Tag: ergonomic equipment

Ergonomic Controls Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Constant numbness in the hands, sharp shooting pains in the wrist and up arms, loss of grip strength or even the ability to maintain a grip on objects, loss of feeling in fingers — the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are frightening and the pain is great enough to wake you up at night. Left untreated, the condition is debilitating and can cause permanent damage to your hands.

Because of the serious and debilitating repercussions of carpal tunnel syndrome DJ Products designs all of its material handling equipment with ergonomic controls, handles and handholds. Our goal is to provide ergonomically-designed material handling equipment that protects the health and safety of workers by eliminating the potential for debilitating musculoskeletal injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful, progressive condition caused when the median nerve, the key nerve in the wrist, is continuously compressed by swollen tissue. The median nerve controls sensations and impulses to the muscles on the palm side of the hand, thumb and all of the fingers except the pinkie. The median nerve runs from the forearm into the hand through a narrow bony passage at the wrist called the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel also houses tendons that allow the wrist and hand to move. When repetitive motion activities or repeated stress from pushing and pulling heavy carts irritates wrist tendons, they swell, pressing on the median nerve. The result is numbness, weakness and pain that radiates from the fingertips up the arm.

When workers continue to perform daily tasks that irritate wrist tendons, pressure on the median nerve becomes constant, eventually causing permanent damage. Without nerve support, the individual gradually loses fine motor and may even lose gross motor control of his hands and fingers. He may lose the ability to sense hot and cold. Muscles at the base of the thumb atrophy, and hands can become deformed. Left untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome can cause life-altering disability.

Repetitive motion activities on the job and strain from pushing and pulling heavy equipment are the leading causes of carpal tunnel syndrome in the U.S. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, in a 1998 study 3 out of every 10,000 U.S. workers were affected by carpal tunnel syndrome. On average, each worker missed 10 days of work and incurred medical bills of $30,000. Treatment of chronic cases requires surgery and an average 6 to 8 weeks for recovery. Utilizing equipment with ergonomically-designed controls and handles can effectively eliminate the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Key Elements to Seek in Material Handling Equipment

No matter what business or industry you are in, you need to move materials. Whether you’re dealing with raw materials, parts and supplies or a finished product, you need equipment that can move materials from point A to point B. When choosing material handling equipment, there are a number of key features to consider that will maximize your investment and the use you get from your equipment.

  • Flexibility. The more jobs a piece of equipment can perform, the more workers who can easily utilize it, the greater the number of environments in which it can operate, the more useful it is to you and the greater its value. DJ Products’ carts and movers are designed for maximum versatility. Ergonomic design ensures that workers of every size, age and physical ability can operate our equipment safely and without effort. DJ Products’ electric lift option and customized attachment eliminate the need to fabricate multiple attachments for each cart or piece of equipment. The mover arm on our tugs quickly attaches to any cart or piece of equipment and can even accommodate loads that overflow the cart bed.
  • Safety. Safety in the workplace is paramount. All of DJ Products’ equipment is ergonomically designed to protect the health and safety of workers. Ergonomic design decreases worker injury and is proven to significantly cut medical/disability costs. Our twist grip protects against carpal tunnel syndrome while allowing forward and reverse movement. Designed as walk- or ride-behind units, DJ Products’ equipment provides maximum operator control of the vehicle with safe lines-of-sight.
  • Productivity. Material handling equipment that promotes comfortable and efficient use increases productivity. Workers accomplish more per shift with less effort, meeting and exceeding production goals. Ergonomic design makes DJ Products’ equipment easy and comfortable to use, decreasing worker fatigue while increasing productivity.
  • Comfort. Operator comfort decreases fatigue and the stretch breaks that accompany tired muscles. The ergonomic design of DJ Products’ equipment maximizes worker comfort, eliminating the need for unnecessary breaks and maximizing production.
  • Service and reliability. DJ Products builds its carts and tugs to maximize uptime. Our electric and battery-operated equipment is cable of operating for two full shifts before recharging.

DJ Products makes a full range of ergonomically-designed powered carts in a wide range of shapes and sizes to handle any application. From compact, light-weight carts that can be easily and safely maneuvered down a crowded hospital corridor to heavy-duty carts capable of pulling more than 50,000 pounds across a production floor or down an assembly line, DJ Products has a material handling solution to fit your needs. Contact one of our ergonomic sales engineers today to see what we can do for you.

Auto Industry Retooling Should Include Ergonomics

The U.S. auto industry is starting to make its comeback. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the first loans from the $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program authorized by Congress to support the U.S. manufacture of energy-efficient cars and automotive components: 

  • Ford Motor Co. was granted $5.9 billion to retool factories in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio to manufacture fuel-efficient vehicles.  
  • Nissan North America received $1.6 billion to retool its Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing plant to produce electric vehicles.
  • Tesla Motors got $465 million for production of advanced electric vehicles in California.

Other signs of industry recovery include Gestamp Corporation’s $90 million investment in a Chattanooga, Tennessee stamping operation to produce parts for Volkswagen’s new mid-sized sedan, and Ralco Industries’ $6.4 million expansion of its Pontiac, Michigan facility to increase production of welded assemblies  for the auto industry.

It’s a relief to finally see the first twitch of life in the U.S. auto industry. And it’s exciting to see the industry retooling for what promises to be a robust future. But along with forward-thinking changes in their product line, the auto industry should be implementing innovation changes in their production practices. Retooling initiatives should include ergonomic material handling equipment on the assembly line, on plant floors and in factory storage lots to ensure the protection of workers’ health and safety. The workers who made concessions in pay and health benefits to keep the auto companies alive deserve to work in an environment that promotes good health. The citizens who provided the cash that the government is using to fund the loans that are jump-starting new life into the auto industry deserve to know that every possible measure is being taken to create a financially lean manufacturing operation. Ergonomic material handling equipment accomplishes both goals.

Ergonomic equipment like DJ Products’ CarCaddy car and vehicle pusher pushes heavy equipment down an assembly. The CartCaddyLH electric tug can push a vehicle down a rail or be used to push/pull from station to station heavy carts of raw materials or parts weighing 10,000 to 50,000 pounds. The DealerCaddy car and truck pusher easily maneuvers cars and trucks around storage and dealer lots. All DJ Products’ material handling carts and movers are ergonomically designed to prevent expensive and debilitating musculoskeletal injuries. Ergonomic equipment and practices have been proven to cut production time and costs, protect workers’ health and safety, improve worker morale, and significantly reduce the musculoskeletal injury expenses that cost U.S. businesses more than $150 billion each year. Including ergonomics in auto industry retooling efforts just makes sense — for the auto industry, for workers, and for taxpayers.

Your Turn to Talk: Where Do You Stand on Ergonomic Debate?

We’ve spent some time this week talking about the changing climate in Washington with regard to ergonomics and ergonomic legislation. On the campaign trail, President Obama repeatedly promised workers a healthier, safer workplace, saying he would use the full weight of his office to attack the problem of musculoskeletal injuries. Confirmation this week Hilda Solis as Obama’s new Labor secretary is expected to get the ball rolling.

Despite the fact that ergonomic systems and equipment have been repeatedly proven to significantly reduce worker injury and the exorbitant medical, insurance, disability and lost man-hour costs associated with musculoskeletal injuries, recent news reports give the impression that business owners fear the financial burden of government-regulated ergonomics. Admittedly, as one of the nation’s premier manufacturers of ergonomically-designed electric carts and motorized cart pushers, DJ Products is a bit biased on the subject. However, our considerable experience with customers from large manufacturers to small business owners indicates that rather than fearing ergonomics, savvy businessmen are embracing it, not only to protect the health and safety of their employees, but to streamline production and reduce production costs. In our experience, most purchasers of our ergonomic carts, tugs and movers recoup their investment within the first year, noting savings in medical and production costs.

In news reports of ergonomic panic, the leadership of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce appears to be fanning the flames of dissent. The chamber cites cost and potential for abuse (i.e., paying the cost of worker injuries suffered off the job) as its two main reasons for opposition. There are always some people who will try to abuse the system, but we don’t imagine that abuse will be any greater with ergonomic rules than without them. If potential abuse were the deciding factor, there wouldn’t be any government programs, so this argument is negligible.

The issue of cost, particularly in the current economy, is, of course, a consideration. However, throughout industrial history, new innovations have required some re-tooling to reap greater profit. With ergonomics, considerable benefits can be realized from minor changes: a change in position, routine or tool placement. Ergonomic equipment can be introduced gradually, a sector at a time, allowing businesses to realize immediate gains without tremendous financial outlay.

The chamber argues that regulation is unnecessary because businessmen recognize the value of ergonomics and are implementing programs without government intervention. If that’s true, then what’s the harm in regulation? The fact is that forward-thinking businessmen do recognize the value of ergonomics and they are integrating ergonomics into their operations. But many are not and their workers suffer so government acts for the common good.

But enough from us, we want to hear from you on this issue. Where do you stand on the ergonomic debate? Let us know and we’ll share your thoughts with our readers.

Preventing Overexertion Injuries

Pushing, pulling and lifting are the three tasks most frequently performed by American workers. Overexertion during the execution of these tasks is responsible for 25% of all workplace injuries in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that one in every 200 workers suffers an overexertion injury. Annually, these musculoskeletal injuries cost U.S. business over $1 billion in direct compensation costs and more than 12 million lost workdays.

Repeated studies have proven that ergonomically-designed equipment can significantly decrease costly musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace. Ergonomics is the science of adjusting the equipment to the size and capabilities of the worker. Ergonomics emphasizes worker safety and comfort with the goal of reducing worker fatigue, discomfort and injury. The use of ergonomic equipment allows businesses to maximize the efficiency and productivity of their workforce while protecting workers’ health and safety.

The consequences of neglecting ergonomics are staggering. Workplace injury and illness cost U.S. businesses $171 billion annually, more than cancer or heart disease, the country’s two biggest killers. According to the American Medical Association, more than 13.2 million workers a year suffer a non-fatal workplace injury, many of them preventable musculoskeletal injuries.

Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor reveal that workers’ compensation claims cost U.S. businesses $60 billion a year. More than 50% of those claims are for back injuries caused by pulling, pushing or lifting, tasks, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance. One in five disabling workplace injuries affects the lower back. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1.75 million U.S. workers each year succumb to a back injury that involves lengthy and costly medical and rehabilitation treatment, in addition to a considerable number of lost workdays.

Utilizing ergonomically-designed motorized carts and powered movers to assist workers with pushing, pulling and lifting tasks can save a business thousands of dollars — $4 for every dollar invested, according to a 2008 study reported in the New Hampshire Business Review — in decreased medical, insurance and disability costs resulting from musculoskeletal injuries. DJ Products, a national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed electric carts and movers, specializes in providing affordable ergonomic solutions to material handling applications. For more information, visit the DJ Products website.

Ergonomics Increase Workplace Efficiency

Manufacturers are shutting factories and slashing jobs in an effort to stop the hemorrhaging from the global economic recession. A recession “always hits manufacturing first and hardest,” said Hank Cox, spokesman for the 10,000 member National Association of Manufacturers. “We’re going into a valley” that looks like it’s going to be “long and deep.”

Economic experts compare this recession to the 2000-2003 slowdown during which manufacturing lost 3 million jobs and never really got them back. Greater initial job loss is expected this time around, but there is hope that as the economy improves a greater number of jobs will be reinstated and that the net job loss will be less than in 2003. Until things turn around, though, everyone will have to work a little harder to pick up the slack.

Increasing the efficiency of your workforce can help business owners trim operating costs. Implementing personnel programs to decrease absenteeism has shown good results but doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. Poor working conditions that place unnatural strain on workers’ bodies take both a physical and mental toll on your workforce. Implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace can not only boost employee morale but eliminate costly musculoskeletal injuries and their associated costs.

Ergonomically-designed powered carts and movers relieve workers of the physical strain and discomfort caused by manual performance of pushing, pulling and lifting tasks. Making an investment in your employees’ health and safety improves morale. And where morale is high, worker efficiency has been proven to increase. But these are the indirect benefits of implementing an ergonomics program in your workplace. Direct benefits include an immediate and permanent decrease in expensive musculoskeletal injuries — particularly back injuries — and the high medical, insurance, disability and workers’ compensation costs they entail.

Workplace injury and illness cost U.S. businesses $171 billion a year. Approximately 13.2 million workers every year are injured in the workplace, resulting in $60 billion in workers’ compensation claims annually. According to OSHA estimates, back injuries account for 1 in 5 disabling injuries. Back injuries alone cost American businesses more than $12 million in lost workdays and $1 billion in compensation costs each year. The lost workday cost of a single back injury is estimated at $26,000.

Implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace can dramatically and immediately impact worker efficiency and your bottom line. Most businesses recoup their investment in ergonomic equipment within the first year. For more information on how ergonomic carts and movers can improve efficiency in your workplace, contact the knowledgeable experts at DJ Products today.

Trailer Mover Pulls Heavy Equipment with Ease

There have always been strongmen who pitted themselves against modern machines in amazing feats of strength. Back when you were a small fry you probably watched them on TV or might have seen them in action at the county fair. Muscles bulging, in true John Henry fashion, these guys would harness themselves to a tractor trailer or railcar or some other amazingly heavy immovable object and with brute strength pull it down a street or across a field to the jaw-dropping awe of their audience.

Today, you can accomplish the same incredible feat and without the bulging muscles of a steel-driving man like John Henry. DJ Products’ amazing TrailerCaddy trailer mover allows a single, ordinary worker to push and pull a RV, camper, equipment trailer or boat with ease. The electric-powered TrailerCaddy is the perfect solution for moving wheeled trailers down an assembly line or into holding areas during manufacture. It’s the ideal tool for moving and positioning trailers at a showroom or trade show.

Less bulky than traditional material handling equipment used to pull trailers, DJ Products’ powered trailer mover provides precise operator control and maximum maneuverability, even in confined areas. Far less costly to maintain than other trailer pulling equipment on the market, the DJ Products trailer mover also significantly decreases accident rates and their associated costs. Superior maneuverability and operator control also mean less chance of damage to surrounding parts and equipment.

Like all of DJ Products’ superior powered movers, the TrailerCaddy trailer mover is ergonomically-designed to eliminate the risk of musculoskeletal injury caused by pushing and pulling tasks. Overextension and strain on muscles during the pushing, pulling and maneuvering of heavy loads can cause severe physical damage to workers. Treatment of musculoskeletal injuries is long-term and expensive. In addition to high medical costs, musculoskeletal injuries can significantly increase insurance, workmen’s compensation, disability and lost man-hour costs. The ergonomic design of all DJ Products’ pushers, pullers and movers is geared to eliminate the considerable physical strain of moving heavy objects, thereby reducing the negative impact of accidents and injuries on your bottom line.

Visit the DJ Products website for full specs and to see the amazing TrailerCaddy trailer mover in action.

Using Ergonomic Equipment to Reduce Injury Rates

In our last post we talked about the challenges of managing a multicultural workforce in material handling, logistics, warehousing, fulfillment and other businesses. OSHA has reported higher than normal injury and on-the-job death rates for foreign-born Hispanic workers who comprise a growing segment of America’s hourly workforce. While language and cultural differences appear to be at the root of the problem, injury and death rates can be cut by using intuitive, ergonomically-designed, powered equipment to meet your material handling needs.

When communication is an issue, equipment that is easy to operate can improve training speed and reduce potential worker operation errors that can lead to injury. When controls are intuitively designed, communication gaps are narrowed further. What might not be grasped or fully remembered in verbal communication can be intuited by gesture or familiarity with similar equipment. This is not to say that a thorough training and safety program is not necessary, only that easy-to-operate equipment shortens the time between initial training and competent operation. Ergonomically-designed equipment is built around the worker, not the task, making it extremely user-friendly and an excellent choice in multicultural work environments.

Ergonomic material handling equipment that is electric or battery powered can further reduce injury and workplace death rates. In material handling situations, most injuries come from pulling, pushing or lifting loads and are the result of over-stretching or over-straining muscles. Powered equipment removes most of the need for heavy physical exertion from pulling, pushing and lifting tasks. By allowing the equipment to do the heavy lifting, so to speak, fewer situations are presented during the workday that might place workers at risk of injury.

To find out more about ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, visit the DJ Products website.

Why Ergonomic Equipment Makes Smart Sense

With the loss of time on the job and the expense of injuries billed to Workman’s Compensation or for that matter even the legal representation in a liability law suit, the initial investment in ergonomic equipment for your warehouse and maintenance staff is a good investment.

Wikipedia defines ergonomics in this statement:
“Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with designing according to human needs, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. [2] The field is also called human engineering, and human factors.”

When you invest in equipment that helps to protect your employees and staff from injury, you are investing in increased productivity, potentially lower legal costs for your business, and better employee morale and health.

Ergonomic engineered equipment may initially cost more than other equipment but in the big scheme they may very well be the investment that you simply should not overlook. With over exertion being one of the leading workman’s compensation claims in a document provided by the State of Washington with an average incurred medical cost of $7,233 the investment in machinery that does the heavy work in the warehouse, factory floor, or facility is simply a smart investment in protecting your business from potential medical expenses and legal fees.

To put this in perspective, just in Washington State alone, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries reported that in 2008 that there were 24,667 claims for overexertion with a total incurred cost of $178,414,838 with an average claim size of $7,233. This is just for one state! Tally this up in 50 states and employee overexertion is one of the key injuries that many companies can work to prevent by supplying equipment that helps protect the employee from overexertion on the job.

If you are not aware of the new equipment that is available to make your staff work more carefully, prevent over exertion, and to increase productivity, we invite you to visit the website of DJ Products the specialist in pullers, movers, motorized carts, electric cart pushers, and CartCaddy dolly movers. They will be happy to provide the information you need to make the “right “ equipment purchase for your specific needs.

Ergonomic Car Pusher = Savings for U.S. Auto Industry

As the already-battered U.S. auto industry struggles to keep its doors open during the growing economic recession, the financial and workforce value of ergonomic car pushers will become increasingly important. Doom and gloom seem to headline news about the auto industry.In a bid to prop up troubled domestic automakers, governors from six states heavily invested in the auto industry — Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky, New York and South Dakota — petitioned the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve for help. “The auto industry; their network of suppliers, vendors, dealers and other businesses; and the communities that rely on those businesses face unimaginable challenges — challenges we urge you to help address,” the governors wrote.Over the past decade, U.S. automakers have been fighting a losing battle against tough competition from foreign car companies, particularly Honda and Toyota.  Faltering automakers General Motors and Chrysler are talking merger in order to stay alive, though financing could present a major stumbling block. Although tens of thousands of jobs would be lost in a merger, industry experts agree that a merger is preferable to the even greater disaster that would occur should either company collapse.But automakers aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch. U.S. auto dealers are also struggling; and particularly in areas glutted with dealers, many are being forced to scale back or close their doors. Nationally, new car sales are down 13% from last year, with sales expected to continue dropping as people cut expenses and harbor their cash during the impending recession. The National Automobile Dealers Association has asked President Bush to consider issuing refundable consumer tax credits for new car and truck purchases or instituting a program that would entice consumers to upgrade their vehicles.The bottom line is that all players in the auto industry, from monster auto makers to small-town dealers, are going to have to make their operations leaner and meaner. Turning to ergonomically-designed, fuel-smart car pushers specifically designed for the automotive industry can reap significant savings. Ergonomically-designed car pushers are proven to reduce expensive musculoskeletal injuries and their attendant medical, insurance and workers compensation costs. And ergonomic equipment allows a single worker to accomplish a greater workload, increasing production efficiency and reducing personnel costs. Battery and electric-powered car pushers also saves big bucks in fuel and maintenance costs compared to diesel or gas-powered car pushers. Studies show that ergonomic equipment pays for itself in a single year. After that, it’s all gravy!To find out how an ergonomic car pusher can improve your bottom line, talk to the experts at DJ Products.