Tag: safety

Wheel Design Is Important Element in Health, Hospitality Equipment

There’s a big difference in the amount of energy and effort it takes to push a wheeled cart across a smooth, flat linoleum floor and a floor covered in carpet. So many factors come into play, including:

  • The design, width and size of the wheel.
  • The weight of the piece of equipment being moved.
  • The depth and nap of the carpet.
  • Whether the transport area is flat or inclined or a combination of the two.

These issues and many others are seriously considered during the design of ergonomic material handling equipment for use in health care and hospitality settings that generally include carpets in some areas. Wheel design can significantly impact the amount of force it takes to maneuver a laundry, food, utility, maintenance or garbage cart or some other piece of equipment across hospital, nursing home, hotel, motel or resort floors.

DJ Products electric cart pushers feature a unique wheel design that provides optimal traction on both smooth and carpeted floors with no discernable transition issues. The ergonomic design of our motorized hospital and hospitality cart pushers removes transition issues as carts move easily from one flooring surface to the next. Changes in grade and friction are negated by ergonomic wheel design that allows smooth travel over and between surfaces. The unique 5th wheel design of our control arm allows safe 180 degree pivoting of fully-loaded carts under the arm. This feature allows workers to turn heavy loads a full 90 degrees without risk of jackknifing the care or needing to manually maneuver the front end of the cart.

The result is safer operation for hospital and hospitality workers and more versatile use of these exceptional ergonomic material handling products.

Part 1: How Much Can Ergonomics Save Your Business?

As Congress debates passage of a health care reform bill, the potential cost of meeting new health care requirements is causing some consternation in the business community. Small business owners in particular are concerned that new federal income surtaxes may take too big a chomp out of profitability. Some are even worried that too big a health insurance bite could force them out of business. Among other things, the current plan could cost small businesses 5.4% in new health care taxes and levy payroll taxes of as much as 8% on other businesses. Of course, who knows what the final bill will actually look like, but taking proactive measures would seem to be a wise move.

Implementing an ergonomic plan now and switching to ergonomically designed material handling equipment is a proven way to lower workplace injury rates and significantly decrease the need for medical services. Lower risks mean lower insurance costs. The day is coming when businesses that use ergonomics may enjoy special discounts like homeowners now receive for installing security systems and smoke detectors. It’s something business owners might want to address with their insurers.

Back injuries account for more workers’ compensation claims than any other workplace injury. They are just one of a class of injuries termed musculoskeletal disorders that involve injury to the body’s connective tissues. These injuries to muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage or spinal discs account for no less than one-third of U.S. workplace injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cost of a musculoskeletal injury goes beyond immediate medical care. Often extensive — and expensive — physical therapy or other post-injury care is required. On average, workers miss more work days for musculoskeletal injuries than for any other type of workplace injury. Once workers return to the job, the incidence of reinjury is high and many will be unable to fulfill their originally assigned duties. Particularly if reinjury occurs, there is a high risk of permanent disability.

Part 2 on Monday

Part 2: How Much Can Ergonomics Save Your Business?

As we began discussing Friday, pending health care reform could wind up taking a big bite out of businesses’ bottom lines. Businessmen who take proactive measures to bring down medical costs today will realize significant savings going forward. As we noted in our last post, largely preventable musculoskeletal injuries account for 33% of workplace injuries.

In 2007, U.S. workers suffered 335,390 musculoskeletal injuries requiring a median nine days away from work. National Safety Council statistics for 2008 list the following medical costs for common musculoskeletal injuries:

$15,313 – Upper back
$23,820 – Lower back
$12,726 – Hand, finger, wrist
$21,577 – Arms, wrist, shoulder

And that doesn’t include the cost of missed work days, insurance, workers’ compensation, disability, decreased productivity or low morale. Ergonomics can drastically reduce and generally all but eliminate the risk of musculoskeletal injury. Ergonomics is the science of adapting the equipment to fit the worker. Ergonomics recognizes the breadth of human differences and designs equipment that will accommodate those differences while supporting worker performance. The result is decreased injuries, improved productivity and increased worker morale. Costs go down and profits go up.

All this from a simple, well-designed piece of material handling equipment. Except there’s nothing simple about ergonomic design. Hours of careful observation, consultation, statistical analysis and engineering expertise go into the ergonomic design of each of DJ Products’ powered tugs and motorized carts. Every element in our ergonomic material handling equipment is strategically placed for optimal efficiency and ease of operation by the widest possible pool of workers. DJ Products’ ergonomic carts and tugs significantly decrease the risk of worker injury. Many of our customers report recouping their investment well within the first year of operation.

Don’t wait for health care costs to gobble up your profits. To learn how you can proactively reduce workplace injury, talk to one of DJ Products’ ergonomic experts today.

Florida Conference to Focus on Ergonomics

The Central Florida Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) will host a one-day ergonomics conference on November 4, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. The purpose of the conference is to help business leaders develop proactive ergonomic programs and practices within their workplaces to identify and reduce the risk factors that result in often debilitating musculoskeletal injuries.

Musculoskeletal injuries that damage the body’s connective tissues — muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage and spinal discs — accounted for 29% of all workplace injuries in 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That year more than 335,000 musculoskeletal injuries required an average work absence of 9 days, more than 4 times the average 2-day absence required by most workplace injuries. When incorporated in equipment design and the development of workplace procedures, ergonomics has been proven to significantly reduce the risk and incidence of musculoskeletal injury.

“Ergonomics affects virtually every aspect of the safety profession, from machine use to construction safety to office set-up,” ASSE Central Florida Chapter President Jeff Spackman told OH&S (Occupational Health & Safety) online. “As an ASSE chapter, we do everything possible to be of the greatest value to our members who are committed to protecting people, property, and the environment. We felt holding a development conference on this very important topic would be of the greatest value to the greatest number of our members.”

The November conference will feature two general and four concurrent sessions covering ergonomic design and practices in various settings, including industrial, construction, workstation and office. Worker’s compensation issues, injury prevention and rehabilitation will also be addressed. The keynote address will be presented by Isabel Perry, Ph. D., president of TheSafetyDoctor.com. Among other scheduled speakers are Daniel McCune, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University safety director; Eric Austin, Amerisure Insurance senior loss control consultant; Ronald Porter, director of Back School of Atlanta; and Michael Belcher, ASSE Region IV VP and director of safety at DS Waters of America.

Click here for more information and to register for the November 4 ergonomic conference at the Orlando Repertory Theater in Orlando, Florida.

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.

Why Are Ergonomics Important?

We’ve been getting back to basics in our last couple of posts on the history of ergonomics and ergonomic terms, reviewing what ergonomics is for those new to our blog. But why are ergonomics so important in the workplace? Three reasons:

  1. Ergonomics improves worker health and safety.
  2. Ergonomics increases productivity and work quality.
  3. Ergonomics saves money.

Health & safety. People come in all shapes and sizes, but until the advent of ergonomics, material handling equipment was one size fits all. Except the problem was that it didn’t fit all people. Workers taller or shorter than the fictional “average man” to whose size and shape equipment was designed had to reach and stretch or hunch and bend to reach and manipulate equipment controls, to load and off-load product or materials, or to push and pull carts from one work station to another. All that stretching and scrunching around puts stress on the body’s muscles, joints and tendons. Backs become sore, arms and legs tire more quickly, and neck and shoulder muscles start to ache. At first the body heals itself, repairing minor muscle tears, but repetitive stress simply doesn’t allow enough time between exertions for the body to heal. Muscles, tendons and joints can be damaged. Called musculoskeletal injury, this damage can become permanent over time, resulting in permanent disability.

Ergonomics addresses this problem through flexible, adjustable design that allows equipment to be adjusted to the size of each individual worker, ensuring ideal positioning and maximum operator comfort during work tasks for every worker. A national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed motorized carts, DJ Products incorporates a host of important ergonomic features into its material handling products, including:

  • Heavy-duty, battery-operated motors easily move loads up to 50,000 pounds, removing the need to physically push and pull carts.
  • Scissor lifts quickly position materials at the proper height for each individual worker.
  • Well-positioned ergonomic twist-grip hand controls prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by minimizing wrist movement.
  • A variable-speed feature incorporated into the twist grip allows operators to safely control cart speed between 0 and 3 mph while moving either forwards or backwards.
  • A conveniently placed safety stop switch permits instant stops in case of emergency.
  • Added weight over the drive tires creates greater traction, allowing the handling of heavier loads.
  • A specially designed connecting arm allows loads to pivot a full 180 degrees, ensuring safe turning without jackknifing.
  • Walk- or ride-behind equipment construction provides clear sight lines for safe operator control.

Coming up: How ergonomics increases productivity & quality and
Financial rewards reaped by employing ergonomics

What’s Stress Got to Do with It?

When we think about work stress we tend to focus on its impact on our daily job: cost overruns that threaten to push our project over budget, smoothing the ruffled feathers of a fellow employee, meeting sales projections, etc. But stress comes from multiple sources. There’s mental stress from trying to accomplish a goal, emotional stress from interacting with fellow workers, and physical stress resulting from overexertion. We’re human which means that stress is a daily occurrence, particularly in this economy. The problem is that chronic stress can affect performance — both mental and physical, decreasing effectiveness and productivity.

A new study published in the July issue of the journal Science shows that chronic stress actually rearranges the wiring in our brain. In a study with rats conducted jointly by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and researchers at the University of Minho in Portugal, stressed rats lost the ability to make effective decisions. Effective decision making, whether in the performance of mental or physical tasks, requires humans to choose the most productive option from a field of choices. When stress is unrelieved, people are more likely to make poor decisions. In the study, the portion of the brain associated with goal-directed behavior shrank while the area that controlled habit formation grew. Under perpetual stress, people, just like the rats in the study, lose the ability to make smart decisions and fall back on old habits.

Physical stress from overexertion, overreaching or cramped work platforms were as debilitating in eroding decision-making ability as emotional or mental stress. Interestingly, physical stress accelerated the erosion of mental abilities faster than other kinds of stress. Pain and discomfort seem to act more quickly on human stress thresholds than mere mental irritation. Utilizing ergonomically-designed material handling equipment is one smart way to decrease employee stress.

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.