Avoid Injury[/caption]The nature of material handling work involves a number of situations with the potential to cause injury. Large, heavy carts and other equipment are being transported through aisles that can be narrow and congested. In addition, there are often other employees moving around the same areas who may not be paying as careful attention as you are.
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. Being sensible and vigilant can keep you and others injury-free.
Here are some tips to promote a safer work environment:
- Always check your route to make sure it’s clear of potential blockage or other hazards. Help yourself and others by keeping the workplace clutter-free.
- If you’re passing through doorways, make sure there’s enough clearance. Getting your hand or fingers caught can be painful.
- Wear appropriate footwear such as steel-toed boots. This is a requirement at most companies, but if it’s not you should take this precaution yourself. Heavy-duty gloves can also be useful.
- Make sure the load you’re transporting is evenly distributed. If it’s stacked too high you run the risk of objects falling on you or others.
- Use good posture to support your back. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs.
- Ask for assistance with loads that are too difficult to handle on your own. An even better solution is using a battery-powered material handling tug. For example, our CartCaddy5WP enables one person to easily move loads of up to 10,000 pounds.
DJ Products offers a full line of material handling tugs for use in applications from hotels and hospitals to airplane hangers. Contact us for more information about how we can simplify your job.