With tonnes of waste and materials continuously on the move, a busy warehouse is an environment that places tough demands on both workers and their equipment. Almost half of transport and storage workers report suffering with backache,1 and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are actually one of the most common work-related ailments in Europe, with over 58% of workers reporting they have suffered from at least one2. MSDs are known to be painful, but what about the hurt that they can do to your business? If you consider losses in productivity, delivery delays, sick leave and even compensation, it’s easy to see how backache can quickly become a costly headache. So, what can you do to help avoid it?
Understand the risks
If you consider that one back-related MSD alone costs a company £14.5K on average3, identifying the risks and implementing preventative measures is a clear next step for promoting health and safety, protecting your staff from injury and your business against unnecessary costs.
Carrying and lifting heavy workloads are among the key physical factors that increase the risk of your employees developing MSDs. In tough environments where your team are constantly moving products and waste, your workers are particularly vulnerable.
Let your equipment take the strain
When it comes to reducing the risk of injuries, investing in the right equipment to do the heavy lifting is essential. Save crucial hours and money in the workflow by enabling your employees to transport heavy loads in one trip. If every worker saves seconds in one trip, the compounding effect over time could be substantial.
Take Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ (RCP) Wheeled BRUTE® waste container. It has been ergonomically designed to help users move waste more easily and reduce risk of injury. Thanks to an ergonomic handle that requires less force when moving heavy loads of up to 80kg, the Wheeled BRUTE® helps to prevent users from putting excessive strain on their backs and shoulders by leveraging other muscles. The neutral wrist position allows for comfortable manoeuvrability and control while the kick/tilt plate allows users to tilt the container with their foot, reducing strain on the upper body. The 6” wheels remove the need for dragging, meaning loads can be moved five times more easily4. Not just that, the Wheeled BRUTE® is adaptable, it’s not limited to carrying waste; due to it’s size and ease of transportation, it is suitable to transport a wide range of items throughout the facility.
Workers in busy distribution centres are often required to move heavy, oversized loads and often alone. The RCP Structural Foam Tilt Truck and RCP Convertible Platform Truck, allow workers to transport heavy loads with ease. Both have been designed to ensure users maintain proper posture when maneuvering and reduce body strains.
Durability to help you Buy Better, Waste Less
Equipment in a busy warehouse is going to be put through its paces daily so investing in equipment that is built to last is critical in saving your business precious time and money. By championing product longevity and investing in equipment that comes with long warranties from the manufacturer, you can be confident that you can buy better, waste less and support your sustainability credentials through minimising the need to discard and replace products frequently.
Sources:
1 Panteia based on the sixth (2015) wave of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS)
2 Panteia based on the fifth (2010) and sixth (2015) waves of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS)
3 Work-related musculoskeletal disorders – Facts and figures, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, converted from € to £ based on exchange rate available on 6th May 2022
- Based on internal testing vs 44G non-wheeled BRUTE ® containe
