The growth of “cobots” — or collaborative robots that work side by side with human workers — in the material handling industry will be phenomenal in the next six years, according to a new report. The report, titled “Global Material Handling Cobots Market by End-User, Application, and Region: Analysis and Outlook 2016 to 2022”, found … Read more
If you are a warehouse manager, then you are well aware of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. government agency responsible for the safe use of powered industrial trucks also known as forklifts. The actual regulation that covers powered industrial truck use is OSHA Rule 1910.178, which provides a detailed explanation of … Read more
Daimler, the world’s largest truck maker, announced last week that it soon will begin printing spare parts for its vehicles on three-dimensional printers rather than building them in a factory and shipping them wherever they are needed. The announcement marks a breakthrough in the new 3D printing technology, the first of many that are expected … Read more
While the number of people smoking in the US has dramatically decreased in the past decade, there are still millions of smokers who are risking their health and life as a result of their addiction to nicotine. They also could be costing your business real dollars and cents. According to a survey of more than 29,000 … Read more
Workplace accidents are bad for business. Not only can they result in hospital bills, reduced productivity, and a disruption in the workflow, but they also can attract attention from federal safety officials, demoralize other employees, and create a toxic work environment. Avoiding workplace accidents like vehicle collisions with people and property and tip over accidents … Read more
So far we have discussed identifying and measuring waste in the battery room, how proper battery rotation can help to reduce waste, and properly watering batteries. In this article we will discuss right sizing of the battery room. When we refer to “right sizing of the battery room,” we are not referring to the actual … Read more
Consumers in the US are accustomed to getting what they want when they want it. And that trend is expected to continue as businesses like Amazon and Wal-Mart introduce same-day delivery using pilot-less drones, according to a new study of retail trends. The Future of Retail 2016 study, conducted by the consulting group Walker Sands, … Read more
In the story entitled Tackling Waste In the Battery Room I discussed how warehouse managers can limit or eliminate waste in the battery room by identifying the waste, creating a plan to alleviate it, measure progress and evaluate performance and make adjustments in the plan. One specific action that can be taken is to create … Read more
Desks, chairs, cubicles, lighting and other office environmental details are something most workers take for granted. But office furnishings can often have a profound effect on both business productivity and workplace morale. Existing employees are less likely to call off as frequently and more likely to work harder and longer if you provide them with modern, … Read more
After considering them for more than five years, the Federal Aviation Administration has finally released its first set of rules regulating the use of pilotless drones for commercial purposes. The new rules come as dozens of high-profile companies — including Wal-Mart, Amazon, Google and others — seek to incorporate drones into everything from same-day package … Read more
