Improving the ergonomics of material handling decreases worker injuries, improves workplace efficiency and leads to a healthier bottom line. Medical costs, insurance premiums, workers’ compensation payments and lost man-hours soar when ergonomics are ignored. Material handling is one of the most injury-intensive industries, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Every effort you make to fit the demands of work tasks to the capabilities of your workers (i.e., ergonomics) will decrease costs and ultimately improve profit margins.Material handling requires many actions that can result in serious and expensive musculoskeletal injuries. Repetitive motions, awkward postures and the application of force as workers lift, push, pull, carry and handle materials create daily opportunities for injury. Attention to ergonomics in designing tasks, workspaces and equipment can dramatically decrease the physical demands and injury potential of many material handling activities.Carrying and lifting are the two actions that present the greatest potential for worker injury when handling materials. Today we’ll address tips for ergonomic carrying; on Friday, we’ll share tips for lifting ergonomically.Carrying tasks place stress on the back and shoulders and create contact pressure on the shoulders and hands. When repeatedly strained or overstressed, the effort and force needed to carry materials can cause injury. To decrease injuries caused by carrying, follow these suggestions:
- Eliminate unnecessary carrying.
- Minimize the distances materials must be carried and use electric tuggers to carry materials over longer distances.
- Organize work tasks so that physical demands and work pace increase gradually as muscles warm up.
- Rotate workers or alternate carrying with non-carrying tasks to prevent overstraining the body and give muscles a chance to rest between efforts.
- Wear properly fitting gloves to improve grip stability.
- Reduce load weights and test loads for stability and balance before carrying.
- Slide, push or roll materials. These actions place less stress on the body than carrying.
- Use conveyors, slides or chutes to move materials.
- Use electric tuggers to transport heavy loads.