In the world of health and safety, one of the most recent focal points has been the study of ergonomics. Ergonomics, or human factors, is an area of engineering that works to understand the interactions between humans and other elements of a system like machinery or equipment. This information is then used to optimize the well being of the individuals using the system by changing the design of the equipment to avoid injury and strain on the people that use it.
With the largely manual nature of material handling, it is no wonder that the design of material handling equipment has been a focus of this work to improve how humans can use the equipment while reducing the chance of injury or repetitive motion.
From easier to grip handles to lifting equipment that is designed to remove the strain inducing element of human lifting ergonomics, ergonomic material handling equipment offers much safer options to reduce work related injuries.
Some Material Handling Equipment Designed with Ergonomics in Mind
We have many different sources of material handling equipment so that we can be sure to find the right tool for your specific tasks. When it comes to ergonomically designed material handling equipment, we are certain we can find the piece of equipment that is right for you. Here are a few of the ergonomically designed models we include in our considerations:
This Wesco drum truck is designed with two wheels resting on the floor and ergonomic swivel casters that allow for four wheel movement. By having separate handles for the two separate positions this unit reduces the operator muscle strain and fatigue that can be caused by bending over to push a drum truck.
This drum truck also includes 10” mold-on rubber wheels on the front with 6” mold-on rubber swivel wheels on the back for safer moving while tilted back. The unit carries steel drums of up to 1000 pounds, which are carried on two hard faced double-beveled nose prongs, which are replaceable for a longer truck lift.
Unit dimensions are width 24”, height 58”, depth 21” and weight of 79 pounds.
- Presto PowerStak Series PS2200
The PowerStak from Presto is a high performance, fully powered stacker that provides flexibility and versatility. The sleek and stylish design with low overall weight and quiet operation allows the PowerStak to fit nicely into many different work environments.
Safety considerations included with this stacker are the narrow mast, which gives great visibility, auto-reversing “belly bump” switch that protects the operator from accidents while working in tight quarters and an e-stop emergency stop switch.
Also included is an ergonomically designed handle with comfort grip controls and redundancy in switches that allows left or right handled operation. Adjustable forks allow the operator to position forks in the best position to straddle the load.
All stackers have load capacities of 2200 pounds with raised height from 62” to 150”. Unit weights range from 1100 pounds to 1545 pounds.
This appliance truck can handle up to 5 standard size steel or plastic 5 gallon pails. The ergonomic design grips the bottom pail under the rim, which eliminates the need to lift the pail onto a nose plate for movement. The hand truck has an all welded frame construction with 10” solid rubber wheels for optimal wear resistance and durability. Unit dimensions are height 62” and width 19”.
- Morse Hydra-Lift Drum Rollers
If you need to roll your steel drums to mix the contents then a drum roller from Morse is something to consider. The hydralift drum roller tilts to floor level for the benefit of easy and ergonomic loading and unloading that eliminates the hazards of manual drum lifting.
By tilting down, the drum roller accepts the drum in the upright position at floor level, hydraulically tilts the drum quickly and easily onto the side for rotation, and then returns the drum to the upright position for removal.
Drum roll speeds are variable from 5RPM to 20RPM and can accommodate steel drums from 6” in diameter to 26” in diameter. Load capacity of the unit is 1000 pounds for a liquid load and 400 pounds for a dry load.
Optionally available is an attachment with extra wheels to support the flexible sidewall of plastic drums and end stops to prevent plastic drums from travelling lengthways so that the unit can be used for more than just steel drums. Also available is a guard enclosure kit with a safety interlock that automatically turns off the machine if the enclosure is entered (required by OHSA).
Your Partner in Finding the Right Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment
If your material handling equipment isn’t doing the job you hoped it would do, or you find that it is causing problems with your employees, you might have the wrong piece of equipment. Finding the right material handling equipment that is ergonomically designed to help prevent strains and injuries can be hard, but Douglas Equipment is here to help.
We have been in the material handling equipment business for almost 60 years our dedicated service team can help you with any questions you may have when it comes to the ergonomics of material handling equipment and finding the right piece of equipment for your unique tasks.
Contact us today with questions or for help with product selection.
