Tag Archives: Safer Handling

A coordinated industry effort is raising safety, improving training and modernizing best practices for overhead lifting. BY TOM GRESHAM THROUGH HIGHLY EFFECTIVE collaboration, the Overhead Alliance combines the expertise of three long‑time MHI Industry Groups to provide invaluable insights and advocacy on the use of overhead equipment, including hoists, monorails and cranes. No topic is more important to the alliance’s ...

BY TOM GRESHAM AUTOMATION IS HELPING to create safer material handling workplaces. However, humans still play a vital role in these environments, and overlooking their involvement can create safety risks without proper care and oversight. That is especially true for ergonomic‑related risks. “We know that it’s difficult to find talent today, so we have to keep the talent that we ...

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM Protective guarding solutions are an essential component of creating and maintaining safe environments in a variety of industrial settings, helping to protect not only workers but the equipment, products and facilities themselves. Due to the vital nature of protective guarding, users need to have the utmost confidence that the solutions they choose are up to ...

Safer Handling   BY TOM GRESHAM Among the most prominent ways that sophisticated technology has helped make warehouses safer for workers is the emergence of Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems (ASRS). An ASRS is a combination of equipment and controls that handle, store and retrieve materials under a defined degree of automation. Systems vary from relatively simple, manually controlled order‑picking machines operating ...

Safer Handling Off/on pedals for a central lock brake are among the safety features used for some casters and wheels.    BY TOM GRESHAM   For casters and wheels, safety starts in part with how well they can stop. When mounted to the underside of a piece of equipment, casters and wheels make it easier for personnel or machinery to ...

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM The protective guarding industry has been busier than ever in recent years as those who operate warehouses and distribution centers demonstrate an increasingly sophisticated and determined commitment to safety. “I think we’ve seen a general increase in concern for safety,” said Kenneth Parrott, product manager for MHI member Impact Recovery and chair of the Protective ...

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM When energy is involved, safety is always a major point of emphasis, particularly in the material handling field. Founded in 2023, the Advanced Energy Council (AEC) is an industry group within MHI that represents companies that produce, implement and support advanced energy technologies and accessories. Safety unsurprisingly is a focus of the new group’s efforts ...

SAFER HANDLING BY TOM GRESHAM The loading dock is a flashpoint for safety, with approximately 25% of warehouse accidents happening in the space, according to OSHA. That makes it essential for the material handling industry and every organization with a loading dock to prioritize loading dock safety. “It’s important for us to do what we can to prevent those accidents and ...

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 ...

Safer Handling BY TOM GRESHAM Photo provided by Rack Builders Videos of rack failures in warehouses and distribution centers are a staple of some corners of social media. Both horrifying and mesmerizing, the worst of the rack-related accidents are chain reactions of collapse that are dangerous to workers and lead to massive financial losses of lost product. “Failures don’t happen very ...