Tag: safety

Functional Equipment doesn’t necessarily mean Basic Equipment

Many of the duties performed in a warehousing environment are repetitive, especially if much of the material distributed is similar.  Employees in the receiving department follow the appropriate procedure from unloading to stocking and the shipping department will follow their detailed procedure for pulling, stationing and prepping the materials to be picked up by the freight carrier.

This seemingly simple operation might lead people to believe that any old equipment can perform the job – all the employees are doing is moving materials from one spot to another right?  This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth though, the procedures followed in many warehouses and distribution centers follow a similar path – but if safe, reliable and properly designed equipment weren’t available, the business would never be able to keep up with the competition.

Some warehouses would probably be able to function for a very brief period with just the most rudimentary materials, like hand trucks and pallet jacks – provided that the material is to large or cumbersome to be handled manually.  There are probably some distribution centers that could squeak by for a brief period with outdated propane fueled forklifts that are prone to breakdown and require regular maintenance but operating in this fashion would certainly mean the most difficult road for the employees and the biggest risk of not being capable of accurately fulfilling orders.

The ergonomically designed and battery powered lifts from DJ Products are the solution to any material handling problem plaguing a warehouse or distribution center.  These lifts and carts are easy to operate, quiet, safe and the most reliable available.  These days, just keeping up with the competition in the distribution industry may not be enough to survive – you have to give your employees every edge to be able to fulfill orders as quickly and accurately as possible.  The edge often begins with the equipment used to get the job done, that’s why many warehouses and distribution centers are turning to the lifts and carts produced by DJ Products for their material handling needs.

Simple Measures Can Improve Warehouse Safety, Productivity

The bottom line advantage of improving worker safety was a recurrent theme this past week as businesses celebrated North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. The annual cost to American businesses of workplace injuries and illnesses is $171 billion. Safety improvement need not come at the expense of efficiency and productivity was the oft-promoted lesson.

“When it comes to improved productivity, safety is an overlooked area,” said Michael Davis of Sedlak Management Consultants. “A lot of times, you don’t realize how much a workmen’s compensation claim costs or the hit you take to morale and productivity if someone gets hurt on the job.” Davis suggested four easy fixes for creating a safer, more productive work environment in warehouses and distribution centers:

  • Create designated walkways for pedestrians and equipment. This is particularly important when forklifts or other equipment must share the same floor space with pedestrians. A low-cost solution can be as simple as outlining walkways in yellow paint and installing guardrails to protect pedestrians from equipment traffic.
  • Install an alert system to warn pickers of coming traffic. Mirrors can also be installed to help workers track the activity of others, particularly when picking areas are crowded or are shared by both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Davis says an alert system can be installed for $1,500 to $4,500, a fraction of the cost of a workmen’s compensation claim.
  • Safety gates that protect mezzanines are required by OSHA. Unfortunately, most safety gates are manually operated and may occasionally be left open. Installing a safety gate that closes automatically better protects high traffic areas.
  • Sensors around automated equipment can protect workers from inadvertent injury. Robotic pickers and palletizers are often used alongside human workers to improve productivity in picking and shipping operations. Davis suggests, “the installation of a light curtain around automated equipment. That’s  a system of photoelectric eyes that create a barrier around the equipment. If the beam from the photoelectric eye is broken because someone is in that area, the equipment automatically shuts off.”

Five Important Dock Safety Tips

Warehouse safety begins at the receiving and shipping docks. Safe dock procedures set the stage for the safe unloading, handling and storage of materials as well as the packing, loading and shipping of product. Identifying and addressing ergonomic challenges on the dock can directly impact worker safety and dock productivity. “You have to look at everything from what kind of trailer you’re going to receive, to whether the load is floor-loaded or unitized to what happens to it after it comes off the truck. Even the temperature inside the facility and the weather are important,” explained Brent Tymensky, VP of design engineering for Fortna Inc.

Dock safety begins with attention to five important issues:

  • Trailer access. The length, width, height and suspension system of a trailer generally determine the dock equipment needed. Other considerations include whether the trailer is dry or refrigerated and whether the load is unitized and fully cubed.
  • Dock conditions. Temperature and weather impact dock worker safety and efficiency. A canopy that keeps out cold, heat, wind, rain and snow improves working conditions and worker comfort. Air-inflatable dock seals can form a tight barrier around a trailer, keeping out the weather and reducing energy costs.
  • Personnel issues. The age, experience and physical condition of your workforce are factors that determine how and when automated and manual equipment are used. Adjustable conveyors that reach into a trailer can assist with manual unloading and loading procedures, reducing the physical strain on workers. While some palletized loads can be off-loaded as is, many pallet loads must be broken down manually into their components for use or proper storage. Adjustable carts and tuggers can make this work both easier and safer for dock workers.
  • Dock safety equipment. Vehicle restraint devices prevent trailers from exiting prematurely while workers are still on the trailer. Restraint devices range from simple wheel chucks to automated systems that bolt into the cement dock and attach to the trailer’s rear guard. A newly marketed interlocking device attaches to the trailer brake emergency airline to prevent the trailer from moving until the dock ramp is removed and the dock door closed.
  • Productivity and efficiency. Dock levelers, extendable conveyors and palletizing equipment all increase efficiency in retrieving and loading materials and goods. Trailer drop can significantly hinder the transition from the trailer to the dock. Levelers and vehicle restraints that support the rear of the trailer can eliminate trailer drop as equipment is moved into the trailer for loading or unloading.

Always be Prepared

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known simply as OSHA, is responsible for setting and enforcing the standards of safety in the workplace.  The main goal of OSHA is to reduce on the job injuries and fatalities by assuring that workers are performing their jobs in the safest environments possible.  Since it’s inception at the end of 1970, OSHA has dramatically reduced the incidents of accidents in the workplace and they continue to inspect facilities and enforce their policies in an effort to make working people even safer.

Between the federal and state run divisions of OSHA, more than 100,000 facilities are inspected each year and those not meeting the standards could receive heavy fines depending upon their infractions.  The number one violation cited by OSHA has to do with forklift operation.  This should serve as a warning to all warehouse and distribution environments that if they are operating outdated and unreliable equipment or if they haven’t properly trained their employees on correct usage procedures of equipment that they could suffer citations and heavy fines from OSHA.

There is much more at stake though than a fine, operating your facility with under trained employees or old and unreliable equipment could make your facility run poorly, inefficiently and it can put the health of your employees in jeopardy.  In order to have the safest facility possible you need to be running equipment that was designed for the tasks that your employees perform and you need to properly train your workers to operate that equipment.

Electric lifts and carts from DJ Products are designed with safety and performance in mind – they are easy to operate, ergonomically designed and can last for an entire shift on a single charge.  Properly using the right equipment is the first step to a safer, more effective and more efficient workplace – and it will eliminate the most cited infraction of the standards set by OSHA and keep you one step closer to compliance.

More Companies Going Forklift-Free

An increasing number of companies, particularly in the manufacturing, warehousing and logistics industries, are moving toward a forklift-free environment. Safety concerns and maintenance costs are the primary factors driving this major change in material handling application.

According to a recent study by the Hyster Company, a major manufacturer of forklift trucks, only 6% of end-users know their real forklift maintenance costs and few have implemented programs to reduce those costs. Over the 20-year life of a forklift, 80% of the total costs are operating expenses. Ownership accounts for only 20% of a forklift’s total cost. The Hyster study estimates that American businesses waste more than $1 billion per year in unnecessary material handling operating costs.

Far more expensive are the human loss and liability costs directly tied to forklift injuries each year. Each year, nearly 100 U.S. workers are killed in forklift accidents and another 20,000 seriously injured. Forklift overturns cause 25% of forklift-related deaths. Medical expenses, insurance costs, workmen’s compensation and lost man-hours associated with forklift accidents cost American businesses millions of dollars each year.

According to John Neuman and Larry Tyler, writing in American Machinist, a forklift-free program can have multiple benefits, including:

  • reduced inventory,
  • improved material flow,
  • reduced line-side handling equipment,
  • reduced floor space,
  • increased cycle efficiency,
  • increased floor coordination,
  • increased stocking efficiency, and
  • decreased operating costs.

On the human side, a forklift-free environment improves investor, worker and public perception of a company’s attention to safety. It improves worker ergonomics, efficiency and production and decreases expensive lost man-hours, medical, insurance and liability costs.

Next time: Implementing a forklift-free program.

Material Handling Solutions for Big Box Stores

With the current state of the economy, everyone is trying to do whatever they can in order to save some money.  That has many consumers buying in bulk at big box/outlet stores in an effort to spread their money out just a little bit more.

Outlet stores operate like a cross between a warehouse and a retail establishment, which poses some differences and potential problems with actually getting the material from receiving to the sales floor where customers have the opportunity to purchase.

It’s absolutely crucial for these types of environments to have safe and reliable equipment in order to meet the customer’s needs.  The employees need to be able to move large quantities of product literally among the customer base during business hours, so safety is a huge concern.  No outlet store can operate successfully with loud and difficult to operate equipment – all material handling equipment needs to be easy to operate and not overly disruptive to the consumer experience.

Once the safety of the employees and customers has been taken care of, reliability is the second biggest concern.  Even the slightest failure of material handling equipment in a big outlet store could spell disaster as much of the material moves directly from receiving to the sales floor in bulk loads.  If the equipment is not functioning for even a short period of time, there could be dozens and dozens of lost sales and potentially lost customers.

Properly trained, reliable employees and reliable equipment are two of the biggest keys to the success of big box and outlet stores.  Reliable equipment ensures that the material hits the sales floor in a timely manner and is available for sale when the customers are looking for it.

Products to Help Your Business Go Forklift-Free

There’s a growing trend, particularly in manufacturing, warehousing and logistics environments to go forklift-free (see our June 11 & 13 posts). An increasing number of businesses are choosing to replace forklift trucks with safer, ergonomic material handling products that are cheaper to own and operate. As we noted, going forklift-free can result in considerable savings in production and maintenance costs while significantly decreasing worker accidents and injuries and their associated medical, insurance, workman’s compensation and lost man-hour expenses. DJ Products can help your business transition to a safer forklift-free work environment.

At DJ Products we manufacture a full line of electric cart pullers and motorized cart pushers and tugs. Our products are ergonomically designed to eliminate the pain and strain of manually pushing and pulling heavy carts and wheeled equipment. Smaller and more maneuverable than traditional equipment like forklift trucks, walkies and riding tugs, you’ll also find our products to be less costly to purchase and maintain. Implementing forklift-free solutions with DJ Products equipment offers multiple benefits, including:

  • Decreased operating costs, particularly equipment purchase and maintenance costs,
  • Decreased floor space needed to maneuver equipment,
  • Decreased worker injuries and attendant medical, insurance, workman’s compensation and lost man-hour costs,
  • Decreased liability,
  • Increased plant safety, 
  • Increased worker morale, and
  • Increased efficiency and productivity. 

DJ Products can help you plan your transition to a forklift-free environment. We specialize in solving ergonomic material handling applications with battery-powered, walk-behind tug and tugger solutions. Many of our motorized cart products can be custom configured for adaptation to almost every heavy cart pushing or pulling application. Click here to request a free brochure or video about DJ Products’ ergonomic solutions. We also offer a free demo trial program so you can try out a CartCaddy cart pusher at your facility before purchase. Our expert Sales Engineers can discuss the details of your particular application and suggest ergonomic products that will provide the appropriate solution. Click here to contact a DJ Products Sales Engineer and begin your transition to a safe, cost effective, forklift-free work environment today.

Freight Solutions for Small and Medium Sized Warehouses

A forklift is a great asset for moving palletized freight or heavy loads from point a to point b in your facility, but not every plant or warehouse that handles heavy loads has the storage capacity or room to maneuver for a forklift to be a viable option.  In many of these establishments, employees are manually handling these heavy loads and workers are risking injury every single day in order to perform their job.

You don’t need extra wide aisles in order to operate a powered machine that can move heavy equipment or loads from one end of your warehouse to the other; you can get the same power delivered by a full sized fork truck in the smaller and easier to maneuver CartCaddy4SC powered hand truck from DJ Products.

The CartCaddy4SC allows workers to quickly, safely and easily handle loads up 4,500 pounds in situations where a full sized forklift would be too big a piece of equipment.  The CartCaddy4SC can also be an incredible compliment to a full sized forklift in high volume warehouses that require multiple large loads to be handled at the same time but that don’t have the budget, need or space to merit having two forklifts on site.

Just like all of the material handling equipment from DJ Products, this powered hand truck is built with both functionality and safety in mind.  This piece of equipment is easy to use, quiet, ergonomically designed and can run for a full eight hour shift with regular use on a single charge.

Your business can operate much more smoothly and safely with the proper equipment for the job and if you need heavy loads moved in tight quarters or need to safely get heavy equipment or stock from one place to another while your forklift is in use elsewhere – your business could certainly benefit from having a powered hand truck on site.

Weighing the Options

Functional equipment operated by quality employees is pretty much the lifeblood of the material handling industry.  Unfortunately, with the state of the economy over the course of the last couple years, many warehouses and distribution centers are operating with outdated and broken down equipment that is hampering their employee’s productivity and putting them at risk of injury. Some owners feel that equipment upgrades simply aren’t in the budget, but at the same time they constantly have to pay for costly repairs on the machines that they are using and losing time and money when equipment is down.  If all of the repairs and lost income from delays over the course of a year were tallied, odds are that the sum would far outweigh the cost of an equipment upgrade.

Upgrading outdated material handling equipment in favor of the safer, more reliable and more efficient powered carts from DJ Products will have many benefits, both immediate and long term, which will far outweigh the initial one time investment of the purchase.

The material handling equipment from DJ Products is ergonomically designed to be among the safest equipment that your employees can use, this helps to ensure that your employees avoid many of the injuries often associated with manual material handling.  You’ll also get unparalleled reliability, with carts that can operate strong for an entire shift on a single charge with no worries at all about failure.

Healthy employees and reliable equipment will dramatically increase your operational productivity, this will allow you do satisfy more customers and do so in a quicker fashion.  Equipment that can help to keep your employees healthy and allow you to fulfill customer orders more quickly will pay for itself in no time, regardless of the cost of the initial investment.

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.