Common Material Handling Challenges and the Equipment You Need to Solve Them
Material handling can prove to be challenging work for any business.
First and foremost, there are safety concerns—ensuring that material
handling personnel have the equipment necessary to remain as safe as
possible. Increasing or maintaining the level of efficiency is an
essential priority, as well. Doing what it takes to avoid or minimize
damage to items is, likewise, always a priority. Having the proper
equipment can prove to be an asset for navigating all of those
challenges.
Challenge: Increasing Safety
Ensuring that personnel are safe is always the top priority for any business. Having the proper material handling equipment on hand can contribute significantly to avoiding injuries. A simple example is providing hand trucks for employees to reduce the risk of strain while they move items. There are strain injuries that can be incurred from attempting to move something by hand that’s too heavy or awkwardly shaped. The most common workplace injuries are trips, slips, and falls. Those injuries can be exacerbated by tripping or slipping while carrying something. Plus, the risks can be increased when an employee is off-balance from carrying items or when someone’s vision is obscured by trying to carry too much. A hand truck can reduce those risk factors.
Challenge: Optimizing Efficiency
After avoiding injuries, optimizing workplace efficiency is often the primary priority for most warehouses, loading docks, distribution centers, and anywhere else material handling is performed. The appropriate material handling equipment is crucial for optimizing efficiency. A hand truck is simply going to be a far more efficient way to move items than if the person using it was trying to carry them. A convertible hand truck is a more efficient way to move bags or items that are bundled or irregularly shaped. Stair climbing hand trucks are going to be more efficient for tackling staircases. Having the right tools for the job can make all the difference.
Challenge: Minimizing Damage to Items
Cargo loss, due in part to dropping and otherwise damaging items, costs the U.S. economy alone tens of billions of dollars annually. The detrimental financial impact of those losses can be particularly hard for smaller businesses. Having the right material handling equipment for the job is an excellent way to minimize that risk. When cargo is securely moved with the right equipment, it’s less likely to be damaged during transport. Reducing the risk of damage to large and heavy cargo items by using a heavy duty hand truck is a good example of that.
Challenge: Safe Moving of Large Items
Sometimes there are items that are a challenge for traditional hand trucks. As mentioned, heavy, bulky, or awkward cargo can also contribute to the risk of injury when personnel, even multiple personnel, attempt to move them. For items that are too large for a traditional hand truck, opt for a heavy duty hand truck. Heavy duty hand trucks are specifically designed to more safely and effectively move large items, including being equipped with securing straps. When something is too heavy for a heavy duty hand truck, consider up-sizing to a motorized or powered hand truck.
About Magline
Magliner equipment has been a staple of the material handling industry for more than 70 years. Magliner is now such a well-known name in the industry that it is often used as shorthand for any hand truck. But, the other brands don’t provide the level of durability, ease-of-use, and dependability that made the Magliner name what it is. Along with their legendary hand cart and hand truck selection, they offer a motorized hand truck collection, a stair climbing cart line, a customizable hand truck selection, a hand lift truck series, and plenty more. If you need anything moved, lifted, or delivered, Magliner offers the equipment that will get the job done.
Find all of the material handling equipment your company needs at Magliner.com
 |
| Hand Trucks |
Challenge: Increasing Safety
Ensuring that personnel are safe is always the top priority for any business. Having the proper material handling equipment on hand can contribute significantly to avoiding injuries. A simple example is providing hand trucks for employees to reduce the risk of strain while they move items. There are strain injuries that can be incurred from attempting to move something by hand that’s too heavy or awkwardly shaped. The most common workplace injuries are trips, slips, and falls. Those injuries can be exacerbated by tripping or slipping while carrying something. Plus, the risks can be increased when an employee is off-balance from carrying items or when someone’s vision is obscured by trying to carry too much. A hand truck can reduce those risk factors.
Challenge: Optimizing Efficiency
After avoiding injuries, optimizing workplace efficiency is often the primary priority for most warehouses, loading docks, distribution centers, and anywhere else material handling is performed. The appropriate material handling equipment is crucial for optimizing efficiency. A hand truck is simply going to be a far more efficient way to move items than if the person using it was trying to carry them. A convertible hand truck is a more efficient way to move bags or items that are bundled or irregularly shaped. Stair climbing hand trucks are going to be more efficient for tackling staircases. Having the right tools for the job can make all the difference.
Challenge: Minimizing Damage to Items
Cargo loss, due in part to dropping and otherwise damaging items, costs the U.S. economy alone tens of billions of dollars annually. The detrimental financial impact of those losses can be particularly hard for smaller businesses. Having the right material handling equipment for the job is an excellent way to minimize that risk. When cargo is securely moved with the right equipment, it’s less likely to be damaged during transport. Reducing the risk of damage to large and heavy cargo items by using a heavy duty hand truck is a good example of that.
Challenge: Safe Moving of Large Items
Sometimes there are items that are a challenge for traditional hand trucks. As mentioned, heavy, bulky, or awkward cargo can also contribute to the risk of injury when personnel, even multiple personnel, attempt to move them. For items that are too large for a traditional hand truck, opt for a heavy duty hand truck. Heavy duty hand trucks are specifically designed to more safely and effectively move large items, including being equipped with securing straps. When something is too heavy for a heavy duty hand truck, consider up-sizing to a motorized or powered hand truck.
About Magline
Magliner equipment has been a staple of the material handling industry for more than 70 years. Magliner is now such a well-known name in the industry that it is often used as shorthand for any hand truck. But, the other brands don’t provide the level of durability, ease-of-use, and dependability that made the Magliner name what it is. Along with their legendary hand cart and hand truck selection, they offer a motorized hand truck collection, a stair climbing cart line, a customizable hand truck selection, a hand lift truck series, and plenty more. If you need anything moved, lifted, or delivered, Magliner offers the equipment that will get the job done.
Find all of the material handling equipment your company needs at Magliner.com
