Tag: safety

Safety Factors Force Decline of Forklift Trucks

“When we think of unsafe operations, a fork lift truck tipping over is about as bad as it gets,” said Fork Lift Truck Association CEO David Ellison. “But it can and does get worse if the operator is not restrained. Indeed it gets a bloody site worse. Many people think this is something that couldn’t happen on their site … but we know it does … and more often than you would think!”

Ellison spoke those grim words in promotion of the European association’s 2008 Safety Conference. In the U.S., OSHA estimates that each year forklifts are responsible for 85 fatalities, 34,900 serious injuries and 61,800 non-serious injuries. Of the 855,900 forklifts in operation in the U.S., the Industrial Truck Association estimates that 11% will be involved in an accident this year. Since the useful life of a lift truck is 8 years, 90% of all forklifts will be involved in an accident during their useful life.

The major causes of forklift fatalities are:

  • 42% tipovers
  • 25% crushed between vehicle and a surface
  • 11% crushed between 2 vehicles
  • 10% struck or run over by a forklift
  • 8% struck by falling material
  • 4% fall from platform on the forks

For the past 20 years, forklifts have been the major cause of industrial deaths and accidents in the U.S. Nearly half of forklift fatalities (42%) occur in manufacturing facilities. Construction settings account for 24% of fatalities, followed by wholesale facilities (12.5%), transportation (11%), retail trade (9%) and mining (1.2%).

The likelihood of serious injury or death has spurred many manufacturers and businesses to limit and often entirely remove forklifts from their facilities. Motorized electric carts and tugs are able to perform most forklift tasks more efficiently, more economically and with much greater safety.

Body Posture Plays Significant Role in Ergonomic Design

Body posture affects the amount of force that must be exerted to move and maneuver industrial carts and equipment. The human musculoskeletal system functions like a complex system of mechanical levers. Posture determines the positioning of our joints which, in turn, determines the reach of each muscle and the force needed to exercise it. Ergonomic design seeks to produce maximum force from each exertion by optimizing body posture. In creating a more efficient piece of equipment, the goal of ergonomic design is to minimize wear and tear and the threat of injury to the human body.

Optimal body posture generally changes a piece of equipment is moved. The horizontal force necessary to put equipment in motion gives way to a more upright stance as less force is needed to keep it in motion. Handle placement can affect the amount of horizontal push a worker is able to supply. Any angle above or below the horizontal plane will diminish the amount of force a worker can produce. The greater the angle, the less direct force can applied to horizontal movement. Due to variations in worker size, adjustable handles or multiple handholds will allow optimal force production for a greater percentage of your workforce.

Foot positioning can also have a significant impact on the amount of force a worker can produce. The greatest push force is generated when the body is in a lunging posture with feet separated, one foot some distance ahead of the other. Because this position places the rear foot beyond the body’s center of gravity, it unbalances the body, placing workers at increased risk for falls and injury. The risk of serious injury increases if push force must be executed on either an incline or decline.

The use of electronic or motorized carts eliminates the burden of force and the risk of potential injury from your workforce. Equipment rather than the worker’s body provides the push force to necessary initiate and maintain movement. Optimal force can be applied regardless of worker size and strength, maximizing the efficient use of your workforce and optimizing task completion.

Taking the Pain out of Cart Retrieval

Nearly all large retail establishments have a multitude of shopping carts to serve their customers and invariably at several points throughout the day; many of those shopping carts are strewn about the parking lot.  This leaves the burden of cart collection on the employees of the establishment, and while its good to have job security, especially in this day and age, this particular duty is probably among the least favorite of many retail employees.

Carts get left in the parking lot regardless of the weather or temperature outside, leaving employees having to go out in the rain, snow, sleet and freezing temperatures to perform this high labor duty.  Collecting just a few carts at a time could make the process take far too long, and trying to collect a dozen all at once could lead to an unnecessary injury – manual cart collection, especially in less than favorable weather, is a lose-lose situation.

A cart retriever from DJ Products can take all of the hassle out of collecting shopping carts by removing the stress and strain on the employee and allowing the task to be performed at a much faster pace.  DJ Products cart retriever can easily handle a line of up to fifty shopping carts, allowing an entire parking lot to be cleaned of carts in a fraction of the time it would take to perform the collection manually.

The Cart Retriever makes this once dreaded job much safer and much easier and it frees up many more man hours for employees to attack other jobs inside the store to potentially create more revenue.  When employees aren’t pre-occupied with cart collection, more product can make its way on to the shelves, more customers can be served and the establishment can be kept organized and clean.  Increasing productivity in the workplace without risking employee safety is the best way to increase profitability and the Cart Retriever does just that.

Ergonomics = Respect for Workers

Companies that value and respect their workers are proactive about ergonomics, said Peter Budnick, PH.D., founder, president and CEO of Core 3, Ergoweb and Ergobuyer, at a recent material handling conference. “A well formulated ergonomics strategy supports and accelerates continuous improvement in any organization, facility or supply chain.”

Integration of ergonomic practices and equipment into manufacturing and business operations improves productivity, waste reduction, quality control and safety. Ergonomics can operationalize a company’s respect for people, said Budnick, who added that many companies misunderstand ergonomics and therefore don’t recognize its value. He considers ergonomics “essential in an effective continuous improvement system” in any business or industry. 

Ergonomics takes a human-centered approach to task and tool design. It recognizes differences in the individual characteristics and capabilities of workers and strives to accommodate those variables in the design of equipment and structuring of tasks. The goal of ergonomics is to prevent soft tissue, repetitive motion, repetitive stress and musculoskeletal injuries. Nearly half of all lost work days can be attributed to musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries cost U.S. industry more than $61 billion per year in lost productivity and an additional $20 billion in annual medical and workers compensation benefits.

The value of respecting workers has been proven time and again. Toyota has made it a pillar of its business execution plan. When workers are valued, productivity and quality increase while injuries and negativity decrease. Implementation of an ergonomics program is an important way to show workers that you respect them and value their health and safety. In formulating an ergonomics program, evaluate tasks, equipment and work environment for the following factors:

  • force applied
  • awkward or fatiguing postures
  • repetition or frequency
  • duration, both of the task and the number of times per day it is performed
  • vibration
  • contact pressure
  • velocity of movement
  • environmental factors including lighting, temperature, noise, etc.

The goal of ergonomics is to eliminate the discomfort and stress these factors cause workers. On the DJ Products website, we provide a handy Ergonomic Load Calculator that can assist you in evaluating the force needed to move loads in particular workplace environments. Our experienced staff can assist you in designing ergonomic solutions that will benefit your workers and increase productivity.

Use a Tow Tugger to Transport Carts Safely

DJ Products offers tow tugs like the CartCaddy Shorty that are designed to help workers move heavy carts and equipment efficiently and safely. Our motorized cart movers increase productivity by reducing the number of operators needed to move a heavy cart since tuggers like the CartCaddy Shorty can be operated by one employee.

One employee can move heavy carts and equipment safely with the CartCaddy Shorty because it attaches to the swivel-castered end of a cart and provides the pushing and pulling power necessary for easy turning and intricate maneuvering. It has a variable speed twist grip for forward and reverse directions and can be operated at speeds from from 0 to 3 mph. This means that it can keep up with the operator so he or she will not become frustrated or need to try to yank it or force it to move. Operator frustration such as that can cause problems and our equipment was designed to avoid those kinds of situation.

Another important feature of the CartCaddy Shorty is the safety stop. When the safety stop is activated, the machine stops immediately to prevent any possible injury. We design our equipment to be as safe as possible and to prevent strain, however there are situations that we cannot foresee. This is why an operator has the option of stopping the tugger immediately if necessary.
Sufficient power can also be a safety concern since you do not want to buy equipment that stops working in the middle of the job. The CartCaddyShorty Power Tugger can be operated continuously for 16 hours before you need to recharge it.

New Race Car Pusher Zooms into Nascar Pits

You have to love Nascar. The roar of the engines, the flashing colors, the intense concentration of drivers hurtling around the track at speeds we only wish we could achieve with our rather pedestrian family car. We marvel at the balletic precision of the pit crews as a car zooms in and screeches to a halt, tires smoking. Like attacking locusts, the crew descends on the car, jacks pumping and pneumatic drills whirring, bouncing tread-bare tires off and new ones back on. Then with a roar, the car is off again to join the fray.

What we don’t see is the back-breaking labor behind the scenes. Before and after races, these race cars must be muscled in and out of trailers, pushed around service areas for fine tuning and repair, shunted across huge expanses of tarmac for inspection or testing, and maneuvered into the pit — all manually. Can you imagine the chaos if all those high-powered machines went lurching around with engines roaring? Until race time, the only power used to move these sleek racers is human muscle. And since human sinew and tendons are no match for more than a ton of steel, injuries are common.

DJ Product’s RaceCarCaddy keeps the risk of injury on the track and out of the pit. This battery-powered auto pusher allows a single crew member to expertly move and maneuver a heavy race car in the pit or staging area without risk of injury, freeing other crew members for other service tasks. Our RaceCarCaddy is a specialized version of our popular ergonomically-designed car and vehicle pusher developed especially for the race car industry.

The RaceCarCaddy is capable of moving 5000 pounds. Made with a strong tubular steel frame, this battery-operated vehicle pusher features a variable-speed handlebar twist grip to eliminate carpal tunnel syndrome, can go from 0 to 3 mph in both forward and reverse with adjustable acceleration braking, and features non-marking push pads to protect those snazzy paint jobs. Powered by three 12-volt batteries, this powerful vehicle mover comes with an onboard automatic charger, Hoosier slick racing tires and much more.

Specialized options are also available for the RaceCarCaddy, including an operator ride-along kit, foam-filled tires, snow and ice tires, flashing light, safety horn, maintenance-free batteries and a heavy duty motor/transaxle power upgrade that allows this caddy to push cars and trucks up to 50,000 pounds. Your RaceCarCaddy can be customized to match your race car and include your sponsor’s logo.

Click here to watch a video of the amazing RaceCarCaddy in action.  Visit our website for complete specifications on DJ Products’ new RaceCarCaddy.

Use Ergonomics to Improve Lifting Safety

Lifting and carrying are the two material handling tasks that result in the greatest number of worker injuries each year. (See our May 14 post on tips for ergonomic carrying.) Applying ergonomics to material handling tasks that involve lifting reduces the need for reaching and bending and the injury-producing stress those actions can place on the back and shoulders. Ergonomics also strives to reduce the amount of effort and force necessary to perform lift tasks.

Calculations of lift force involve both the amount of weight to be lifted and the time period over which the average worker can lift that weight without risk of developing lower back pain. Under ideal conditions, the maximum weight a typical healthy worker can lift with two hands over an 8-hour period is 51 pounds, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). However, a number of variables can significantly reduce the maximum lift weight. 

To decrease the potential risk of injury from lift tasks, both overall work flow and individual work tasks should be evaluated to eliminate unnecessary lifting. Where lifting is necessary, ergonomically designed equipment can be used to facilitate many lift tasks. Workers can also be trained to use ergonomic principles in performing lift tasks to minimize potential injury.

To decrease injuries caused by lifting, follow these suggestions:

  • Use ergonomic electric scissor lift tables and power hoists to lift and lower loads where possible to minimize manual lifting.
  • Minimize the distance materials must be lifted or lowered.
  • Use adjustable powered tugs that allow workers to position lift loads at the appropriate height for maximum lifting power.
  • Tag unstable or heavy loads to alert workers. Promote team lifting of such loads to minimize potential worker injury.
  • Test loads for weight and stability before lifting.
  • Reduce load weights and balance loads to facilitate lifting without injury.
  • Rotate workers between lifting and non-lifting tasks or have workers alternate lifting with non-lifting tasks to avoid over-straining muscles. 
  • Reduce the frequency of lifting and amount of time workers perform lifting tasks.
  • Provide clear access to materials to be lifted to prevent awkward reaching, bending and twisting during lifting.
  • Provide secure grips on materials to be lifted.
  • Provide sufficient foot traction with the floor to increase worker stability during lifting.

What to Look for in Ergonomic Design

You can’t squash a square peg into a round hole. In effect, that’s the idea behind ergonomic design. Instead of trying to contort human bodies to work tasks, ergonomic design seeks to fit products, tasks and environments to the people who use them. The result is increased productivity, decreased expense and greater worker safety. Definitely a win-win scenario for business and workers.

Ergonomics factors the human element into work tasks by taking into consideration physical capabilities such as force, posture and repetition. The psychological aspects of a task may also be considered, including mental loading and decision making. Ergonomic design may call upon the expertise of engineers, safety professionals, industrial hygienists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, physicians and the workers themselves.

In creating ergonomically designed equipment, both typical tasks and work sites are evaluated. By identifying potential risk factors and conditions, equipment can be engineered to reduce those risks. Ergonomic design must account not only for a range of work site conditions, but also for an even broader range of potential workers. After all, workers come in all body types. Height, weight, physical condition, physical and mental ability, age and sex must all be considered in designing ergonomic equipment. Ergonomic design generally allows equipment to be adjusted to allow for individual differences. 

DJ Products manufactures quality ergonomically designed electric and motorized carts. On our website, you’ll find a handy Ergonomic Load Calculator you can use to estimate the amount of horizontal force necessary to move loads in your particular business environment. The experienced staff at DJ Products can assist you in selecting ergonomically designed equipment that meets the needs of your business. Contact a DJ Products ergonomic design specialist today.

Michigan Poised to Adopt Ergonomic Standard

A new initiative in Michigan could presage an expected federal push to mandate ergonomic equipment and procedures in business and industry. Last week, Michigan state regulators unanimously voted to advance a proposed state-wide ergonomic standard. Unless blocked by the state legislature, as a similar initiative was in 2006, the new standard could take effect this year.

If implemented, Michigan would follow California, becoming the second state in the U.S. to implement its own ergonomic rules. While the federal government has established ergonomic guidelines for many industries, they are currently voluntary, although that is expected to change. During his campaign, President Obama promised to enact tougher workplace safety standards early in his administration.

With the unanimous support of the state’s General Industry Safety Standards Commission and the Occupational Health Standards Commission, Michigan political analysts believe that, this time around, any efforts to block the proposed state-wide ergonomic standard will fail. Supporters of ergonomic equipment and procedures point to their proven record in reducing preventable injuries that each year cost businesses millions of dollars in medical and insurance costs, worker’s compensation claims, and lost man-hours. According to Michigan’s Worker’s Compensation Bureau, about 40% of worker’s compensation claims paid in 2006 and 2007 were related to preventable ergonomic injuries.

The proven ability of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment to prevent repetitive stress and musculoskeletal injuries and reduce concomitant production and human resources costs is well documented by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. While opponents have expressed concern that Michigan’s ergonomic imperative will increase the cost of doing business in a state already struggling to survive economically, statistical and experiential evidence show that return on investment in ergonomic equipment is generally realized in the first year of ownership.

Michigan’s proposed standard would “assess risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and establish a minimal rule for training,” according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. The standard will only apply to general industry businesses, not construction. Public hearings must now be held by Michigan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) before the rule can be formally adopted, possibly as early as this summer.

Ergonomics Can Help Decrease OSHA Reporting

One way to keep your company out of OSHA’s crosshairs (see our previous post) is to embrace ergonomics. Using ergonomic principles to design equipment, plan workstations and structure task performance has been proven to significantly decrease worker injuries and fatalities. Businesses reap additional benefits in decreased medical, insurance, disability and worker’s compensation costs. Fewer man-hours are lost to injury where ergonomics are practiced.

Lifting, repetitive motion, overextension and overexertion are common injuries in material handling, warehousing and logistics environments.  Injuries to the back, neck, shoulders, hands and wrists can result in serious, long-term disabilities — and the hefty medical and insurance expenses that go with them. Back injury is the most cited injury in worker’s compensation claims. Many of these injuries are preventable when ergonomic equipment and strategies are employed.

Making an investment in ergonomics is making an investment in your workforce. Demonstrating concern in your employees’ health and welfare has a direct and highly positive effect on worker morale and productivity. DJ Products can help you determine your ergonomic needs. Use our handy Ergonomic Load Calculator to estimate the force needed to move loaded carts, castered equipment and wheeled machinery. Our experienced staff can help evaluate your ergonomic needs and recommend ergonomically designed carts and tugs geared to improve the safety of your facility and protect the health of your employees. Your initial investment in ergonomics will be quickly balanced by savings in medical, insurance and disability expenses. Visit our website today for complete information.