christopher Harper, Author at DJ Products

Safety Is No. 1 When Choosing Material Handling Equipment

Productivity and safety are the two top concerns when business owners buy material handling equipment, with safety being paramount. Unsafe equipment will drag down productivity, while safe equipment will enhance productivity. To handle materials safely, loads must be under the operator’s control at all times. Load capability and handling, maneuverability, control placement and design, wheel placement, tire composition, operator line of sight — there are a whole host of design elements that determine the safe operation of material handling equipment.

Manufacturing material handling equipment that is as safe to use as it is easy to operate drives the design of DJ Products’ material handling equipment. Our products are ergonomically designed to take the physical strain off workers’ muscles, allowing them to work more efficiently and more comfortably. By making equipment adaptable to the worker, ergonomic design allows workers of various body types, ages, and physical skills to perform on an equal footing. Ergonomic design maximizes employee performance by eliminating awkward work postures that lead to the tired and cramped muscles that erode job performance and can lead to injury and disability. When workers are forced to contort their bodies into less than optimal postures to operate equipment, muscles become more quickly fatigued. Not only does fatigue lead to slower task production and longer and more frequent breaks, it increases the risk of injury. Ergonomic design eliminates these problems and ensures each worker a safe and comfortable work environment.

To maximize operator control and line-of-sight, DJ Products’ material handling equipment is designed so that the operator walks or rides behind the loaded equipment. This affords the operator maximum visual sight lines to ensure plenty of time for maneuvering and safe stopping, particularly in crowded or heavily trafficked environments. Conveniently-positioned, ergonomically-designed controls allow easy operation and instant safe stopping power of DJ Products’ battery-operated and motorized carts and cart pushers.

A unique safety feature of DJ Products’ carts and movers is our strategically-designed mover arm that allows our cart movers to pivot a full 180 degrees under the arm once it is firmly attached to a cart or piece of equipment. This allows the operator to turn and maneuver carts and equipment safely without risk of jackknifing the cart while carrying a heavy load.

To find our more about the specific safety features that make DJ Products’ material handling equipment a national favorite for a wide variety of applications from manufacturing assembly lines to hotels and hospitals to grocery stores, visit our website today.

DJ Products Trailer Mover Perfect Solution for RV Industry

The economy is driving people in search of inexpensive travel and vacation options and, in many cases, inexpensive housing. RVs seem to fit the bill. Record-setting attendance at RV shows has led to strong first quarter sales in the recreational vehicle industry. With young adults aged 18 to 34 comprising the fastest growing segment of RV owners, industry watchers expect RV sales to remain strong well into the future. RVs are the perfect vehicle for active folks who appreciate the outdoors and are looking for an easy, eco-friendly way to travel. The ability to take off for a quick weekend or mini-vacation is as appealing to young adults as it is to busy families and retirees.

Increasing RV sales are creating a ready market for DJ Products’ popular TrailerCaddy trailer mover. More RV buyers mean more RVs moving across sales lots and in and out of showrooms. DJ Products’ trailer mover is the perfect solution for manufacturers, dealer lots, trade shows and service centers. Our versatile TrailerCaddy is designed to push and pull trailers that require lifting on one end before maneuvering. DJ Products’ ergonomic design provides powerful pulling strength while protecting workers’ health and insuring their safety. Our ergonomically-designed material handling equipment is built to prevent the physical strain that occurs when workers are forced to muscle around large trailered equipment. Ergonomic design ensures that the equipment, not the worker, takes the strain of moving and maneuvering heavy equipment.

DJ Products’ TrailerCaddy makes easy work of pushing and pulling all kinds of recreational vehicles, including RVs, campers, equipment trailers and boats. Our electric-powered trailer mover is the perfect solution for moving recreational vehicles down an assembly line, around a manufacturing plant, across sales lots and showrooms and into trade show spaces. The compact design of DJ Products’ powered TrailerCaddy allows superior, precise movements, making quick work of maneuvering large recreational vehicles through crowded spaces and into display areas without fear of damaging surrounding vehicles. As RV sales continue to increase, you can expect to see more manufacturers and dealers turning to DJ Products’ handy TrailerCaddies to move recreational vehicles.

DJ Products makes a full line of compact, ergonomically-designed material handling products designed to do the job while protecting the health and safety of workers. Our products are cost effective to purchase and inexpensive to operate and maintain. Most of our customers report recouping their capital investment within the first year of ownership. To find out how DJ Products’ motorized carts, movers and pushers can benefit your business, talk to one of our ergonomic specialists today.

Driver Demographics Affect Musculoskeletal Injury Risk

EHS Today online, a magazine for environment, health and safety leaders, published an interesting April 24, 2009 article comparing truck driver demographics to risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries. As in any job that requires long hours in a single position, long distance truck drivers are at increased risk for musculoskeletal injury on the job. According to a recent study by Atlas Ergonomics, truck drivers lose more workdays per musculoskeletal injury incident than any other group of workers. Fortunately, risk factors can be predicted and workers protected.

The three-year study of 28,301 commercial truck drivers was conducted from 2005 to 2008. Drivers were primarily engaged in driving and delivering loads with less than 10% of drivers’ activities involving the unloading of freight. A direct relationship was found between injury risk and the physical characteristics of the both the worker and truck cab. The driver population studied was predominately men of slightly taller stature and weight than average.

The study found that height caused the greatest discomfort while driving. Taller drivers were forced to contort their bodies to fit into cab spaces, while shorter drivers had to stretch to reach controls.
Weight, particularly obesity, significantly increased injury risk factors. Obesity increased driving discomfort to severe levels and, in many cases, resulted in sleep apnea and other sleep disorders that impaired alertness.
Driver age was spread across all age groups from young, new drivers to near retirees. Discomfort increased with age and length of service, three to five years of seniority producing greater risk. Injuries to workers 65 and older resulted in longer work absences after injury.
While women drivers constituted just 8% of the study group, their smaller stature resulted “in elevated levels of discomfort across all body parts,” according to study results. Muscular strength may also have played a role but was not specifically studied.

While operating material handling equipment is significantly different from long-haul trucking, there are important similarities when workers are forced to maintain steady postures for long periods of time or repeatedly perform the same actions over a shift. The findings of the Atlas Ergonomics study has instructive lessons for material handling equipment purchasers who want to decrease the risk of worker injury in their workplace. We’ll talk about that next time.

Highlighting the Lindbergh Aircraft Tug For Towing Small Aircraft

Lindbergh Aircraft Tug

Anyone who works with small aircraft knows that towing and moving planes can be difficult and taxing without the right equipment. The Lindbergh Aircraft Tug uses advanced technology to produce a simple, one-person solution with incredible and reliable performance. When you need to park aircraft in a cramped hangar or tow the plane across bumpy terrain, the Lindbergh Aircraft Tug gets it done for you.

Unlike gas-powered devices, the Lindbergh Aircraft Tug relies on powerful 12V batteries for smooth acceleration and braking. The long-lasting battery powers a day’s work and quickly recharges in any standard 110V outlet. Premium features like the heavy-duty steel frame and non-marking tires bring great value in terms of both performance and durability.

Operating your aircraft tow tug requires little more than walking alongside it and slowly, gently maneuvering it in and out of your hangar. The same technology used to bring comfort and safety to the rigorous work of warehouse material handling inspired the comfortable and easy-to-use grip and handlebars on the AircraftCaddy. The twist grip even works for righties and lefties alike. When it’s time to fly, you can pack up the handlebar system for easy storage.

The AircraftCaddy provides everything you need for simple, powerful performance:

Tow aircraft in inclement weather or across harsh terrain
Available in weight-rated sizes ranging from the 4K Jr. to the 35K model
Quiet motor ensures safety and easy communications on the ground
Operates smoothly at speeds of 0–2 mph

Make life easier in and around the hangar with an aircraft tow tug that works the way you need it to. Talk to a Sales Engineer at 1-800-686-2651 to discuss ordering and custom options for any size aircraft designed for small owner/operators, up to corporate FBO’s.

Powered Movers Can Address Safety and Ergonomics

In “The Safety Paradox: How Safety and Ergonomics Help and Hurt Each Other at the Same Time,” the writer observes that while safety and ergonomics can lead to the successful completion of a task, these concepts can also make a task more difficult to complete.

“…safety almost always adds more steps into any given task. Thereby decreasing efficiency and lowering the ergonomic quality.
After performing a task analysis, ergonomics may also call for the omission of certain steps or features that may inadvertently be safety related.”

If safety and ergonomics can get in the way of each other, should you try to apply these principles in your workplace? We would say, yes. Remember that when they are applied in the right way, the concepts of safety and ergonomics can work well together. At DJ Products, our mission is to provide material handling solutions that are ergonomically correct, safe and cost effective. Our power tugs and electric utility carts can reduce the injuries that come from manually moving heavy carts and equipment. Rather than adding extra steps to a task, these solutions make it possible to complete that task more efficiently and with less strain.
Our products are battery powered, “walk behind” units that can be maneuvered even in tight, difficult spaces. Since our motorized cart tugs and more manageable than traditional electric equipment like forktrucks, walkies or motorized riding tugs, your employees will not need to use more costly and cumbersome equipment that was designed for a different material handling task.

In the end, your employees are probably less concerned with safety and ergonomics and as concepts and are more concerned with getting their work done and avoiding injury. Material handling solutions from DJ Products provide real-live applications of the concepts of safety and ergonomics that can make your workplace safer and more productive.

Highlighting the Parts Caddy

The daily grind of warehouse work includes a ton of small tasks adding up. A worker may only handle small boxes and items, but the load accrues quickly. The result: heavy carts to push around, with the wrists, shoulders, and lower back feeling the brunt of the strain.

The PartsCaddy alleviates the strain of manually pushing a cart so workers can avoid injuries such as carpal tunnel and long-term back problems. Your staff can spend their energy on picking and sorting rather than pushing and maneuvering a weighted-down cart.

We’ve given the PartsCaddy plenty of power and all the right features. The cart handles loads up to 3000 pounds while moving up to 3 mph — natural walking speed. With reverse function and 360-degree pivoting, workers can maneuver around tight spaces and get where they’re going without fighting inertia. You can see it in action here.

Need to handle various shapes and sizes of items? Customize it with shelves, tables, and different bed dimensions. Or just enjoy the versatile 27” by 48” bed that comes standard. For smaller needs we also have a PartsCaddyLite.

The PartsCaddy also moves well across a variety of surfaces. Uphill, downhill, on carpet or slippery terrain — this cart automatically adjusts to conditions and keeps moving smoothly.

Think about how much effort and time go into moving parts and equipment around your warehouse. The PartsCaddy helps keep your workers energized and healthy while speeding up transit times. Less downtime, fewer injuries, and greater efficiency around the clock.

Find out what our power carts can do for you by calling a Sales Engineer at 1-800-686-2651.

New Aircraft Designs Aim to Decrease Fuel Usage

Back in 2010, many people thought changing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law to improve the average car fuel economy from 27.5 mpg to 37.8 mpg by 2016 was an ambitious proposal. That was a 37 percent improvement. The Tech Journal reports that researchers from MIT, with the help of a NASA grant, have developed an aircraft design that will improve the fuel efficiency of planes by 70 percent.

Moving aircraft efficiently in the air

NASA established a $2.1 million dollar research contract for the development of a new generation of subsonic passenger planes. NASA provided different grants to Lockheed Martin and Boeing for designing supersonic planes. Researchers at MIT developed a “double bubble” concept for their subsonic aircraft proposal. It features a dual fuselage design with these compartments being side by side and resembling two bubbles that have fused with one another. This shorter and wider fuselage with a tail-mounted engine provides more seating capacity and improves the loading and unloading process for passengers.

Moving aircraft efficiently on the ground

While the MIT researchers may have come up with an aircraft design that reduces emissions, can take off on shorter runways, and cuts down on noise pollution, you already have the most efficient method of towing small aircraft available with the Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Company’s family of aircraft tugs. We have electric aircraft tugs that allow a single person to quietly move planes weighing from 4,000 pounds to as much as 15,000 pounds.

For more information on these low-maintenance and economical aircraft tugs, visit DJProducts.com, and visit our blog for other tips and industry news.

Long Holiday Hours Mean Managers Need to Build Morale

Are your employees whistling while they work — or groaning in dissatisfaction? If the holiday season means longer hours, more overtime, or extra night and weekend shifts, it’s time to focus on ways to increase morale. Staff productivity and supply chain efficiency depend on it.

Warehouse managers need to be aware that increased workloads over the holidays can exacerbate the potential of warehouse labor to experience a loss of morale:

Long hours make workers feel like the business profits at the expense of their well-being
Physical exhaustion and short sleep lead to productivity loss, irritability, and general unhappiness
The potential of flare-ups increases between managers and employees, and among employees
Busy seasons may prevent managers from finding the time to show appreciation for workers

All of these problems can exist year round, but the holiday season holds its particular challenges. Nobody wants to feel overworked and under-appreciated during this time of year!

Build Morale to Plow Through the Holidays

The flip side, fortunately, is that you can build morale to make the holiday workload feel like a team effort and a team victory.

Invest in snacks and refreshments and ensure that everybody gets an appropriate amount of break time. It’s really true that workers can get more done over the course of a shift with short breaks sprinkled in.

You can also ease the physical burden of strenuous tasks with advanced material handling equipment. Our self-propelled warehouse tugs relieve the back-breaking work of pushing and pulling supply or inventory carts.

To keep your employees happy and working hard, contact us at DJProducts.com to discuss warehouse tugs and industrial cart movers.

Get Ready for the Holiday Shopping Rush

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, with “Black Friday” shopping spread out across the season. For retail, that means heavy traffic and high workloads for weeks on end.

Many people shop early in November and late into December to avoid the major crowds. Ironically, for retailers that actually lengthens the span of time spent dealing with higher-than-normal store traffic.

The National Retail Federation recently released its annual survey of consumer holiday shopping statistics. With 46 percent of holiday shopping taking place online, brick-and-mortar retailers need to convert traffic into sales efficiently. Online shopping provides the lure of convenience, so stores need to make it easy for customers to find and buy items.

Buyers love the “in-store pickup” option. This process can be streamlined by having employees use baskets and shopping carts to prep orders.

The Right Tools to Help Customers Shop

We often talk about inventory moving carts to help keep the warehouse and stock room in full motion. For holiday shopping, you also need a solution to retrieve shopping carts so customers don’t feel turned away or stressed.

Our motorized shopping cart movers help your business turn more sales and keep your employees fresh and energized. The benefits of shopping cart movers include:

Present a great first impression on shoppers
Encourage shopping cart use vs. carrying items by hand
Retain your best workers with improved working conditions
Simplify the task for seasonal workers with less experience
Protection from parking lot accidents

Help your employees keep customers happy — empower them with shopping cart movers for retrieving and relocating carts without the physical strain of doing it manually.

Celebrating 90 Meacham Airport is Ready to Grow

In the early days of American aviation, Meacham Airport of Fort Worth, Texas opened for operations in 1925. Almost a century later, the airport has recently announced new municipal funding of $17.5 million for terminal renovations and new hangars.

Meacham’s rich history was recently spotlighted by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Opened in 1925 to continue aviation in Fort Worth after the U.S. Army ceased its local flight operations.

Named for Fort Worth mayor Henry Clay Meacham, who donated money to build living quarters for the airport manager.

U.S. mail flew from Fort Worth to Chicago out of Meacham beginning in 1926. Passenger travel began in 1928.

World War II planes stopped at Meacham en route to the Pacific from New England.

American Airways (now American Airlines) opened regional headquarters in 1933.

Since 1953, Meacham has served corporate and private aviation.

The history and future growth of Meacham Airport show how dynamic small and regional airports have become. With increasing interest in private jets and flight schools, Meacham stands to expand and thrive.

All this growth has been made possible largely by new technology. We at DJ Products serve the small and private plane industry with aircraft tugs that help maneuver planes around tight hangars and across airport grounds. Instead of the old style of aircraft tugs built on lawn mower engines, we have innovated with powerful and reliable machinery adapted from the industrial material handling sector.

Aircraft tugs from DJ Products are available for weight classes of 4k, 8k, 15k, and 35k pounds as well as helicopters. For more information about aircraft towing and tuggers, visit DJProducts.com.

Author: christopher Harper