February 11, 2018 - DJ Products

Top Tips for Preventing Back Injuries in the Warehouse Workplace

Health and Safety is Key

Your back is meant to last a lifetime, but a workplace injury can result in a lifetime of chronic pain instead. Here’s a look at proper warehouse equipment and other ways to minimize the risk of back injuries in your warehouse.

Tips for Preventing Back Injuries in the Workplace

• Muscle tightness restricts flexibility, increasing the likelihood of tears and sprains. Take frequent breaks to stretch and move around.

• Poor posture puts undue strain on the spine. Make it a point to keep head, shoulders and pelvis in line, with feet about shoulder-width apart. Gently tighten abs and buttocks, but refrain from overall tension.

• Wear sturdy and supportive footwear. Appropriate work gear will protect your feet as well as your back. Place rubber mats at work stations and other areas where employees stand for long periods of time.

• When sitting, keep your back firmly against the chair’s backrest with feet flat on the ground and knees aligned with hips. Adjust the height of the chair as needed so you can comfortably rest your arms at elbow height. If you handle transportation in-house, these guidelines apply to truck drivers as well.

• Keep heavy loads on shelves and other elevated surfaces whenever possible to alleviate strain when lifting.

• Twisting, pushing and pulling are the main causes of musculoskeletal injuries. Use appropriate warehouse equipment when transporting product to loading docks and other areas.

Improve Workplace Safety with Electric Warehouse Equipment from DJ Products

With battery-powered warehouse tugs, pushers and movers such as our popular CartCaddyLite, a single employee of any size, age or sex can easily move heavy loads. Our warehouse equipment is also ergonomically designed to prevent repetitive motion injuries.

Call 800.686.2651 to learn more from our sales engineers.

Protect Your Staff from These Top Warehouse Related Injuries

Despite Slow Moving Machinery and Large Space, Accidents in Warehouses do Still Occur.

How safe is your warehouse? The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 5.5 injuries for every 100 warehouse workers. Reduce risk to your employees by using tugger carts and taking steps to prevent these common warehouse injuries.

Forklift and Truck Accidents

Forklifts are standard equipment in nearly every warehouse. While they’re essential for moving materials, forklifts are also involved in many warehouse accidents, either from malfunction or operator error.

Warehouses often contract their trucking needs to third-party providers. Those that handle transportation in-house are vulnerable to employee and property damage from truck accidents.

Overexertion Injuries

Musculoskeletal disorders are responsible for nearly one-third of all worker’s compensation costs in the United States. The back and shoulders are the most frequently injured body parts, although other body parts can also be affected by twisting, pushing and other causes of overexertion.

Loading Dock Injuries

Loading docks are some of the busiest and most congested areas of any warehouse. Injuries can occur due to inattentive truck drivers, unstable loads or moving heavy materials.

Workplace Obstructions

Spills or leaks that aren’t cleaned up promptly can cause employees to slip and fall. When empty pallets, misplaced inventory and other debris block warehouse aisles, other falling accidents are likely to happen.

Falling Objects

Warehouses make use of vertical space in order to maximize returns and minimize costs. It’s a valuable concept, but it increases the chances of materials falling and striking workers down below.

Tugger Carts: A Practical Solution to Warehouse Safety from DJ Products

Tugger carts such as our best-selling CartCaddyLite are ergonomically designed to minimize risk of common musculoskeletal injuries from pushing, lifting and other causes of overexertion. Visit our website and learn more about our full line of electric tugger carts from our sales engineers.

Self-Driving Trucks – They Are Coming, Are You Ready?

As if Life Wasn’t Already Convenient Enough, Self Driving Cars are Just on the Horizon.

When it comes to moving cargo around for your business, you know how important it is to have dependable terminal tractors and employees who know how to operate them safely. Imagine what it would be like to have this equipment run on its own. This will soon be happening on the road thanks to autonomous trucking technology.

Safety Concerns

While using autonomous trucking technology is expected to make it easier for the trucking industry to handle the driver shortage problem, there are certain safety concerns that can’t be ignored. In order to address these, the Alliance for Driver Safety and Security, or Trucking Alliance, has looked into the development and availability of autonomous technology that makes self-driving trucks safer.

Some of this new technology includes electronic logging devices, speed limiters, brake stroke monitoring systems and forward collision warning. These kinds of safety technologies are expected to help reduce the risk of collisions when self-driving trucks arrive on the road.

Different Levels of Autonomous Technology

It’s important to keep in mind that there are varying levels of autonomous technology for trucks. While some trucks are considered full self-driving vehicles, others use combined-function automation or limited self-driving automation that restrict how much driving these trucks can do on their own.

There’s also function-specific automation that allows drivers to step in at any time to take control of the truck. At this time, drivers will continue to be a crucial part of the trucking industry, even with a rise in autonomous technology.

If you need new terminal tractors that offer high quality and improved safety and convenience, visit DJ Products. We offer equipment that can help you keep your employees as safe as possible on the job.

Trucking Contract Rate Trends for 2018 – Bigger Rate Increases in the Future

What’s in store for the transportation industry over the coming year? Get your semi truck tow dollies ready, because experts are predicting a “trucker’s market” in 2018.

Supply and Demand Continues to Tighten

Trucking analyst John Larkin of Stifel Nicolaus says that growing demand due to economy growth is being stretched by the shortage of drivers. While the lack of skilled blue-collar labor cuts across the entire economy, low pay scales are contributing to the specific difficulty in transportation.

According to Larkin, driver pay rates began to increase in the second half of 2017, but the base was so low that it will take several more raises to move the needle on the driver shortage. In addition, the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) mandate was fully implemented as of December 17, which could further aggravate the situation.

Truckload Rates on the Rise

Another effect of the ELD mandate could be increases in truckload rates, which have already been rising. Larkin explains that it began with “an inflection” in spot rates during mid-2016, but the normal six-month lag time for contract rates ended up to be just over a year.

Less-than-truckload (LTL) rates have seen more modest increases recently, but that could change in the next 12 months. Between marketing automation, the growth of e-commerce, and overflow freight from truckload carriers, demand for LTL carriers is becoming greater.

Meet the Electric Yard Dog from DJ Products

With this anticipated scenario for 2018, the productivity of your trucking company needs to be on point. Visit our website and chat with our sales engineers to find out how semi truck tow dollies like our Electric Yard Dog are the solution to your efficiency and safety challenges.

Property Managers Embrace Waste Reduction to Lower Costs

Are you searching for ways to lower operating costs for the commercial property you manage? A dumpster mover saves on labor, while overall waste reduction can result in significant cost savings. Use these suggestions to implement more efficient waste processing procedures.

Tips to Reduce Waste Products at Commercial Properties:

– Encourage employees to share documents electronically, rather than via hard copies.

– Replace break room and restroom disposables with reusable dishes and utensils along with washable hand towels and dish cloths.

– Avoid excess purchasing, especially with seasonal or perishable items.

– When printing documents, use both sides of the paper. Instead of throwing away draft copies or mistakes, recycle the sheets as scratch paper. Sheets printed on one side can be reversed and reused in printers and copy machines.

– Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible.

– Reuse envelopes and packing materials.

– Set up recycling stations and post signs indicating what materials can and can’t be recycled. Enlist the help of the local recycling center for information and tips.

– Help employees develop the habit of looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

– Make it a priority to purchase recyclable and/or recycled goods.

Increase Workplace Safety and Productivity with a Dumpster Mover from DJ Products

Did you know that trash rooms are one of the most dangerous areas on a commercial property? A number of serious musculoskeletal injuries can result from overexertion caused by moving heavy dumpsters.

An electrically-powered dumpster mover like the WasteCaddy from DJ Products lets a single employee maneuver dumpsters weighing up to 5,000 pounds across any surface and up and down inclines. In addition, they’re designed with ergonomic features to prevent the risk of repetitive motion injuries.

Visit our website or call 800.686.2651 for more information from our sales engineers.

Material Handling Equipment Market Surges Forward Aggressively into 2018

Make Your Job Easier. Get Equipment for Material Handling.

In 2018, we’ll see more automated equipment purchased and implemented than ever before. Companies in the e-commerce industry are increasingly looking for material handling equipment suppliers for powered carts and cart pullers. Elsewhere, industries ranging from food distribution to heavy construction are also turning to machines for better efficiency.

While automation is often associated with labor reduction, many more factors will drive the material handling equipment industry in 2018 and beyond. Equipment can make the job significantly safer for human workers. In warehouses, picking and packing can be both faster and more accurate.

Soaring Sales for Material Handling Equipment

The consultancy Market Research Future forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 7.5% through 2023 for the material handling equipment supplier industry.

E-commerce leads the way, and Asia will be the region outspending the rest. The most common application is material handling for smaller loads such as retail goods and small parts.

Small and large players are driving competition in the field. Rather than being dominated by just a few global manufacturers, firms often choose a regional material handling equipment supplier.

Industrial Equipment from DJ Products

What’s the only thing holding back the market? Much of the technology available requires a high initial investment, and implementation involves a radical change to the way your warehouse operates.

DJ Products offers more affordable solutions. Our material handling equipment can easily be learned and operated by just about any employee.

Our offerings include the CartCaddy (and CartCaddyLite version) with an ergonomic design to push or pull heavy loaded carts with ease. There are also more task-specific models like the PartsCaddy and CarpetCaddy.

Need a new material handling equipment supplier? Contact us at DJ Products to stay ahead of industry trends with game-changing industrial equipment.

Amazon’s Embracing of Robots Drive Investment into Warehouse Worker’s Education

Embrace the Future: A Society with Efficient Robots.

As your first choice for a quality material handling equipment supplier, DJ Products wants to keep you up-to-date on news and trends affecting the warehouse industry. Here’s a look at how Amazon is addressing the challenge of robots and automation displacing human workers.

Adapting to the Changing Workforce

It’s no secret that technology is creating automated solutions for more repetitive types of jobs, but the time is coming when robots will be able to handle more sophisticated tasks. At this point, automation is creating more jobs than it’s destroying.

Problems arise when robots take over basic entry-level jobs that usually go to people who need to work but aren’t qualified for higher-paying jobs. Amazon has taken a proactive approach by offering training to expand these workers’ options.

Preparing for the Future

Amazon’s Career Choice program was rolled out in 2012. It’s currently available to any hourly employees who have been with Amazon for a minimum of one year. Under the program, Amazon pays up to 95 percent of college tuition for employees who want to train for more in-demand jobs.

Classes are conveniently held right in the warehouses, and so far 14,000 people have taken advantage of the program. Amazon’s goal is to double that number by 2020.

According to author Martin Ford, lifelong learning is the key to staying relevant in the workforce. While Amazon’s program is a start, the next step is to provide training for more advanced jobs.

DJ Products: Your Preferred Material Handling Equipment Supplier

Manpower is still needed for lifting, carrying and other physical labor, and our state-of-the-art pushers, tugs and movers allow greater productivity and reduce the risk of workplace injuries. Visit our website and use the handy online chat feature for more information.

30,000 FAA Workers to Be Moved From Federal to Private Sector Payrolls

Airline Tugs Make Hauling Planes into Tight Hangars Much More Manageable.

In an effort to save tax dollars, President Trump’s 2018 budget calls for the removal of 14,000 air traffic controllers and an additional 16,000 FAA employees from the federal workforce to a nongovernmental organization.

The White House claims reducing the FAA workforce by over 65 percent will not only benefit taxpayers but also improve service for airline passengers.

Airline industry divide on the plan

While on the federal payroll, FAA employees are subject to salary caps. That led the air traffic controllers union to support the proposal. National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) president, Paul Rinaldi notes the impact government shutdowns can have on air travel and the lack of available funding to add new controllers when needed.

When the plan was first presented to the Senate, it encountered strong bipartisan opposition. Opponents claimed reducing the FAA to the role of a regulatory oversight agency would be most damaging to smaller airports. The concern is that a privatized organization reporting to businesspeople would be more likely to overlook the interests of small airports. Resources like technical support and human resources would be primarily focused on the larger, busier airports.

Larger airlines vs smaller airports

Small airports are served by small airlines. While most people would not see much reason for large airlines to be concerned about competition from small airports, the largest airlines detest any amount of competition for passengers. Small airports must maximize manpower and be vigilant about finding ways to reduce costs.

Many airports are saving money with economical innovations like the DJ Products aircraft tug. The battery-powered tug allows one person to safely and easily maneuver aircraft in tight hangars. The sales engineers at DJ Products can help owners find the ideal aircraft tug for their business.

Day: February 11, 2018