Tag: Safety and Ergonomics

Increase Efficiency and Safety with a Car Pusher

If you own a car care center or car dealership that offers repairs or then you probably already know that vehicle manufacturers use car pushers to help keep things moving during the assembly process but you may not have considered how a car pusher can be an asset in your business as well.

Streetdirectory.com explained why a car pusher could be a good investment:
“A good car pusher is not very big and it is compact, thus allowing pushing and even pulling wheeled equipment. Such a pusher is a good investment because it allows a business to save workmen hours. Imagine for example working in a car repair center and having to push cars around all day long. Your body will be tired and you will have aching muscles or even worse strained muscles.”

A CarCaddy car pusher from DJ Products makes it much easier to move cars, trucks, buses and even RVs. This makes things so much safer for your employees and your customers as well. Your employees will not feel as strained and even if you don’t allow customers near the work area, your facility will be safer overall because our car pushers can help move vehicles even in tight quarters. Workers who experience muscle strain that does not require them to stop working may be reluctant to speak up but their work will suffer and you want your workers at their best.

Call us at 800-686-2651 to learn more about the CarCaddy and other material handling solutions such as electric carts that can make your workplace more efficient.

Powered Movers Can Take on a Starring Role in Your Operations

DJ Products makes motorized carts and powered movers that eliminate the strain and pain that can result when workers try to push heavy carts loaded with items like dirty linens or cleaning supplies.

The industrial application of motorized carts demonstrates just how useful these carts can be. However, motorized carts have been showing up on TV lately—with mixed results.

The New York Times and The Huffington Post did not think very highly of a routine on Betty White’s new show that used a motorized cart (“How is an old woman in a motorized cart driving up behind pedestrians and rudely blowing her horn to scare them even remotely clever or funny?”)

Reality television star and expectant mother Tori Spelling found a motorized cart to be useful while she planned a charity baby shower. With her due date very near, Spelling was not going to have an easy time walking around and getting things ready. She solved this problem by using a motorized cart. And since television requires people to entertain, she also found a way to keep the audience entertained by not operating the cart very well and crashing into walls.

Rather than being designed to transport people, motorized cart solutions from DJ Products are made to help people who need to transport heavy loads. They are less costly, smaller, and more maneuverable than traditional electric equipment such as motorized riding tugs.

Our carts for hospitals and the hospitality industry are designed to help make certain tasks easier and reduce the possibility of injury. For example, the Ergo Power electric cart has a variable speed handle bar twist grip that allows it to maneuver in tight aisles.

If you aren’t sure of exactly what you need, you can call our Sales Engineers. They will also be happy to explore custom applications and recommend a solution.

Move a Trailer Safely and Efficiently with a DJ Products Trailer Mover

You wouldn’t think of pulling or pushing trailer on your own but with a powerful, ergonomically designed trailer mover from DJ Products you can do just that. Our TrailerCaddy trailer mover is capable of pushing and pulling RVs. campers, equipment trailers, and boats. You can use it to transport these items short distances, such as across a show room or down an assembly line. In other words, a DJ Products trailer mover is perfect for moving boats and trailers in tight spaces where a wheeled trailer will not fit. Our trailer movers let you move these kinds of large items in small areas and if used properly, you can minimize the chances that there will de damage to the vehicle you are trying to move or to the items that surround it.

Why take a chance that human effort alone can move a trailer a short distance without damaging it? Our trailer movers can be made to your specification. We can easily customize the electric mover to work with any style trailer and the electric braking system can hold a trailer on an incline to stop the runaway trailers and the accidents that can result when a trailer slides away.

It comes with 3 deep cycle batteries for long run times and extended use between charges, making it perfect for your business, whether you have a rental center that needs to stage rental trailers on a regular basis or a marina where customers occasionally need help preparing their powered boats before launching them.

Check out this video to see our trailer mover in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVVUfxZwQMI&feature=player_embedded

A Heavy Duty Cart Mover Gets the Job Done Safely

You would think that a cart itself would be enough to transport loads that a person cannot carry on his or her own, but when it comes to industry, sometimes even the carts need a little help. This is when a cart mover can come in very handy. The CartCaddyHD from DJ Products has been designed to push, pull, or maneuver carts or equipment up to 50,000 pounds.

If you’re wondering just why someone would load something up with that much weight, think about how long it would take if you were to break that 50,000 pounds in to smaller, more manageable loads—the kind that one person could carry comfortably. It would take a very long time to transport the kind of load or move a very heavy piece of equipment that has been broken down in that way. Sometimes transporting goods and machinery in these large quantities just makes sense.

So while many warehouses, factories and other places have seen the logic in having weighty loads to make things more efficient, they haven’t examined another factor in efficiency and that’s human capacity. There will be times when it is necessary to transport loads that are quite heavy for efficiency’s sake but you do not want to overburden workers. Have an uninjured workforce is also a key component in keeping things running smoothly and you don’t want workers with overtaxed musculoskeletal systems continuing to work until they become injured.

Try the CartCaddyHD—this battery powered cart mover offers a variable speed twist grip that allowed the cart to move forwards and backwards, allowing smooth movement and protecting the operator from carpel tunnel syndrome.

Welcome to the DJ Products, Inc. Blog

Welcome to the DJ Products, Inc. blog! We specialize in ergonomic material handling products geared to take the pain and strain out of moving heavy carts, equipment and materials. We pride ourselves in providing material handling solutions that are maneuverable, safe and cost effective. Our goal is to minimize the wear and tear on your personnel, your product AND your bottom line.

Our products are used in manufacturing and distribution settings including heavy and light industry, warehouses, fulfillment centers, the automotive industry pushing stalled vehicles with our Car Pusher and more. Our products can be used to pull RV’s, trailers, boats, generators, wheeled equipment — anything with a ball coupler or pintle hitch tongue called our Trailer Mover. You’ll also find our products in use at car dealerships, hospitals, the hospitality industry, groceries, big box stores and the retail industry.

DJ Products cart pusher, cart mover, caddies and lifts offer superior operating flexibility, allowing them to be used in a greater number of applications than standard material handling equipment. Our products are battery powered “walk-behind” units that provide maximum operator control, even in tight, difficult spaces. Our ergonomically designed products reduce employee injuries, promote easy and frequent use, and eliminate the use of more costly and cumbersome equipment ill-suited to the task.

Join us in this space for news, discussion and insight on topics that impact your business, including:

  • How you can improve the ergonomics and safety of your workplace when moving products and materials.
  • New products and trends in material handling.
  • OSHA regulations and how they impact your business and employees.
  • Innovative material handling solutions to common problems.
  • New ergonomic findings and trends in material handling.
  • Pallets vs. carts: parameters for making an informed decision.
  • Benefits and information on implementing an ergonomic health and safety program.
  • Safety tips for manually moving objects.
  • Evaluation of market products including carts, casters, caddies, etc.

If you’re looking for up-to-date, useful information on material handling solutions, bookmark the DJ Products blog and check our new posts frequently. DJ Products: Changing the way you move materials and equipment.

Use a DJ Products Cart Mover to Transport Glass

A cart mover has a number of applications, although if you were to look at the name of this product literally, you might conclude that it is only used to move carts.

For example, if you need to move heavy windows or glass from place to place in a workshop or at a work site, you can use a cart mover to do this rather than rely on human effort. No matter how many times your employees have carefully and successfully moved heavy glass objects without incident, a one-time mistake with something like this can be costly and very dangerous.

There is a risk of breaking glass each and every time you move it. Once glass is installed, it can still break, but if your work involves getting windows or stained glass positioned correctly, you want to make sure that your part of the work is done without injury or extra expenses.

A Remodeling magazine article recommends that you, “Know exactly how you’re getting the glass from the truck to the installation point.” Overall, Remodeilng says that “Smart, safe, and slow are the key words for moving and installing glass…”

A heavy-duty battery powered DJ Products cart mover is designed to push, pull, or maneuver carts or equipment up to 50,000 pounds, so it can be used for delicate mirrors, heavy glass panes, and a variety of other products. Its electric lift option and customized attachment eliminate the need for fabricating multiple attachments for each cart or piece of equipment and the mover arm rises and lowers, attaching it firmly to the bottom of any cart.

Avoid Safety Hazards to Make Efficient Use of Material Handling Solutions

Material handling solutions from DJ Products are safe, ergonomically correct, and cost effective. Our battery powered “walk-behind” units make it possible for an operator to have increased control and maneuver with ease, even in the tightest spaces. You’ll find that our motorized carts and powered tugs are easier to control than traditional electric equipment such as fork trucks, walks, or motorized riding tugs. Take a look at our website to find the material handling solution that will work best for your business and keep in mind that our tugs, pushers and pullers can be customized to better suit your needs.

However, as much as our products can assist you in transporting raw materials and products, they cannot rid your workplace of potential safety hazards.

ComplianceandSafety.com offers tips to make sure that your equipment travels smoothly and your employees stay safe:

Fix or report torn carpeting, loose floorboards or tiles, or otherwise unstable surfaces.

Fix or report broken furniture, burnt-out light bulbs or other appliances, and other defective equipment.

Look out for frayed, torn, or otherwise damaged electrical cords, cables, etc.
Keep floors and walkways clear of cords; coil excess cables or use cable ties to keep them out of the way.

Remove obstructions in walkways and (especially) exits.
Safety signs and exit signs should be clearly marked and easily seen.

Never touch electrical switches, outlets, or plugs with wet hands.

Fix or report fire hazards; check the sprinkler system, renew batteries for smoke detectors, have fire extinguishers on-hand.
Use flame-retardant materials.
Label and safely store all combustible items and fluids.

Move Horse Trailers with a Powered Trailer Dolly

There was a time when horses were our main source of transportation. We rode on them and used them to move heavy loads. Horses are still used to do a lot of heavy lifting and pulling but there are times when even they must be transported and they cannot be the means of transport. In those instances, we put horses into horse trailers that move the animals along.

Just as horses who can transport themselves sometimes have to be put into horse trailers, so too sometimes you may need help moving a horse trailer itself. Moving something like a horse trailer, even a short distance, can cause muscle strain and possibly cause injury. This is where a powered trailer dolly can be of great benefit. With its compact size, variable speed and the ease with which it can be maneuvered, a powered trailer dolly is a great alternative to yard tractors and pick up trucks.

Skeptical? You should know that our powered trailer dolly features a heavy-duty 36-volt motor that generates an enormous amount of power in the compact powered dolly.

The TrailerCaddyHD Extreme from DJ Products is not just for transporting horses; it can also be used to move boats, RVs, toy haulers and equipment trailers. If your workplace needs a horse trailer, there is a good chance that you will be able to put a powered trailer dolly to use in several ways. This powered dolly unit is the perfect solution for manufacturers, warehouses, distributors, and anyone who has to move heavy trailers short distances either indoors or outdoors.

Ergonomically Designed Equipment Can Help Employees Work More Efficiently

As we advance into the 21st century there will be more and more talk of how machines can replace people. Certainly, there are a number of professions in which fewer people can find work because machines are being used more often, but there is still a lot of work that requires the human touch. And if your company has jobs that require human effort, why not take good care of your workers? When you use the right equipment, such as a battery powered tug from DJ Products, you can prevent your employees from becoming injured.

DJ Products’ warehouse tugs like the RiderCaddy can increase overall productivity. If your company had carts that required several operators, a RiderCaddy would allow them to be moved by just one operator. The operators eliminated from this responsibility would then be available for other tasks.

Last year, a Forbes.com article made this very point. Instead of giving in to the fear that machines will take over, individuals and companies can find tasks that make better use of an employee’s time. “We mechanize a task, get it done by machines, which frees up humans to go and do something else. Possibly a more interesting something else.”

Your employees could get more done and do it safely when they have equipment that is ergonomically designed. All of our products are battery powered “walk-behind” units, that allow the operator to have increased control, even in tight, difficult spaces. Because of this operating flexibility, our extremely efficient electric cart movers can be used in more applications than standard material handling equipment.

Casinos: Don’t Gamble with Employee Safety–Get Motorized Carts

If you own a resort and casino, don’t take a chance that your employees are able to transport heavy loads with regular carts. Get motorized power carts so that your workers can move linens and supplies as necessary without injury or strain.

A Powered Housekeeping Cart or a Motorized Linen Cart can haul loads of up to 700 pounds with variable speed twist grips that allow the operator to travel at speeds between 0 and 3 mph. These carts can eliminate the strain and injury that can result from manually pushing supplies and linens with carts, especially where carpeting makes it difficult to push.

While the people out front like dealers and food service staff keep things going where the customers can see, you also need to make sure that your behind-the-scenes operations are also running smoothly. You don’t what repetitive injuries to get in the way of efficiency because your guests are relying on you to provide seamless service.

You may also find that a Motorized Dump Hopper, which is a heavy-duty battery powered tilt truck designed to haul up to 2000 pounds of trash or debris, can be of great assistance. Again, you rely on the people out front as well as the people who keep your facilities clean to stay in business. You want to give them the equipment they need to get the job done without injury.

For more information about applications and environments conducive to using our heavy cart mover application, call DJ Products at 1-800-686-2651. When you call, you can also ask about how our products can be customized to fit your specific needs.