This is a question many employers ask themselves. Just because you currently aren’t using a mobile lifting solution in your workplace doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t need one. Purchasing one or more of the mobile lifters offered here at EngineeredErgonomics.com is a smart investment that will pay off in the long run.
Heavy Objects
Forcing workers to manually lift, carry and manipulate heavy objects is just asking for trouble. A single 55-gallon oil drum can weight 400-500 pounds when full. Even if a couple of workers can physically carry it themselves, there’s an increased risk of injury in doing so. A worker may pull a muscle while attempting to move heavy objects like an oil drum, placing him or her out of commission. This is an all-too-common scenario in workplaces that do not have a mobile lifting solution in place.
Thankfully, incidents such as this are easily avoided by using a mobile lifter. These machines are fully capable of lifting heavy objects, taking the burden off the workers’ shoulders.
Awkward Objects
Of course, heavy lifting machines are also designed to lift and manipulate awkwardly shaped objects. Large drums and rolls are difficult (if not impossible) for workers to move to due to their awkward shape. With a mobile lifting solution, however, workers can easily move and manipulate them into the desired area.
MSD
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), msculoskeletal disorders account for nearly a third of all work-related injuries and illnesses. MSDs are characterized by injuries affecting the muscles, nerves and tendons, costing employers billions of dollars in lost wages per year. While there’s no way to completely avoid MSDs, you can reduce the risk of workers sustaining such injuries by investing in a heavy lifting machine. These machines will lift and manipulate objects so workers aren’t forced to physically do it themselves.
Productivity
We can’t talk about the benefits of using a heavy lifting solution without mentioning its positive effect on productivity. When workers are able to use a heavy lifter to manipulate objects, they’ll naturally be able to get more work done. This translates into a higher level of overall productivity in the workplace.
The bottom line is that nearly all work environments will benefit from the use of a heavy lifting machine. Sure, there’s some initial investment required up front, but it will reduce the risk of worker injury, improve productivity, and allow employers to focus their attention on growing and expanding their business.