Month: August 2013

Avoiding Back Injuries in the Workplace, Part 1

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Avoiding back injuries in the workplaceEditor’s Note: This is the first of a special three-part special report on avoiding back injuries, the most common workplace injury.

Anyone who has suffered back injury can tell you how painful and debilitating they can be. They tend to take a long time to heal and often can lead to further back problems months or even years later.

They also account for one out of every five workplace injury, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Back injuries can cause an employee to miss work and lose wages, but they also can cost an employer in lost productivity and in workman’s compensation claims. In fact, approximately 20% of all workmen’s comp claims are due to workers suffering back injuries.

So there is a benefit to both employees and management to avoiding back injuries whenever possible.

Under Pressure

Most people know that you should always lift with your legs, bending your knees when picking up a heavy object, but have you ever considered why this is the case? The amount of force you put on your back when you don’t bend your knees can be tremendous.

Think of your back as a fulcrum in a lever system. Because it isn’t centered, bending at the waist causes you to have a 10:1 weight-to-force ratio. In other words, lifting an object that weighs only 10 lbs. actually puts about 100 lbs. of pressure on your lower back. So any type of repetitive lifting and bending from the waist can quickly result in a back injury.

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Convex Mirrors Reduce Collisions, Increase Safety

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convex mirrorUsing convex mirrors in your warehouse or workplace is an inexpensive, efficient way to increase safety, improve security and reduce collisions in high traffic areas. They come in a variety of different styles to fit your specific needs and can be installed easily in just a few minutes.

In many cases, convex mirrors are available for far less than $100 each. Plus, the small monetary investment in purchasing convex mirrors for your workplace can pay enormous dividends later in terms of improved productivity, less theft, and fewer workmen’s compensation claims from resulting from accidents.

Eliminate Blind Spots

Convex mirrors are perfect for eliminating blind spots and promoting a safe work environment. Also known as convex traffic mirrors, they are commonly used in parking garages, warehouse aisles and anywhere else there is likely to be a lot of vehicular traffic. They are also frequently used in retail stores and other commercial businesses to reduce theft and increase visibility for loss prevention personnel.

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New Dock Door Design Can Prevent Rain From Leaking Into Your Warehouse

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Pentalift, a Buffalo, New York, based manufacturer of dock and warehouse equipment, recently unveiled a new type of dock door that can prevent rain from entering into the dock area. The RS800 RainStop seal uses a stiffly sprung 5.5-inch foam filled header curtain to create a positive seal on the top of the trailer. The … Read more

Indiana Manufacturer Retools Plant to Improve Efficiency

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The Braun Corp., a company that makes wheelchair-accessible minivans, recently renovated its Winamac, Indiana, facility to improve its receiving, storage and picking capabilities. The result is improve production efficiency, improved storage capabilities and a new tugger-based parts picking system. The company also was able to redeploy many of its warehouse associates, slash inventory and even … Read more

Connecticut Material Handling Company Donates School Supplies to Area Students

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Conveyco, a material handling company based in Bristol, Connecticut, will team up with the United Way this year to help provide area schoolchildren with new school clothes, backpacks and other school supplies. The company, which is an integrator of Automated Material Handling Systems and Design Build Solutions, was provided by the charity with a list … Read more

Do Workers Really Need to Wear Safety Glasses?

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protective eye gearDo workers really need to wear safety glasses? According to organization Prevent Blindness America, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” The organization estimates that more than 700,000 workplace accidents in the US every year result in employees injuring their eyes, while another 125,000 eye-related accidents occur in the home. Yet another 40,000 US children injure their eyes playing sports, and those are only the accidents that are reported.

The saddest part about it is that many, if not most, of these injuries could have been prevented had the injured person been wearing safety glasses. Unlike prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses, safety glasses or safety goggles must adhere to a higher standard of impact resistance. This standard applies to both the lenses and the frames of the glasses.

An Easy Solution to Reduce Injuries

In most cases, safety glasses have non-prescription lenses and can be used by anybody regardless of the quality of their vision. Their purpose is to protect the eye from injury caused by impact with objects or liquids. Specialized safety eye gear can also be used to protect eyes from intense light — such as the sun’s rays or laser or the glare from an arc weld — or from caustic chemicals.

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Why Do Guys Love Pressure Washers?

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There’s something about using a pressure washer to remove dirt and grime from driveways, decks, garage floors, driveways and other surfaces that is simply irresistible to most men. What is it about using an internal combustion engine to blast high-pressure water that is so appealing? The answer may lie in the primal appeal in the act of … Read more

Chicago-based Liquor Distributor Unveils State-of-the-Art Distribution Center

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Wirtz Beverage, a Chicago-based distributor of wines and spirits, recently built a futuristic distribution center on the site of an abandoned horseracing track just outside the city. The company combined three separate facilities into one brand new, 555,500-square-foot distribution center that features high speed conveyors and sortation systems, voice-directed picking and futuristic management systems that … Read more