Palletpal from Southworth
It's Not Only The Weigh That Matters
by Mike Schroeder April 2, 2012 at 2:49 PM
It’s not only the weight of what you’re lifting that is important.
Bear with me. When we talk about ergonomic lifting, we think of heavy stuff, right? And we all understand how helpful Southworth equipment is in that regard, with payoffs in efficiency and productivity as well as fewer injuries, less fatigue and back pain, etc. But my musings recently led me to the realization that many of our products are actually just as helpful when it comes to lifting numerous light items.
What’s that? You heard it right. Bending over again and again is stressful. Bending to pick up one feather-light box, tote, or whatever is no sweat, but repeated bending or reaching can be a big deal regardless of the weight of each item. Not that folks don’t benefit from exercise, but let’s face it – prolonged repetitive motion is generally not such a good thing.
What We Cannot Forget
And let’s not forget the walking. Studies show that as much as 40% of an employee’s time can be spent carrying items from one location to another. Think of repeatedly bending to pick up boxes – lightweight boxes – from the floor to stack them on nearby pallets, for instance.
Or perhaps the employee is lifting boxes from a pallet and putting them on a conveyor, or even just walking around a table again and again to reach boxes on the far side of the stack and then carry them somewhere else. Examples abound, but that sort of thing is tiring.
And from an employer’s viewpoint, it amounts to wasted footsteps that would cause almost any business to fall short of its productivity potential.
What Makes Material Handling Easier
Without aids such as a Southworth PalletPal level loader… , Material Handling is hard work.
For those of you who don’t already know, the Pallet Pal makes loading and unloading pallets faster, safer, and easier, all without the need for electrical power. It keeps boxes at a convenient height by automatically moving up or down as boxes are removed or added.
Its turntable ring (or optional turntable platform) allows the user to effortlessly rotate the load so he or she can stand in the same spot throughout the loading/unloading process.