Tag: Material Handling

Nursing Home Volunteers Can Use Material Handling Solutions

There are plenty of uses for motorized cart pushers and industrial tuggers in nursing homes. Workers can use them to deliver patient medications and meals. Motorized laundry carts can be used to retrieve dirty laundry and then deliver clean laundry. Overall, material handling solutions can make it easier for nursing home workers to complete their tasks efficiently while avoiding unnecessary strain so they can concentrate on patients.

So we know that motorized carts can be used to deliver the things that nursing home residents need…but what about flowers?

NewsWorks reported about a New Jersey woman who has made it her mission to see to it that folks in the nursing home get a little cheer in their day via day-old grocery story bouquets. She picks up the day old bouquets and then transports them to several nursing homes, spending nearly three hours a day making her deliveries. The article says that Patricia Gallagher gets enough of these bouquets that would otherwise be tossed away to fill up a shopping cart…what it does not say is how she transports the bouquets from her car into and around the various nursing homes that she visits.

So yes, even nursing home volunteers can make use of material handling solutions. Instead of having to carry items in or relying on staff members to help (and taking them away from their duties), having a motorized cart available for volunteers and families who are distributing gifts or setting up donations would be a great idea.

Call 1-800-686-2651 to speak with one of our Sales Engineers to learn more about our products.

Ergonomic Design Lowers Risk of Musculoskeletal Injury

Manual material handling (MMH) contributes to more than half a million musculoskeletal injuries a year in the U.S., said a 2007 report published by the California Department of Industrial Relations. A joint study by California OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that “effective ergonomic interventions can lower the physical demands of MMH work tasks, thereby lowering the incidence and severity of the musculoskeletal injuries they cause. Their potential for reducing injury-related costs alone make ergonomic interventions a useful tool for improving a company’s productivity, product quality, and overall business competitiveness.”

Musculoskeletal injuries, primarily strains and sprains to the lower back, shoulders and upper limbs, “can result in protracted pain, disability, medical treatment, and financial stress for those afflicted with them,” warns the report. Such injuries carry a double whammy for employers who “often find themselves paying the bill, either directly or through workers’ compensation insurance, at the same time they must cope with the loss of the full capacity of their workers.”

The report recommends adopting ergonomic solutions that reduce the physical demands of MMH tasks, including:

  • Using simple transport devices like carts to move loads,
  • Eliminating lifting from the floor,
  • Using lift-assist devices like scissors lift tables, and
  • Analyzing and redesigning work stations and workflow.

Next time: The advantages of employing ergonomic solutions in your workplace. 

Get Ergonomic Material Handling Solutions and Retain Older Workers

Some older workers, particularly those who work in jobs that require them to use a certain amount of physical strength, are feeling nervous these days. They worry that if it seems like they cannot handle their work, they may see themselves replaced by younger workers. This fear may cause some older workers to attempt too much in order to prove their value to an organization. They may injure themselves not because they are too old, but because they strain themselves to prove their worth.

Today’s organizations need people of various ages to work together. Older workers have experience and know-how that younger workers do not have; young workers have fresh perspectives that can energize operations. Rather than lose older workers, you can see to it that all of your employees have ergonomic material handling equipment that prevents fatigue, muscle strain, and other injuries. You are probably well aware that it is costly to recruit, hire, and train a slew of new employees, so why not invest in making sure the ones you already have remain on the job?

A DJ Products Power Puller can maneuver in extremely tight spaces and ease the work of transporting hospital carts, laundry carts, maintenance carts and parts carts. These types of carts typically are less than 1500 lbs. and are generally maneuvered manually. Due to the nature of these carts’ uses, some organizations mainly assign elderly employees to maneuver them but our power pullers can also help younger employees as well. If our battery power puller is used, risks of fatigue and injury to valuable workers can be reduced.

Electric Carts Ease Strain of Push-Pull Tasks

Pushing and pulling are the two most required actions in industrial and business settings. Unfortunately, pushing and pulling can place extreme stress on a worker’s body, often resulting in back, groin and other musculoskeletal injuries. Injuries can cost an individual business thousands of dollars each year in medical, insurance, disability and lost man-hour costs. An ergonomically designed electric cart pusher and motorized cart puller eliminates the physical strain of manually pushing and pulling heavy carts and wheeled equipment. An investment in ergonomic equipment is a sound investment in the health and safety of your workforce that can save your business thousands of dollars in unnecessary medical and insurance costs.

In manufacturing and distribution settings, the most common solutions to material handling tasks are:

  • to place products, parts and equipment on pallets for handling or
  • to utilize racks, carts and casters to move materials.

Electric carts come in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations to fit the demands of the task and the capabilities of your workforce. An ergonomically-designed cart mover reduces the amount of force that must be exerted by the operator to maneuver a load. Various cart and wheel configurations are available to meet the needs of any task.

  • Carts, racks or equipment with casters can be easily turned and maneuvered with a CartCaddy power tug that feature a 5th wheel turning method.
  • Carts, racks or equipment with 4 swiveling casters require a cart with back end control.
  • Specialized CartCaddies and an electric tug have been designed to handle carts or equipment that have straight wheels or are on a rail.

Visit the DJ Products website to view our complete line of ergonomic electric carts, trucks and lifts. We offer ergonomic solutions for material handling applications.

Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?

The Dow is plunging, financial institutions are failing, credit is drying up and long-time Wall Street icons are plummeting into bankruptcy. The U.S. economy seems to be falling like a poorly stacked house of cards. The news is full of doom and gloom and more gloom. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

In a word, yes. But it may be a long tunnel, say manufacturing experts. There are things you can do to calm worried employees and weather the storm, says Joe Cogliano in Manufacturing & Technology eJournal.

  • Keep your staff in the communications loop, says Jay Kuhn, president of Definity Partners, a business improvement company. When the economy tightens up, employees worry about job security, providing for their family, even putting gas in their car to get to work. All that worrying takes a toll on worker productivity. Being honest about what’s happening in your company will bolster employee morale. “Workers are going home and they are hearing bad news everyday,” says Kuhn. “It’s important they know what’s going on because everything the company does is really going to be taken as a negative sign, whether it’s meant to be taken that way or not.” Employers should be prepared to answer questions and explain even minor changes like switching an insurance carrier to reign in employee nervousness. Keeping employees in the loop can alleviate their fears and keep office gossip in hand.
  • Keep things positive. Worry and stress take a physical toll on workers which can result in increased absence rates. Keeping things positive helps make workers want to come to work.
  • Embrace patriotism. Historically, Americans respond positively to hardship and sacrifice when they know they are helping their country. “Small and medium-sized businesses need to realize they’re the backbone of our economic growth and job creation,” says David Velie, managing partner of Amend Consulting/Techsolve, a manufacturing improvement consulting firm. “Remind teams that they’re the strength of the economy, not the Fortune 500s and the housing sector.”
  • Maintain your cash flow. Take a close look at factors that affect your cash flow. You may need to reign in credit terms and be more aggressive about collections to improve your cash flow. Watch for potential cash-draining trouble spots. Kuhn says business owners should base every decision on a “cash is king” model.

Things may be rough for all of us for a year or two, but as Kuhn points out, “The economy does come back; it always comes back.”

Gloomy Manufacturing Outlook to Brighten in 2009

For just about all of us, 2008 has turned out to be a tough year. According to statistics posted on Manufacturing & Technology eJournal, three straight months of no growth have plummeted the manufacturing index to 26-year lows; and it hasn’t reached bottom yet. 

“It appears that manufacturing is experiencing significant demand destruction as a result of recent events, with members indicating challenges associated with the financial crisis, interruptions from the gulf hurricane, and the lagging impact from higher oil prices,” Norbert Ore, chair of the Institute for Supply Management’s Business Survey Committee, told eJournal.

Adding insult to injury, contractions in the global economy have caused export orders to decrease after 70 consecutive months of growth. Manufacturers who were running at 78.6% capacity last April were operating at just 75.2% capacity by December.

While tough times are expected to continue into the first half of 2009, all is not doom and gloom. The sun should start to peek out within a few months. Manufacturers are already realizing a small boon from decreased commodity prices and lower fuel prices. They are guardedly optimistic that the manufacturing climate will begin to ease during the second half of 2009, particularly as credit improves. As the dollar strengthens, export orders are expected to return to normal strength. Adding another item to the plus column, Ore noted, “While 2008 has been a challenging year overall, we are apparently seeing a rapid halt to the inflationary cycle of the past several years as it relates to manufacturing inputs.”

ISM predicts a 1.1% net decrease in manufacturing revenue for 2009 which would actually be an improvement over the 2.2% decrease reported in 2008. While little to no growth is expected in most manufacturing sectors over the next year, most will stop losing ground. ISM actually expects small gains in some areas, including petroleum and coal products, electrical equipment, appliances and components, printing and related activities, food and beverage products, tobacco products, apparel and leather products and chemicals.

Manufacturers and other businesses are expected to hold their ground by decreasing capital expenditures, reducing inventories and downsizing workforces to decrease labor and benefit costs.

Next time: What it will take to succeed in 2009.

Part I: Trends Challenge the Material Handling Industry

In the June issue of MHEDA Edge, Steven Little, a keynote speaker at MHEDA’s recent annual convention, recapped six important worldwide trends that are already beginning to affect the material handling industry. Some trends are still in an embryonic stage with the development of applications capable of impacting our industry years in the future. Others are already making their presence known and changing the way we do business today.

We agree with Mr. Little that the following six trends are poised to change the material handling industry. We have added our own thoughts about the challenges these trends will pose as we move toward the future. We invite your comments on how our industry can best meet these coming challenges.

  1.  Demographics. The world’s population is aging. The U.S. isn’t the only country affected by the aging of post-WWII baby boomers. A quarter of Japan’s population is older than 55. Half the population of Western Europe has passed the half-century mark. On the other end of the scale, the number of collegiates in the U.S. is slowly increasing, indicating a potentially better educated employee pool. Changing demographics influence social values, politics and business processes, forcing a rethinking and restructuring of the ideas and systems that drive society — and business.
  2. Urbanization. Cities worldwide continue to grow larger. By 2000, 25 cities boasted populations greater than 10 million. By 2025, 62% of the world’s population is expected to live in cities. The logistics of providing for the needs of these compacted populations will require new thinking and applications.
  3. Immigration. Within a decade, Spanish will be the primary language spoken in 20% of U.S. homes. As with the 19th century influx of English-speaking immigrants — Irish, Scottish and British — Spanish-speaking immigrants are bringing a wealth of very diverse cultural differences and customs to our shores. America will again need to meet the challenge of assimilation, a process that always engenders significant change.

To be continued Monday.

The Rise of Ergonomics in Industrial Design

The staggering cost to American industry (see our previous post), coupled with the movement to make the workplace healthier and safer gave rise to the use of ergonomics in industrial design. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker with an emphasis on worker safety and comfort. Its goal is to maximize efficiency and productivity by reducing worker fatigue and discomfort. The implementation of ergonomic principles in America signifies a radical change in the way industry approaches equipment design.

According to Wikipedia, “The term ergonomics is derived from the Greek words ergon (work) and nomos (natural laws)” and was first coined by Wojciech Jastrzebowski in an article written in 1857.  But the idea of ergonomics is not new. In the 5th century BC, the ancient Greeks used ergonomic principles in designing tools and performing certain tasks. Hippocrates’ description of a surgeon’s workplace shows ergonomic principles at work. Frederick Taylor, who pioneered Scientific Management in the late 1800s, sought the optimum method of performing a task. In experiments, he was able to triple the amount of coal workers could shovel by reducing the size and weight of the shovel. In the early 1900s, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth built on his method with their Time and Motion Studies. The Gilbreths worked to increase task efficiency by eliminating unnecessary steps and movements. In application, they reduced the number of motions required to lay bricks from 18 to 4.5, tripling hourly productivity. But it was the industrial demands of World War II that allowed the principles of ergonomics to be applied across a broad range of applications, heralding the modern birth of this new branch of applied science.

California was the first state to adopt an ergonomics standard in 1997, prompting other states to consider similar standards. While there is no overriding federal ergonomic safety standard, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed ergonomic standards for specific industries and tasks. Compliance is addressed under OSHA’s General Clause.

Next time: The practical benefits of ergonomics

New Trends Will Affect Speed, Strength of Economic Recovery

The heart monitor on the economy has started beeping again, apparently shocked into recovery by the dual application of bailout money and stimulus funds. Of course, there’s still concern that the cure may prolong the patient’s recovery but the big guy does seem to be on the mend. Many economic analysts are now predicting that true recovery from the recession may begin as early as next quarter, that’s six months to a year ahead of previous predictions. Naturally, there’s disagreement about the strength and speed of the economy’s recovery. “The question is whether we are transitioning to a solid growth period or to something flatter,” explained Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA), in the FMA economic newsletter Fabrinomics.  

Kuehl pegs the strength of the economy’s recovery to three emerging trends that manufacturers and businessmen will need to factor into their plans as they position themselves to compete in the post-recession market:

  • Cautious consumers. High unemployment and the continuing threat of job loss has made consumers wary of spending and further depleting any financial reserves they have left. Most economists expect consumer spending to lag other signs of recovery, further slowing the recovery process. Until unemployment rates return to post-crisis norms and consumers regain confidence in the economy, demand for goods and services is expected to remain low.
  • Consolidation. Financial chaos has forced mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world, and not just in the automotive industry, Kuehl points out. Manufacturing bases have gone global, shifting from the U.S. and Europe to Asia, particularly China, and Latin America. Digging a toehold into these markets will be essential — and extremely challenging — if manufacturers, especially smaller players, are to survive. The complexities of global business may encourage even more consolidation as small manufacturers partner with larger ones or form cooperatives to gain global access.
  • Unsettled financial markets. While banks and financial entities took the brunt of the first blow, they haven’t carried the burden of the economic crisis. Even so, they are still recovering which will continue to make them wary of lending money. The yet-to-be-known impact of new government oversight and regulation will also be a factor. Kuehl sees a return of the “old-school banker” with tougher credit standards, demands for greater cash flow, and less money available for growth and expansion.

Handhold Design Can Improve Worker Efficiency

Most carts have handholds of one sort or another. Handles are such an ordinary part of everyday equipment that it’s easy to ignore their importance in efficient equipment use. But handholds are the link between the operator and the load. Handholds cue the operator on how much force to exert and where to apply it most effectively to move the load. Handhold placement and design on carts can increase or decrease the ease and efficiency with which a worker moves a load.

In evaluating the usefulness of a cart, consider these important elements of handhold design:

  • Handhold Height. Handhold height defines the operator’s posture, and posture determines the amount of force a person is able to generate when moving a cart. Given the difference in human size, no single handhold height will be optimal for all workers. Handholds that cause operators to bend or stoop can lead to musculoskeletal injuries. When handholds are located at the proper height for an individual’s body, he is able to exert maximum force without straining his body. An adjustable handhold system will accommodate workers of various sizes. Other solutions include a continuous vertical handhold system that can be grasped at any point along its length or a series of handholds at varying heights.
  • Handhold Width. Handholds should allow the operator to grip the cart near its outer edge to provide maximum leverage for turning and positioning. However it’s important that hands, fingers or arms not protrude beyond the side of the cart to prevent crushing injuries should the cart come in contact with a wall or other equipment.
  • Handhold Type. The type of handhold can dramatically affect the amount of force an operator is able to exert when maneuvering a cart. Poor coupling, the contact between hands and equipment, can decrease the force an operator can exert by 65%. Handhold shape should not concentrate pressure on any specific area of the hand. There should be no sharp edges or pronounced ridges. Both the palm of the hand and the fingers should be able to contact the handhold which should be wide enough to accommodate the entire hand.
    Note: Pulling tasks require a handhold that can be gripped with the fingers wrapping around the handle. Pushing tasks need only a good surface that provides stable hand/equipment coupling.