Even though people are able to handle many loads with their physical strength, this has a negative impact on health over the long term. Sooner or later, ongoing, one-sided or monotonous loads invariably lead to injuries, accidents or incapacity to work due to illness. In private life and in working life, ergonomic devices can provide relief and thus improve occupational health and safety.
Many industrial activities and tasks in various trades involve continuously lifting and moving loads. Often this puts extreme strain on the back and spinal column. Meanwhile more and more operations are using mobile lift systems for the purpose of prevention and support. That is because they have recognised that employees and their health are a company’s most important asset.
Mobile lift systems enable the back-friendly, ergonomic and safe lifting, tipping, shaking, rotating, lowering, gripping, guiding and turning of loads. They constitute a big relief for many thousands of employees in production facilities, warehouses and anywhere heavy loads have to be moved. Not only do they improve employee health – when work does not hurt their back, employees are also more satisfied, enjoy their job more and are ultimately more productive too.
The more different workplaces are from each other however, the more individual the requirements for the mobile lift system being used will be. It is important to ensure that the suppliers of mobile lift systems are flexible. They have to analyse the work task in detail and be able to implement corresponding individual solutions for it. Mobile lift systems have to minimise strain on employees when handling heavy components, pallets, pallet cages or other transport containers.
To make them versatile in operation, they should also be suitable for various applications by means of additional adapter systems. When loads are extremely heavy and transportation using muscular strength is difficult, electric motor support is just as important as casters that move easily and can be adapted to the ground conditions. Devices with quick-change systems for the drive unit batteries can be readily used in multiple shifts as well.
Safety has to be taken into account for operation. Just like the load handling devices, operating elements should be individually expandable. If a precarious situation develops, it must be possible to turn the system off rapidly and bring it to a standstill quickly and safely, for example with what is called a total stop system. Then nothing stands in the way of health and safety at work.
EXPRESSO Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG*
Antonius-Raab-Str. 19
34123 Kassel
GERMANY
Phone +49561/95910
Fax +49561/95912138
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.expresso-group.com
TransOrt GmbH**
Fichtenweg 2
57392 Schmallenberg
GERMANY
Phone +49 2974/9695811
Fax+49 2974/9695829
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.transort.de
Qualified analysis of the workplace is necessary in advance in order to decide which equipment is needed.
Additional processes may be appropriate, with individuals obtaining qualified advice from workplace specialists such as occupational physicians, physiotherapists or also attending a back school in order to learn and improve back-friendly behaviour (e.g. how to lift and carry things correctly).
As a basic rule: the best chances of success come from combining various back-friendly aids, such as the lifting tables described above, with behavioural training and possibly also muscular training. This reduces the problems of the individual worker together with the sick leave levels. The employees will be more motivated. This should also be in the interests of every employer. Aids such as lifting tables and mobile lift systems reduce the strain during installation work and/or when handling heavy parts, pallets, crates or other transport equipment in the workplace. This applies particularly to installation workplaces where strains come not only from the weight of the parts but also from the continuous movement patterns. Mobile lift systems lift, tilt, shake, turn, lower, grip, move and swivel loads, thus fostering ergonomic work processes.