Tag: Productivity Tips

Reduce Risk of Food Processing Plant Injury with Industrial Tuggers

A study from commercial insurer CNA that examined the risks associated with working in the food processing industry found that “the types of incidents most likely to cause worker injuries are manual material handling and physical stress; struck by and struck against; and falls on the same level.” The report also noted that while the industry has increased its use of power movers, there was still a reliance on manual transport that lead to injuries that may have been prevented.

As the reports also states, “Profitability in the food processing industry depends on the rapid production of final product and its timely shipment to customers. The continuous rapid movement of large amounts of raw materials and finished products throughout the production cycle exposes workers to injuries resulting from contact with moving objects.”

We know that you cannot afford to slow down operations. We also know that you would like to avoid costly worker compensations claims and the loss of productivity and morale that go along with those claims. So, try using a DJ Products powered mover, like the CartCaddyShorty for example.

The CartCaddyShorty can be used to transport a variety of heavy loads, including things like large quantities of cold cuts or a cart full of cookie dough. This small, but powerful tugger is one the most maneuverable tugs you’ll find today.

While you can continue to allow your employees to push heavy carts because they are ‘getting the job done,’ consider that ergonomically designed equipment will still help them complete their tasks with the added benefit of preventing strains and sprains that can harm your staff and your financial outlook.

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.

Use Powered Roll Pusher to Push Paper Efficiently

When you ask some people what they do for a living, the response you get is, “I push paper.” These people are likely referring to office work where they process or pass along documents. They are not really pushing paper, as much as they are passing it along and with the use of computers, the volume of paper being processed in office environments has decreased.

Even with new technology, there are, however, still people who really do push paper, and lots of it. Paper companies still make paper and it still has to be transported through warehouses and onto trucks and distributed around the world. A paper company may have employees transport paper rolls that weigh up to 10,000 lbs. In the past, they used air pushers, but found that these were not exactly efficient. DJ Products, Inc. offers a paper roll pusher system that can be adjusted to accommodate paper rolls of different heights. The great thing about a powered paper roll pusher is that it efficiently allows rolls of different sizes to be transported while efficiently only requiring a single operator to push and maneuver rolls and there is not need for the limitations presented by air hoses.

And while you can opt to use fork trucks, walkies or riding tugs to move rolls at your paper manufacturing facility, keep in mind that this kind of equipment will require a lot more storage space than is need for the CartCaddy powered roll pusher. Additionally, you can also use a powered roll pusher from DJ Products to transport wire spools as well as paper rolls.

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.

Applying Six Sigma to Ergonomics Drives Production Gains

Businesses that practice Six Sigma recognize the roll ergonomics can play in creating and sustaining productivity gains. Adoption of a comprehensive ergonomics program that combines implementation of ergonomic practices with use of ergonomically-designed equipment can lead to significant production gains, both immediate and sustainable in the long term. This is in addition to the obvious benefits ergonomics offers in improved workplace safety and reduced injury levels and their attendant costs.

In our last post, we began discussing how Six Sigma’s disciplined, process-oriented, five-step approach to problem solving can be applied to development of a comprehensive ergonomics program. We covered defining problem areas and goals, measuring existing stressors, and analyzing collected data to identify root problems and potential risks. Today, we continue our discussion of Six Sigma’s five-step process and its application to creation of a comprehensive ergonomics program.

Improve. Develop solutions to address the identified root causes of production area problems, set performance standards, and define responsibilities of both workers and managers. Remember to talk to the workers who actually perform the tasks and use the equipment. They can provide valuable input and often offer useful, practical solutions to production problems. Implement your improvement action plan, including necessary staff and management training.

Control. To ensure that productivity gains are sustained over the long term and that they continue to improve, it is important to monitor the established ergonomics program to ensure that performance standards and personnel responsibilities are being maintained. Measurement data should be regularly collected and analyzed to ensure that productivity improvement goals are sustained.

Too often ergonomics programs fail because they are not fully supported by top level management. Particularly now, when manufacturers and other businesses, beset by myriad economic concerns, are forced to run lean, many have shunted plans to implement an ergonomics program to the future. There is general lack of understanding of the significant productivity gains that accrue with implementation of an ergonomics program. By increasing productivity, ergonomic processes and ergonomically-designed equipment can improve your bottom line noticeably. And that is in addition to the proven savings realized from the immediate decrease in workplace injuries and accompanying decrease in medical, insurance, workers’ compensation and lost man-hour costs when ergonomics are employed. Making a comprehensive ergonomics program part of your company’s Six Sigma strategy guarantees it the credibility and top level management support necessary for success and sustainability.  

For information on ergonomic equipment designed to solve your material handling problems, contact the ergonomic engineers at DJ Products.

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.

Frugality Is New Business Reality

The nation’s economic gurus may have declared the recession over, but they’re warning businesses and consumers alike that recovery could continue for years. And we shouldn’t expect things to get back to the way they were — ever! The country is going through a major reset. After decades of inflated prices, inflated egos and inflated dreams, we’ve had to face the cold, harsh realities of life and — we hope — the experience has left us wiser and a little more wary of falling into the same pit again. The smaller employee pools, tighter resource management and lean production practices developed out of necessity during the recession are here to stay. Frugality is the new reality.

The frugal measures taken to keep American businesses from sinking will help us swim leaner, faster and farther in the post-recession marketplace. Having found that we can function and compete in a frugal environment, businesses are expected to use that new-found frugality to give themselves a competitive edge, using less to produce more. Sure it means that everyone will continue to work harder and do more; but that’s what it’s going to take to compete successfully in the new, tougher post-recession marketplace.

Smart business owners will seek out equipment that allows them to make more productive use of their more limited post-recession workforce. Material handling products like DJ Products ergonomically-designed CartCaddys allow a single worker to perform lifting and transporting tasks that it takes two or more workers to do manually. Because ergonomic design enables multiple workers of any size, shape or physical ability to perform the same task without risk of injury, DJ Products carts, tugs and movers allow employers to maximize use of their workforce. Eco-friendly, battery-operated motorized carts decrease fuel costs while cutting downtime and maintenance costs. And adoption of ergonomic equipment significantly reduces medical and workers compensation costs while letting your workers know you value their health and safety.

Highlighting The Shopping Cart Pusher

Your customers may take shopping carts for granted, simply leaving them where they stand when they’re finished. However, it’s a problem for your business if the carts aren’t available when shoppers need them. Make retrieval more efficient with a Shopping Cart Pusher from DJ Products.

Rounding up stray carts across a parking lot and surrounding area can be a tedious and awkward job. If the weather’s bad, it becomes uncomfortable as well. Your employees will appreciate the ease of operating our cart pusher and you’ll save labor costs when they have more time to spend on other tasks.

The cart pusher attaches to the back of a line of shopping carts that can number as many as 50. Your employee then moves to the head of the train to steer, using a remote control to operate the pusher. He can then return the carts to the front of the store and either head back for more or start on a different job.

Having a parking lot full of stray shopping carts is messy-looking. In addition, it presents a hazard to customers who have to maneuver around them to enter your lot. Who doesn’t get annoyed at finding shopping cart dings on their car? Using a cart pusher can make these issues a thing of the past.

The Shopping Cart Pusher is just one of a full line of material handling solutions available from DJ Products. Our Sales Engineers are standing by at 800.686.2651 to answer your questions and help find the answer to your particular application.

Highlighting the Car Pusher

Cars are relatively simple machines to operate. They’re not so simple to deal with when you have to maneuver them around busy car lots or crowded mechanic shops. Our CarCaddy electric car pusher lets you move these several ton vehicles around with ease.

Whether you’re in the business of selling cars or repairing them, you can’t afford external damage to the vehicles on your lot. The front push end of the CarCaddy has soft, durable padding to protect the car from dents and scratches. Its battery-powered engine provides enough power for one person to push up to 20,000 pounds on flat ground and 10,000 pounds on a 3 percent incline. If your needs surpass that, you can upgrade to a heavy duty motor that accommodates up to 50,000 pounds.

Working with these heavy vehicles can make your employees susceptible to injury. The CarCaddy is ergonomically designed with features such as a variable speed handlebar twist grip to help prevent repetitive stress injuries. We’ve also included neutral throttle braking, soft tread tires for better traction and a high-tech speed controller to make safety the number one consideration.

Use of the CarCaddy isn’t limited to automobiles. It’s ideal for moving trucks, trailers, buses or any vehicle that has pneumatic tires and its own steering function.

Our friendly Sales Engineers at DJ Products are available to help you with obtaining a CarCaddy or any of our material handling solutions to fit your application. Please call 800.686.2651 or try our convenient online chat function.

Ergonomically Designed Equipment Can Help Employees Work More Efficiently

As we advance into the 21st century there will be more and more talk of how machines can replace people. Certainly, there are a number of professions in which fewer people can find work because machines are being used more often, but there is still a lot of work that requires the human touch. And if your company has jobs that require human effort, why not take good care of your workers? When you use the right equipment, such as a battery powered tug from DJ Products, you can prevent your employees from becoming injured.

DJ Products’ warehouse tugs like the RiderCaddy can increase overall productivity. If your company had carts that required several operators, a RiderCaddy would allow them to be moved by just one operator. The operators eliminated from this responsibility would then be available for other tasks.

Last year, a Forbes.com article made this very point. Instead of giving in to the fear that machines will take over, individuals and companies can find tasks that make better use of an employee’s time. “We mechanize a task, get it done by machines, which frees up humans to go and do something else. Possibly a more interesting something else.”

Your employees could get more done and do it safely when they have equipment that is ergonomically designed. All of our products are battery powered “walk-behind” units, that allow the operator to have increased control, even in tight, difficult spaces. Because of this operating flexibility, our extremely efficient electric cart movers can be used in more applications than standard material handling equipment.