Tag: ergonomics

Avoid Strain and Lost Productivity with Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment

On the topic of musculoskeletal disorders, the Centers for Disease Control says, “…employers often find themselves paying the bill, either directly or through workers’ compensation insurance, at the same time they must cope with the loss of the full capacity of their workers.”

While some injuries are beyond your control, there is plenty that employers can do to prevent muscle strain that results from attempting to transport heavy loads. DJ Products make Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment, including motorized carts, equipment pushers, trailer movers and shopping cart retrievers. You don’t have to deal with the loss in productivity that can occur when employees are injured.

You also don’t have to go through the experience of leaning too heavily on healthy employees because of employee injury. Planning ahead and looking for material handling solutions in advance can save you from lost revenue and morale.

We make battery powered “walk-behind” units that allow workers better control, even in tight, difficult spaces. This operating flexibility means that our electric cart movers can be used in more applications that standard material handling equipment.

Not only do our material handling solutions help you prevent injury, they are also versatile, which can save you money in other ways. DJ Products carts and tugs can eliminate the use of a more costly and cumbersome piece of equipment designed for a different material-handling task.

As the CDC notes: “…very often productivity gets an additional and solid shot in the arm when managers and workers take a fresh look at how best to use energy, equipment, and exertion to get the job done in the most efficient, effective, and effortless way possible.”

Time to Review Your Corporate Ergonomic Plan

October is National Ergonomics Month and a good time to review your company’s ergonomic plan and assess new ergonomic needs. Ergonomics protects the health and safety of your workers, increases worker productivity and dramatically reduces on-the-job injuries and their associated costs. Ergonomically designed equipment and procedures seek to minimize muscle-straining manual pushing, pulling, reaching and stretching activities. Ergonomic equipment is proven to reduce potentially debilitating musculoskeletal injuries. Implementation of an ergonomic program and use of ergonomic equipment is also proven to reduce absenteeism, lost man-hours, direct medical costs and disability claims.

A long-time national leader in the innovative design and manufacture of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, DJ Products can offers expert assistance in meeting your company’s ergonomic needs. To aid you in developing an ergonomic program, we provide a handy Ergonomic Load Calculator on our website. Use it to calculate the amount of force necessary to move typical loads in your work environment. Our expert ergonomic sales engineers can suggest ergonomic solutions to your material handling problems.

Want to learn more about the benefits of implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace? This year’s National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas November 17-20. Focusing on the importance of ergonomics during economic recovery, ErgoExpo will sponsor educational programs on managing ergonomic programs to maximize return on investment, accommodating the aging workforce, and using ergonomics to increase safety in the workplace. A free webinar from 2-3 p.m. (Eastern) will be offered on Wednesday, October 7, to explain and highlight educational programs to be offered at the expo. Webinar participants will receive a special discount for ErgoExpo. For more information on the conference and to sign up for the webinar, visit the ErgoExpo website.

Cart Pushers Get the Job Done With Space Constraints

Some jobs require plenty of travel in tight spaces with material – like collecting laundry and linens in small hotels and motels and food distribution/collection in rehabilitation and medical centers.  Moving down narrow hallways and corridors while these carts are empty is a reasonably easy task for one individual – but, take that light and easy to move cart and load it up with dozens of full food trays or a few hundred pounds of soiled linens and suddenly this job becomes a much more difficult task to handle.Due to space and budget constraints, these duties are performed manually by a single employee in many of these environments and with each extra food tray or bed sheet that gets piled in the carts, this job becomes more difficult and more dangerous for that employee to handle.  Most motorized cart pushers and pullers are too large and bulky to maneuver these tight corridors, but the Cart CaddyLite cart pusher from DJ Products can handle the biggest jobs in the smallest spaces because its unique design lets a single user move it freely in even the tightest of quarters.The Cart CaddyLite cart pusher can either push or pull loads of up to one thousand pounds that would normally require manual movement – this reduces the stress and strain on employees and greatly reduces the potential instances of workplace injury.These jobs are also customarily performed at whatever speed the employees are capable of performing them, and usually when the cart is fuller and heavier the pace slows.  The Cart CaddyLite cart pusher allows any employee to operate quickly and efficiently through the entirety of these tasks, because the material will move as easily when the cart is full as it did when it was empty.  The Cart CaddyLite from DJ Products gives users the safety, power and convenience of a large powered cart in a smaller and more versatile package.

Hospital and Nursing Home Workers Have High Rates of Work-Related Injuries

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated a new program to help people who work as nurses and at residential care facilities. Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nurses and residential care workers had “one of the highest rates of lost workdays due to injuries and illnesses of all major American industries.” So while people in these industries are caring for others, they are not always taking care of themselves.

According to OSHA, “Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants had the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders of all occupations in 2010.” OSHA’s National Emphasis Program for Nursing and Residential Care Facilities was created to help change that. After all, it is difficult to be a caretaker when you are injured. And the high proportion of people in this field who get injured means that their colleagues who aren’t injured have to pick up the slack. This can lower the morale and physical fitness of non-injured employees and increase the chances that they too will get injured.

While some of the illness among those who work in the nursing and caretaking professions can be linked to exposure to hazardous materials and disease, “The data further indicate that an overwhelming proportion of the injuries within this sector were attributed to overexertion as well as to slips, trips and falls.”

Employers can invest in powered movers such as the motorized hospital cart mover from DJ Products to help lessen the risk of employee injury. Motorized carts like these help employees move linen and other goods throughout the hospital and DJ Products offers motorized cart pullers and motorized cart pushers, depending on your need.

How Ergonomics Is Shaping Our World

Ergonomics gets a lot of buzz in the press when people talk about computer workstations or keyboard design, but few realize how pervasive the science of ergonomics has become in making our daily lives more functional and more comfortable. From the lowly office chair to high tech electronics, ergonomics has become a critical element in product and systems design.

In conjunction with a new exhibit on ergonomics at London’s Design Museum, BBC News Magazine recently took a look at how ergonomic products impact everyday life and highlighted five ways ergonomics is shaping the world we live in.

At the controls. Controls on automobiles, trucks, material handling equipment, machinery and anything that involves a human operator must be designed to be used by people of all shapes and sizes. Steering and brake controls must be equally useable by 6 ft. 7 in. Kobe Bryants and 4 ft. 9 in. Mary Lou Rettons. Multi-adjustable car seats that move back and forth, up and down and even slant forward and backward are just one example of how ergonomic design impacts our daily lives.

Life or death. The 1979 core meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station in Pennsylvania highlighted the extreme danger posed when complex systems intersect human error. Ergonomic redesign of the complex control panels that contributed to the accident created safer nuclear facilities.

Eye candy. With its emphasis on utility, people don’t associate ergonomics with beauty; but the sleek good looks of Apple’s iPod, iPhone and other electronics products owe their beauty to good ergonomic design.

Wrap rage. Poorly designed packaging is the bane of everyday existence. Consumers are injured everyday trying to remove impenetrable wrappings. Ergonomics has sent clamshell plastics packing in favor of cardboard CD wraps and added screw caps to milk cartons.

At work.  From chairs, keyboards and computer mice to material handling equipment that moves supplies, equipment, trash and more, ergonomics has profoundly impacted the workplace.

Use a Trailer Mover to Transport Heavy Items at Trade Shows and Expos

If your company manufactures items like boats or RVs, you probably see a great benefit to participating in trade shows and expos that give interested parties a chance to see your products. Yet, before your salespeople can show off all of the impressive features of a boat or RV that you manufacture, you have to get your products into a convention center or other exhibition hall. And this is where a DJ Products trailer mover can make a difference.

Overextending the body when manually lifting and moving items like trailers from one location to another can cause significant strain. You not only want your merchandise to arrive in good condition; you want your workers to be safe as well. Although a boat, camper or RV travels a short distance to and from your exhibit space, transporting these items even briefly can cause strain. The electric TrailerCaddy trailer mover is a perfect solution.

Our powered trailer movers have lower maintenance costs than typical trailer movers. They are also less bulky than traditional electric trailer pullers, so strain is minimized. However, being less bulky does not mean that our trailer movers are less powerful. Trailer movers like our TrailerCaddy are designed for increased control in tightly confined areas. This is especially useful for maneuvering through busy trade shows and convention centers where workers from other companies are also transporting goods.

If you are interested in seeing just how versatile our trailer movers are, you can inquire about our free demo trial trailer program. Our program allows you to use a trailer mover at your facility on a trial basis before you make a decision about purchasing one. After you fill out the Demo Program Inquiry, a Sales Engineer will get in touch with you to discuss the proper trailer mover solution.

Electric Cart Pushers Can Help Hospital Employees Work Efficiently

People who work in a hospital spend a lot of time there but they certainly don’t want to spend a lot of time in the hospital as patients. You can help prevent your employees from experiencing strain and pain as they transport cart through a hospital using an electric cart pusher. You can keep productivity up and avoid having workers on medical leave with the right material handling solutions.

The CartCaddyShorty electric cart pusher is battery powered electric cart pusher designed to have enough power to maneuver a cart through a hospital. It is designed for easy maneuvering and pivoting of your loads. While the CartCaddyShorty electric cart pusher is small, it still has plenty of power to handle most push or pull applications within the hospital industry. This little machine packs a big punch and can usually last for 16 hours or two shifts.

Hospitals are busy environments where efficiency is key. If you work in a hospital, you don’t want to spend time having to make a lot of adjustments to the equipment that has been purchased to make your job easier. The CartCaddyShorty has a spring hitch option and customized attachment—this means that workers will not need to fabricate multiple attachments for the cart or your equipment. Since the CartCaddyShorty’s attachment springs down and upward and attaches firmly to the bottom of the cart, an operator can easily get to work pushing, pulling or maneuvering the cart.

Call us today at 800-686-2651 and talk to a Sales Engineer who’d be happy to give you a recommendation on the material handling solution that will work for your hospital or medical facility.

Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment Prevents Strain and Injury

When you hear the word “ergonomics,” the first part of the body you think of may be the back, but ergonomically designed equipment helps reduce strain all over the entire body. Overusing certain muscles repeatedly while completing work tasks can lead to pain and injury that affects an employee’s psyche and ability to work.

According to About.com, “Ergonomics derives from two Greek words: ergon, meaning work, and nomoi, meaning natural laws, to create a word that means the science of work and a person’s relationship to that work.”

DJ Products makes Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment that moves naturally with the body and can eliminate the strain of manually pulling heavy product, parts carts, or wheeled equipment. We make “walk-behind” units that allow for better contra by the operator because they work as extensions the body. Rather than attempting to push, pull or otherwise coerce a cumbersome piece of equipment that likely is weighed down with a lot of supplies to move, workers who use DJ Products equipment can guide our products to where they need to be. Because of this operating flexibility, our electric cart movers can be used in more applications than standard material handling equipment and they work better in tight, difficult spaces.

Take some time to peruse the products on our website to find the products that match your specific need. Or if you prefer, you can call one of our Sales Engineers at 800-686-2651 so we can recommend a product that will help decrease the chances that your employees will experience strain or injury as they complete certain tasks.

Business Survival Strategies that Work

This week we’ve been talking about what it will take to survive in today’s challenging economy. We’ve shared marketing ideas from industry experts and our own playbook that have allowed companies to not only survive past economic downturns but thrive in highly competitive markets. The secret to survival in a bear economy is to develop a corporate attitude that is innovative enough to envision new applications for your products, flexible enough to act quickly when a new opportunity presents itself, and customer-oriented enough to anticipate customer needs and respond quickly to customer requests. Our ability to succeed in these areas has made DJ Products a nationwide leader in the innovative design and manufacture of ergonomic motorized carts and powered cart movers.

Through the example of our own company’s experiences, we’d like to demonstrate how businesses can apply the principles of innovation, flexibility and customer service to survive today and position themselves to thrive tomorrow.

Innovation. Innovators in the material handling field, DJ Products realized the value of ergonomic design before it became a popular cause. We realized that ergonomics was likely to become increasingly important as a worker health and safety issue with the power to drastically reduce health care, insurance, disability and workers’ compensation costs. But beyond that, we saw in ergonomics the potential to improve the speed and efficiency of production across a broad range of business environments.

Flexibility. DJ Products has exhibited the flexibility to imagine and develop new markets for products originally designed primarily for industrial settings. The most compact, light-weight versions of our CartCaddy movers are employed daily in health care and hospitality settings. Their small size and easy maneuverability in tight spaces makes them perfect for crowded hospital corridors and hotel hallways. We’ve found applications for our motorized car/truck pushers in the boating industries and recently designed a specialized version for use by auto racing pit crews.

Customer Service. We’re Old School in our belief that customer service must always be our first priority. We pride ourselves on our ability to customize our products to meet specific customer needs. We’re so convinced you’ll like our products, we offer a free trial program before you buy.

Take a page from the DJ Products’ handbook. Companies that emphasize innovation, flexibility and customer service will survive and can even thrive in these challenging economic times.

Business Survival Requires Effort on Multiple Fronts

Survival is the name of the game these days. Savvy companies large and small are tightening up their production and accounting procedures, taking care of their customers and working to expand their customer and product base. As we’ve discussed this week, some companies are improving their market share through consolidation mergers. Last week we talked about the importance of innovation, flexibility and customer service in surviving in today’s highly competitive market. We’ve also discussed the need to broaden your reach by finding new market opportunities for your products and services. The bottom line is survival in a recessionary economy requires businesses to make a constant effort on multiple fronts. Survival requires continuous effort to maintain current excellence and constant innovation to explore and pursue new opportunities.

Through economic highs and lows DJ Products has maintained its standing as a national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed motorized carts and powered cart movers by blending the old with the new. We have always maintained the highest quality production standards in the manufacture of material handling equipment, but we’ve introduced new, innovation, ergonomic designs to material handling that allow our customers to meet future challenges. Early on, DJ Products identified the growing concern about worker health and safety and the growing expense of ignoring musculoskeletal injuries. We predicted the increasing importance of these issues to employers and their workers as well as government and potential customers and worked to design innovative products that would meet growing demand.

Understanding the value of a satisfied customer, DJ Products has provided superior customer service. But we also understand that customer needs change as business changes. Our material handling products are designed with versatility and flexibility in mind so that they’ll be able to perform multiple functions to keep up with the changing demands of our customers. Lift kits and retrofit kits provide even more innovative flexibility to serve our customer’s needs. DJ Products also has the ability to offer our customers engineer-to-order material handling products to meet their specific needs.

DJ Products has been diligent in finding new uses for our ergonomically-designed material handling equipment. CartCaddies that were originally designed for manufacturing environments are now employed regularly in the healthcare, hospitality and retail industries. Our auto pushers are also being used at truck depots, RV sales lots and boat marinas. Working with our customers, DJ Products is constantly searching for and finding new uses and new markets for our innovative products.