping Cart and a Motorized Clean Linen Wire Cart that can keep work moving efficiently and allow employees to navigate tight corners safely.

Our products can also reduce the chance that your employees will experience muscle strain or musculoskeletal injuries as they push or pull carts with heavy loads through hospital corridors. All of our products are battery powered “walk-behind units” that allow for better operator control than traditional wheeled carts. Because of this operating flexibility, our electric cart movers can be used in more applications than standard material handling equipment.

Check out our products online and if you have questions, you can call our Sales Engineers at 800-686-2651 and ask for a recommendation on your proper solution. One of our Sales Engineers will be more than happy to explore custom applications where our base products match primary criteria.

The ABCs of Supply Chain Logistics

Acronyms are widely used by all types of businesses and organizations. They simplify communications by providing a quick shorthand for long, sometimes cumbersome terms.

Supply chain logistics has its own dictionary of terms. Here’s a guide to some major ones and how DJ Products and their line of material handling tugs can positively impact them.

WIP Work in process (or progress) indicates raw materials that have begun the manufacturing process but are not yet complete. A high WIP can be a sign of bottlenecks somewhere along the line. Our tugs reduce the amount of time needed to move materials from place to place, helping to streamline the work process.
FIFO First-in-first-out is a means of managing inventory where the first items to arrive in a warehouse are the first ones to be moved out. This is particularly important for perishables or products with a limited shelf life. Tugs are compact and easy to maneuver, so they make it easier to store and access inventory as needed.
ECR Efficient customer response is imperative for a company’s success. Having an efficient way to quickly and easily transfer inventory means orders get fulfilled more promptly.
OSHA The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the Federal governing body that enforces industrial safety regulations. Using material handler tugs requires less effort and minimizes physical stress, thereby greatly reducing the number of job-related injuries and accidents.

Whatever your needs, DJ Products has material handling tugs to provide a solution. Contact our Sales Engineers ASAP at 800.686.2651 to get your questions answered PDQ!

Find Ergonomic Material Handling Solutions with Online Tools and Live Assistance

As we have discussed, ignoring ergonomics can lead to injury but we know that it is very easy to postpone researching ergonomic material handling solutions. With all of the things you need to do to keep your business going, you probably have this on your list but may not have gotten to it just yet.

That is okay because DJ Products is here to help with online tools and live assistance to make it easier for you to ensure your workplace remains safe and productive.

ErgoCalc
Our Ergonomic Load Calculator is designed to assist the Ergonomist, Safety and Health Specialist, and other professionals as they try to implement change to improve health and safety practices in their workplace. The calculator is designed to estimate the amount of horizontal force necessary to move loads (on wheels) using inputs from particular workplace environments. The calculator will combine conditions related to the state of the “vehicle health”, floor condition, terrain and footing as well as the weight of the load being moved in estimating these forces.

Live Assistance
We specialize in ergonomic material handling solutions, so we not only know our products; we also know something about the industries in which they can be used. You can see our products on our website and through demonstration videos but we don’t expect you to just take a chance and order them without any additional help. We want to partner with you.

You can call our Sales Engineers at 800-686-2651 for a recommendation on your proper solution. Our Sales Engineers are also happy to explore custom applications where our base products meet primary criteria.

Powered Hospital Carts and Some TLC

All hospitals strive to provide their patients with the best care possible. Aside from hiring talented and intelligent doctors, hospitals look for staff that can empathize with the sick patient and their family and most importantly provide TLC, or some tender, loving, care. They look for this type of employee because they know that creating a warm and caring environment in the hospital can go a long way in helping the sick recover.

Moods are “infectious”. If someone smiles at you, you’ll feel better and pass that goodwill around as well. As such, it probably makes a lot of sense to ensure that all hospital staff, including maintenance staff and orderlies, are in excellent spirits.

For these employees, an honest day’s work involves pushing and pulling heavy linen and laundry carts, garbage carts, food carts, medical supply carts and more. There is a tremendous amount of physical strain that these employees need to bear and of course it can impact their mood. Additionally, all the pulling and pushing can cause staff charged with these tasks, significant back pain or even injury. This will definitely not bring a smile to their lips, and at best will produce sullen and unfriendly workers.
Imagine if they were not as tired or achy from all their strenuous labor. They would likely be more cheerful, sharing smiles and “hellos” with the doctors, nurses and patients they pass in the hallways. This will lift the mood in the hospital making everyone feel better.

DJ Products provides ergonomic, electric pullers, pushers and carts that are specifically designed with the hospital setting in mind. Powered dirty linen carts, motorized clean linen wire cart and more are some of the specialized products that can help enhance the atmosphere at your hospital.

How Ergonomics Saves Money

Musculoskeletal injuries caused by overexertion are responsible for 25% of all workplace injuries and affect one in every 200 workers, according to data compiled by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Overexertion injuries caused by straining during pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying tasks cost U.S. businesses more than $1 billion in compensation costs and 12 million lost workdays every year. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, more than 50% of worker’s compensation claims are for debilitating back injuries that affect 1.75 million (1 in 5) workers each year — at an annual price tag of $30 billion. The time-lost cost of a single back injury is estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics at $26,000.

Ergonomic equipment is designed to eliminate and prevent muscle strain, overexertion, back injury and the whole gamut of musculoskeletal and repetitive motion injuries that eat away at U.S. business profit margins. Ergonomically-designed equipment reduces the risk of overexertion and injury from pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, bending and twisting tasks. The equipment, not the worker, carries the burden, eliminating expensive medical, insurance, worker’s compensation and lost work-hour expenses. When workers are less physically tasked and workplace safety is increased, worker morale improves, production increases and product quality goes up.

One study of U.S. manufacturers found that every dollar invested in ergonomics resulted in a savings of $4. DJ Products, a national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed carts and movers, has found that most customers recoup their investment in ergonomic equipment within the first year. DJ Products specialized in providing affordable ergonomic solutions to material handling applications. We manufacture material handling equipment that is designed to eliminate the strain and pain of manually pushing or pulling heavy carts, equipment or materials. Our ergonomically-designed equipment is smaller, more maneuverable and less costly than traditional material handling equipment such as forklifts, walkies and motorized riding tugs. DJ Products specializes in battery powered, walk behind carts, movers and pushers that offer maximum safety and maneuverability. If you’re looking to get better value from your material handling dollar, contact DJ Products’ expert ergonomic sales team today!

New Side-Steer Powered Cart Handles Long Parts

Long parts or equipment that overhang the ends of the cart have always been a challenge to move. Objects that overhang the transport cart make it impossible for operators to safely push or pull loads from the end of the cart; they just can’t get physically close enough to get a safe handhold or exert proper force. Overhanging loads are generally too heavy to be pushed or pulled by a single worker and their length makes maneuvering these loads particularly awkward and unsafe. Problems with reach length, load balance and load stability even make use of traditional motorized tuggers unproductive and unsafe. The length and cumbersome placement of oversized loads makes it impossible for tuggers built to handle normal loads to safely reach under an oversized product or piece of equipment to grab and connect to the cart, much less guarantee safe transport and maneuvering by the operator.

DJ Products, the nation’s foremost manufacturer of ergonomically-designed motorized carts and powered cart movers, has solved the problem of safely transporting oversized loads with the introduction of its new side-steer powered cart. The unique side-steer design of this self-propelled cart allows the operator to safely walk behind and to the side of oversized loads, providing clear sight lines and safe, easy maneuvering of heavy, extra-long parts and equipment no matter how far they overhang the transport cart. Visit our website to watch a video of DJ Products’ new side-steer powered cart in action.

Capable of hauling loads up to 5,000 pounds, DJ Products’ ergonomic design ensures that the cart, not the worker, shoulders the load. The conveniently-located variable-speed twist grip is designed to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome while easily allowing the operator to move forwards and backwards at speeds up to 3 mph. Ergonomic design allows workers to perform their jobs more efficiently and comfortably by allowing equipment to be adjusted to the size of the worker. Awkward and unsafe work postures that lead to tired and cramped muscles, longer and more frequent work breaks, and disabling musculoskeletal injuries are eliminated.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that one worker in every 200 experiences an overexertion injury. Annually, overexertion injuries cost American businesses more than 12 million lost work days and over $1 billion in compensation costs. According to a study published in the New Hampshire Business Review, every dollar invested in ergonomics reaps a $4 savings in medical, insurance, workers’ compensation and lost work day costs. To find out how DJ Products’ new side-steer powered cart can safely maneuver overhanging loads and save you money, talk to one of our ergonomic specialists today.

Star Trek’s Vision of Material Handling Flawed

The legendary television show Star Trek and the franchise’s many spin-offs brought the future to the present. Many of those futuristic gizmos sparked the imaginations of young inventors resulting in tools, electronics and appliances that are commonplace today. So I was surprised to see what looked suspiciously like an ordinary forklift truck creeping along the space dock floor in the newest Star Trek movie. Of course, the good news is that the material handling industry appears to be alive and well in the 24th century. However, with their staggering accident and injury rate, you’d think that engineers of the future would have come up with a more efficient, more cost-effective, more ergonomic tool for moving material and equipment from place to place than antiquated forklifts.

This is one place where the generally forward-thinking minds who envision the Trek universe got it wrong. Even in our century, forklift trucks are already on their slow way out. Spurred by safety issues and high operating and maintenance costs, a growing number of savvy business and industry leaders are choosing to replace their forklifts with safe, fuel-efficient, ergonomically-designed, motorized material handling carts and movers. A few centuries from now, I can envision sleekly-designed material handling movers gliding silently on cushions of air above the floor surface, either completely automated or guided by shiny robots; but primitive forklifts? Surely the material handling industry will have progressed beyond that old dinosaur by then!

Companies that have replaced their forklift trucks with ergonomically-designed motorized carts are already realizing decreased accident/injury rates and enjoying the accompanying significant savings in medical, insurance, worker’s compensation and disability costs. Every year forklift accidents are responsible for 100 worker deaths — 25% from overturns — and more than 20,000 injuries. Ergonomically-designed CartCaddies promote operator control and safety with their walk-behind design, strategically placed ergonomic controls, and easy maneuverability.

And when it comes to maintenance costs, sure to be a factor when you’re building mega-trillion dollar starships, battery-operated CartCaddies win over forklifts hands down. The average annual battery/maintenance cost of operating an ergonomic electric CartCaddy is around $300 per year. Compare that to forklifts where operating and maintenance costs comprise 80% of the total cost of ownership over the life of a unit. Annual forklift fuel costs alone can run from $15,000 for gas and diesel units to $3,000 to $8,000 for electric and battery-operated units.

If you want to experience the future of material handling today, contact a DJ Products ergonomic sales engineer and ask about our full line of CartCaddy products.

Why Are Ergonomics Important?

We’ve been getting back to basics in our last couple of posts on the history of ergonomics and ergonomic terms, reviewing what ergonomics is for those new to our blog. But why are ergonomics so important in the workplace? Three reasons:

Ergonomics improves worker health and safety.
Ergonomics increases productivity and work quality.
Ergonomics saves money.

Health & safety. People come in all shapes and sizes, but until the advent of ergonomics, material handling equipment was one size fits all. Except the problem was that it didn’t fit all people. Workers taller or shorter than the fictional “average man” to whose size and shape equipment was designed had to reach and stretch or hunch and bend to reach and manipulate equipment controls, to load and off-load product or materials, or to push and pull carts from one work station to another. All that stretching and scrunching around puts stress on the body’s muscles, joints and tendons. Backs become sore, arms and legs tire more quickly, and neck and shoulder muscles start to ache. At first the body heals itself, repairing minor muscle tears, but repetitive stress simply doesn’t allow enough time between exertions for the body to heal. Muscles, tendons and joints can be damaged. Called musculoskeletal injury, this damage can become permanent over time, resulting in permanent disability.

Ergonomics addresses this problem through flexible, adjustable design that allows equipment to be adjusted to the size of each individual worker, ensuring ideal positioning and maximum operator comfort during work tasks for every worker. A national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed motorized carts, DJ Products incorporates a host of important ergonomic features into its material handling products, including:

Heavy-duty, battery-operated motors easily move loads up to 50,000 pounds, removing the need to physically push and pull carts.
Scissor lifts quickly position materials at the proper height for each individual worker.
Well-positioned ergonomic twist-grip hand controls prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by minimizing wrist movement.
A variable-speed feature incorporated into the twist grip allows operators to safely control cart speed between 0 and 3 mph while moving either forwards or backwards.
A conveniently placed safety stop switch permits instant stops in case of emergency.
Added weight over the drive tires creates greater traction, allowing the handling of heavier loads.
A specially designed connecting arm allows loads to pivot a full 180 degrees, ensuring safe turning without jackknifing.
Walk- or ride-behind equipment construction provides clear sight lines for safe operator control.

Coming up: How ergonomics increases productivity & quality and
Financial rewards reaped by employing ergonomics