Safety

No Matter the Load, Worker Training is a Priority for Hoist Equipment Makers

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM The hoist equipment that falls under the umbrella of the Hoist Manufacturers Institute, an independent trade association affiliated with MHI, covers a wide spectrum of lifting needs—from smaller hoists with capacities of up to two tons to higher-capacity hoists that can lift up to 250 tons and above. Still, no matter the lifting requirements, the training ...

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Rapid Growth in Mobile Automated Vehicles Cannot Leave Safety Behind

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM As warehouses and distribution centers increasingly aim to incorporate automation into their operations, the interest in Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) has escalated, leading to robust growth in the industry. For MHI’s Mobile Automation Group (MAG), it is essential that growth is accompanied by an emphasis on safety. In fact, MAG ...

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Protecting Your Greatest Asset

CEO Update This famous quote has never been truer, yet while managing unpredictable supply chain disruptions and meeting increasing customer demands, many businesses overlook the importance of the worker experience and having a strategic workplace safety program in place. At its core, it’s about caring about your people and creating a culture that they want to be a part of—one ...

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Use Ergonomics to Up Productivity, Retention

Solutions Spotlight: EASE BY KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT Being able to operate equipment without being injured or too fatigued to do much of anything else for the rest of the day goes a long way in keeping employees happy—something particularly important in this era of the Great Resignation. Members of MHI’s Industry Group EASE—Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment—know a thing or two ...

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Choosing the Right Casters Can Prevent Workplace Injuries

Product Spotlight: ICWM BY NICK FORTUNA When choosing casters for material handling equipment, manufacturers sometimes are surprised to learn that there are thousands of different options, and many factors go into selecting the right one, including ergonomics. Narrowing down those options can seem overwhelming, but the Institute of Casters and Wheels Manufacturers, an MHI Industry Group, helps companies pair the ...

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Ergonomics Practices In Manual Selection Operations

What Grocery Distribution Centers Are Currently Doing to Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries Higher Education BY STEVEN LAVENDER AND CAROLYN SOMMERICH, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY TRONG NGUYEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM Musculoskeletal injury rates in grocery and related products continue to be approximately twice the overall industry average. Most of these injuries in grocery distribution centers (DCs) are experienced by the “selectors” who are the people ...

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Protective Guarding Evolves to Strengthen Safety for Workers, Equipment

Safer Handling: ProGMA BY TOM GRESHAM People need to feel safe to be productive, and in industrial environments a crucial component of keeping workers safe is keeping them adequately separated from certain equipment. Fixed protective guarding products, such as safety fences, netting, guardrails and bollards, are the key tools used to ensure manufacturing and distribution facilities are as safe as ...

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The Hidden Costs of Workplace Injuries

Transportation and warehousing companies that are serious about reducing costs need to take a good look at the effectiveness of their workplace safety programs. Feature   BY MARY LOU JAY BIGPIXEL PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM   According to a 2022 report from Liberty Mutual, non-fatal workplace injuries where employees lose more than five days of work cost these industries nearly $4.67 billion annually ...

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