Custom material handling devices are becoming more and more common in the modern-day workplace. They allow workers to transport and manipulate loads faster and more efficiently while simultaneously minimizing the risk of injury.
Investing in a custom material handling devices is a smart decision that will pay off in the form of a safer workplace with fewer injuries. Regardless of industry, there’s always a risk of worker injury and fatality. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that an estimates 3.8 million workers suffered nonfatal occupational injuries in 2012.
Investing in custom material handling devices for your workplace will result in happier, more satisfied employees. Workers will appreciate having a new piece of equipment to perform their tasks. Whether it’s lifting a large cylindrical drum, or manipulating an awkwardly shaped piece of sheet metal, these are just a few of the many ways in which material handling devices can be used.
When storing materials in the workplace, workers must take certain precautions to minimize the risk of injury. Unfortunately, many workers turn a blind eye to the nuances of material storage, assuming it poses no concern to them. It’s not until an incident actually occurs that they realize the importance of proper material handling storage practices.
Material handling safety is important for a number of reasons, one of which is its ability to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses. According to data released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are among the most common types of work-related injuries, costing employers more than $45 billion annually in lost wages, lost productivity, and worker’s compensation. Employers can protect workers from MSDs, however, by promoting safe material handling practices in the workplace.
It should come as little-to-no surprise that injury rates tend to be higher in workplaces that require workers to physically lift, move and manipulate heavy objects. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 13 Americans are killed each day while working, and nearly 4 million U.S. workers sustain a serious injury while working each year. Many work-related fatalities and injuries are the direct result of poor material handling practices, but this is a risk that can mitigated significantly through ergonomics.
What type of material handling equipment does your business use? It’s no secret that the right equipment will improve both the quality and quantity of work output, while also reducing the risk of worker injury. When workers are forced to lift and manipulate heavy objects themselves, it can place them at risk for a wide variety of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including slipped/herniated disc, muscle sprains, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis and more. But the lack of material handling equipment can also impact workers’ productivity, forcing them to exhaust additional time and energy to accomplish the same tasks.
Are you doing enough to protect workers from material-handling-related injuries and illness? Unfortunately, many business owners turn a blind eye to material handling safety, assuming its the workers responsibility to take the necessary precautions. But the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) places the burden of responsibility, and liability, on the shoulders of the employer.
Does your company use mechanical equipment to lift, move and/or manipulate materials? When compared to manualmaterial handling, mechanical offers several key benefits: it improves productivity, reduces the physical workload on workers, boosts worker morale, and lowers the risk of certain types of injuries – specifically those involving the joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, spine, neck and back. However, there’s still an inherit risk of injury associated with the use of mechanical material handling, which is why it’s important for employers and workers to follow some basic safety tips.
Material handling safety should be a top priority for all employers and employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are more than 3 million nonfatal work-related injuries and illness reported each year. While the exact cause of such injuries and illnesses varies, many of them are the result of poor material handling practices.