Tag: Material Handling

How Ergonomics Saves Money

Musculoskeletal injuries caused by overexertion are responsible for 25% of all workplace injuries and affect one in every 200 workers, according to data compiled by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Overexertion injuries caused by straining during pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying tasks cost U.S. businesses more than $1 billion in compensation costs and 12 million lost workdays every year. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, more than 50% of worker’s compensation claims are for debilitating back injuries that affect 1.75 million (1 in 5) workers each year — at an annual price tag of $30 billion. The time-lost cost of a single back injury is estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics at $26,000.

Ergonomic equipment is designed to eliminate and prevent muscle strain, overexertion, back injury and the whole gamut of musculoskeletal and repetitive motion injuries that eat away at U.S. business profit margins. Ergonomically-designed equipment reduces the risk of overexertion and injury from pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, bending and twisting tasks. The equipment, not the worker, carries the burden, eliminating expensive medical, insurance, worker’s compensation and lost work-hour expenses. When workers are less physically tasked and workplace safety is increased, worker morale improves, production increases and product quality goes up.

One study of U.S. manufacturers found that every dollar invested in ergonomics resulted in a savings of $4. DJ Products, a national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed carts and movers, has found that most customers recoup their investment in ergonomic equipment within the first year. DJ Products specialized in providing affordable ergonomic solutions to material handling applications. We manufacture material handling equipment that is designed to eliminate the strain and pain of manually pushing or pulling heavy carts, equipment or materials. Our ergonomically-designed equipment is smaller, more maneuverable and less costly than traditional material handling equipment such as forklifts, walkies and motorized riding tugs. DJ Products specializes in battery powered, walk behind carts, movers and pushers that offer maximum safety and maneuverability. If you’re looking to get better value from your material handling dollar, contact DJ Products’ expert ergonomic sales team today!

Staying Competitive as Recession Wanes

The economy is finally showing signs of life; although as we mentioned in our last post, recovery is likely to be a slow process. As America recovers from the recession, businesses may find themselves trapped between wary consumers on one side and skittish bankers on the other, further slowing economic recovery. A continued lag in spending and lending means that belt-tightening will remain the norm for at least the next six to 12 months if businesses are to stay competitive and, in some cases, survive.  

In an informal poll conducted last month, Manufacturing & Technology eJournal readers said they planned to rely on a variety of cost-cutting measures over the next year to maintain their competitiveness (click the link above for complete survey results):

  • 36% expand territory
  • 32% seek cost reductions from existing vendors
  • 24% eliminate underperforming products/services
  • 24% employee layoffs
  • 21% reduce salaries or work days
  • 12.5% seek work closer to home

Turning to your own workers for suggestions on how to increase cost-saving measures has proved a successful tactic in many industries during the recession. While concessions made by auto workers and airline employees have garnered the lion’s share of the headlines, workers in nearly every industry and business field have agreed to cut salaries, decrease work hours or forego benefits in order to maintain the solvency of their employer and keep their jobs.

It’s all about sharing the load and allowing workers to buy into the decision-making process. Workers express greater support for solutions they have helped create. And they’re more likely to embrace cost-cutting measures — and exert peer pressure on fellow employees to toe the line — when they feel:

  1. Their efforts will have a direct impact on solving the problem.
  2. More people will be able to keep their jobs because of the sacrifices they are making.
  3. The burden is being shared equally by workers and management.  

That last point may be the most critical. We’ll look at why next time.

Prevent Back Pain with a Power Puller

When your employees pull or tug on carts and dollies that are too heavy the result can be pain, back strain, and a number of other injuries. WebMD categorizes these injuries as:

Sudden (acute) injuries: These kinds of injuries are “sudden and severe” and include things like compressed nerves, ligament and muscle injury, spine fracture and torn or ruptured discs. Although WebMD notes that the “pain from an acute injury usually does not last longer than 6 weeks,” that is quite a long time to be hurting if you need to perform physical labor for work. And it is possible for a worker to become re-injured during that time.

Overuse injuries: With these, an employee may not remember a specific incident such as ‘throwing his/her back out,” but the pain stiffness and muscle spasm are certainly memorable, lasting 4 weeks if there is no treatment.

Material handling solutions such as a DJ Products power puller is an invaluable for preventing the injury and re-injury that can occur when employees strain their backs. Wheeled equipment such as dollies, hand trucks, linen carts, and hospital carts may be overloaded or the weight on them may not be distributed evenly. This is where a CartCaddyLite Shorty power puller comes in handy: it’s designed with enough power to maneuver carts with less than 1500 lbs. through confined environments where tight maneuverability is of a huge concern. You don’t want your employees to injure themselves or end up with tipped over carts.

Contact one of our Sales Engineers at 1-800-686-2651 to learn more about power pullers and our other useful material handling solutions.

ErgoExpo Promotes Value of Ergonomics to Business

With the 15th Annual National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition opening tomorrow in Las Vegas, this seems like a good time to promote the value of ergonomics to creating safe working conditions, safe work environments and saving businesses a considerable amount of money on their bottom line. ErgoExpo will focus on the role of workplace ergonomics in economic recovery with special educational tracks detailing return on investment, impact on America’s aging workforce, potential to reduce health care costs, and impact on improving workplace safety.

The application of ergonomics to workplace processes and equipment has been proven time and again to increase productivity and profitability while improving health, safety and morale. Implementing an ergonomic plan and utilizing ergonomic equipment in your place of business is a win-win proposition — for business owners and their employees.

  • Ergonomic procedures eliminate painful movements that can stretch and pull muscles causing injury, particularly with repetition or over time.
  • Utilizing ergonomically-designed material handling equipment eliminates the strain and risk of injury from transporting and positioning materials or equipment.
  • Implementing an ergonomic program creates a safer environment in the workplace.
  • Ergonomic equipment allows workers to stay on the job longer and take fewer and shorter breaks, increasing productivity.
  • A safer work environment means fewer injuries and fewer lost man-hours, increasing worker productivity.
  • Fewer injuries decrease direct medical and physical therapy costs as well as the expense of insurance and disability claims, improving your bottom line.
  • When work is less physically taxing, workers are happier and workplace morale goes up.
  • When injuries go down and morale goes up, absenteeism goes down and productivity goes up!

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

Invest in Ergonomically Designed Material Handling Solutions

Your employees may be using a cart or some other device that they have pieced together themselves to transport goods within your workplace and you figure as long as they get the job done it is okay. But is it really?

Carts that are designed for other purposes and those that are not made specifically for humans to transport heavy loads can cause injury and strain. You have invested a lot in your company and in your employees—why not see to it that they have the right equipment to do their jobs and transport materials without incident? The loss in revenue and productivity that results from using material handling solutions that are not ergonomically correct can be avoided. DJ Products provides power tugs and other solutions that eliminate the strains and pains of manually pushing or pulling heavy carts, equipment or material.

In addition to that, DJ Products makes material handling solutions that are more maneuverable than traditional electric equipment like fork trucks, walkies or motorized riding tugs. Our battery powered “walk behind” units are designed for better control.

We offer a wide range of equipment, such as:

* Hospital Carts

* Stainless Steel Food Carts

* Platform Trucks and Scissor Lifts

* Carts with Casters

* Carts with 4-swivel casters or wagon-wheel style of turning

* Car Pushers

* Trailer Movers

* Paper Roll Pushers

* Equipment Pullers

* Airplane Tugs

And if you are not exactly sure of what you need, you can call us and one of our Sales Engineers will be happy to help you select the right solution and discuss custom applications where our base products match primary criteria.

Making the Responsibility Revolution Work for You

Hand in hand with the “go green” movement, the “responsibility revolution” is changing the way Americans shop. Everyone from the companies that supply your parts and materials to the end product consumer is watching how corporations use resources and interact — with the local community and the world at large. Ethical consumerism is on the rise and savvy business owners are paying attention.

An outgrowth of our raised consciousness about the interrelationship of environmental systems, people are paying more attention to how companies are interacting socially with their environment. It’s not enough these days to decrease your carbon footprint and lower your energy consumption, people expect a certain level of social responsibility from the companies they buy from and invest in. The marketplace is replete with examples of companies that have suffered for their lack of social consciousness. Nike attacked for unfair overseas labor practices. Wal-Mart boycotted for unfair labor practices at home. Rabid consumer groups have been quick to call attention to practices they find unethical, tarnishing corporate reputations, forcing management changes and even putting companies out of business.

Smart corporations are working to demonstrate to consumers that they care about the planet and the people they share it with. Implementing a strong ergonomic program and switching to ergonomic equipment that protects the health and safety of your workers is one immediate step companies can take to show their concern for others. Many Americans are looking for improvement and changes in their own back yards. Using local suppliers, contracting with local transport firms, supporting local events and charities, improving the lives of the people you hire — both on the job and off — these actions speak louder than words. They show people that you are a responsible corporate partner in their community and an asset in their daily lives.

New Side-Steer Powered Cart Handles Long Parts

Long parts or equipment that overhang the ends of the cart have always been a challenge to move. Objects that overhang the transport cart make it impossible for operators to safely push or pull loads from the end of the cart; they just can’t get physically close enough to get a safe handhold or exert proper force. Overhanging loads are generally too heavy to be pushed or pulled by a single worker and their length makes maneuvering these loads particularly awkward and unsafe. Problems with reach length, load balance and load stability even make use of traditional motorized tuggers unproductive and unsafe. The length and cumbersome placement of oversized loads makes it impossible for tuggers built to handle normal loads to safely reach under an oversized product or piece of equipment to grab and connect to the cart, much less guarantee safe transport and maneuvering by the operator.

DJ Products, the nation’s foremost manufacturer of ergonomically-designed motorized carts and powered cart movers, has solved the problem of safely transporting oversized loads with the introduction of its new side-steer powered cart. The unique side-steer design of this self-propelled cart allows the operator to safely walk behind and to the side of oversized loads, providing clear sight lines and safe, easy maneuvering of heavy, extra-long parts and equipment no matter how far they overhang the transport cart. Visit our website to watch a video of DJ Products’ new side-steer powered cart in action.

Capable of hauling loads up to 5,000 pounds, DJ Products’ ergonomic design ensures that the cart, not the worker, shoulders the load. The conveniently-located variable-speed twist grip is designed to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome while easily allowing the operator to move forwards and backwards at speeds up to 3 mph. Ergonomic design allows workers to perform their jobs more efficiently and comfortably by allowing equipment to be adjusted to the size of the worker. Awkward and unsafe work postures that lead to tired and cramped muscles, longer and more frequent work breaks, and disabling musculoskeletal injuries are eliminated.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that one worker in every 200 experiences an overexertion injury. Annually, overexertion injuries cost American businesses more than 12 million lost work days and over $1 billion in compensation costs. According to a study published in the New Hampshire Business Review, every dollar invested in ergonomics reaps a $4 savings in medical, insurance, workers’ compensation and lost work day costs. To find out how DJ Products’ new side-steer powered cart can safely maneuver overhanging loads and save you money, talk to one of our ergonomic specialists today.

Obama Administration Proposes New Ergonomic Reporting Rules

For the last year, the economy, health care reform and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have occupied President Obama, forcing his campaign promise to improve workplace safety onto the back burner. With those issues under better control, the Obama administration appears to be ramping up to tackle workplace safety. Repetitive-stress musculoskeletal injuries harm 460,000 workers and cost U.S. businesses $9.1 billion in health care costs each year. As the first step toward developing regulations to reduce the risk and incidence of musculoskeletal injuries, the Obama administration this week proposed that U.S. companies be required to keep more extensive records of ergonomic-related injuries. Most analysts assume this to be the administration’s first volley in the battle to reinstate workplace injury regulations similar to those implemented by President Clinton but quickly nullified by President Bush in 2001.

The new proposal doesn’t attempt to reinstate the Clinton regulations at this time, but it does put the issue back on the negotiating table and is expected to quickly revive the ergonomics debate in Washington. Earning immediate support from the AFL-CIO which has been lobbying for a return of ergonomic requirements since Obama’s campaign days, the newly proposed reporting requirement is subject to public comment before it takes effect. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is expected to provide stiff opposition. The country’s largest business lobbying group, the U.S. Chamber fought vigorously against the Clinton era ergonomic regulations arguing that implementation would cost American employers more than $4.2 billion per year.

Frankly, we think opposition to ergonomics is shortsighted. Change is inexorable. The upshot of the health care reform debate is that American medicine must move from the current acute care model to increased preventative care to reign in soaring medical costs and effectively care for America’s aging population. New emphases in health care will increase demand for ergonomic equipment and processes that prevent disabling musculoskeletal injuries. Those who embrace the future early, stand to gain the most.

Time to Review Your Corporate Ergonomic Plan

October is National Ergonomics Month and a good time to review your company’s ergonomic plan and assess new ergonomic needs. Ergonomics protects the health and safety of your workers, increases worker productivity and dramatically reduces on-the-job injuries and their associated costs. Ergonomically designed equipment and procedures seek to minimize muscle-straining manual pushing, pulling, reaching and stretching activities. Ergonomic equipment is proven to reduce potentially debilitating musculoskeletal injuries. Implementation of an ergonomic program and use of ergonomic equipment is also proven to reduce absenteeism, lost man-hours, direct medical costs and disability claims.

A long-time national leader in the innovative design and manufacture of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, DJ Products can offers expert assistance in meeting your company’s ergonomic needs. To aid you in developing an ergonomic program, we provide a handy Ergonomic Load Calculator on our website. Use it to calculate the amount of force necessary to move typical loads in your work environment. Our expert ergonomic sales engineers can suggest ergonomic solutions to your material handling problems.

Want to learn more about the benefits of implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace? This year’s National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas November 17-20. Focusing on the importance of ergonomics during economic recovery, ErgoExpo will sponsor educational programs on managing ergonomic programs to maximize return on investment, accommodating the aging workforce, and using ergonomics to increase safety in the workplace. A free webinar from 2-3 p.m. (Eastern) will be offered on Wednesday, October 7, to explain and highlight educational programs to be offered at the expo. Webinar participants will receive a special discount for ErgoExpo. For more information on the conference and to sign up for the webinar, visit the ErgoExpo website.

Ergonomics Addresses Small & Large Features of Material Equipment Use

Some people think all material handling equipment is the same. They may notice that handles, controls, wheels, beds, connectors and other features differ from model to model but they don’t realize that even small differences in design can have a huge impact on how hard or easy a piece of material handling equipment is to use and whether it is likely to injure operators or minimize the risk of injury. Those small differences can add up to huge financial savings when material handling equipment is ergonomically designed to maximize ease of use and minimize risk of injury.

Workplace injuries cost U.S. businesses more than $60 billion annually and affect more than 1.75 million workers each year. A single back injury, which account for 50% of worker’s compensation claims, can cost a business $26,000 in time-lost costs. Utilizing ergonomically-designed material handling equipment to take the strain off workers’ backs during pushing, pulling and lifting activities can result in immediate savings.

When material handling equipment is ergonomically designed, every aspect of the piece of equipment and how it will be used is taken into consideration. Because workers come in all shapes and sizes, ergonomic engineers must consider a wide range of factors in designing equipment so that it can be comfortably used by a varied workforce. As you might expect, ergonomics addresses major design features such as the height of load beds, cart depths, angle of access, force requirements and other macro-design elements.

However, small, repetitive actions like twisting a handle often tax muscles and result in repetitive motion musculoskeletal injuries. Ergonomic engineers strive to address every element of equipment design from the width and angle of hand grips to the placement and shape of control buttons to the size and type of wheel. For more information on ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, visit the DJ Products website.