3 Effective Ways to Reduce Material Handling Strain



Manual material handling is physically demanding. In many situations, from warehouse work to last-mile delivery, lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and twisting are all part of the job.

There are practical ways to reduce potential strain in manual handling situations. For a lot of businesses, it’s as simple as finding the right hand truck cart online to meet the physical demands of the job. Here are a few examples of how to reduce strain in material handling.

Rely on a Hand Truck Purpose Built for Stairs

Stairs are a common obstacle in material handling. Carrying a bulky or heavy load with an ordinary hand truck can be risky and may strain the operator as they maneuver up or down and respond to shifts in the load.

Worker using a Magliner stair climbing hand truck to move a large wrapped cylinder up stairs

A powered stair climbing dolly is purpose-built for these situations. A model with integrated motorized stair climbers keeps the process more controlled and predictable. Plus, this type of hand truck can be used as a standard two-wheel dolly.

Incorporate a Brake Hand Truck Into Your Fleet

Have you ever had a load get away from you? Maybe you were pushing a stack of heavy boxes down a ramp or incline, and the center of gravity shifted. In a split second, you have to decide what to do, and your response can put serious strain on your body.

Delivery worker using a Magliner hand truck to load stacked boxes onto a truck via aluminum ramp

A brake truck puts more control in your hands. While braking systems can vary by hand truck type, they often work like bicycle brakes. You pull the brake lever or paddle to slow the hand truck. It’s simple and can save you serious strain.

Use the Ideal Hand Truck Configuration

Does your team move items of variable sizes and weights from one job to the next? This kind of variability can strain personnel, as can using the wrong type of hand truck for certain jobs. This is where a convertible hand truck dolly makes sense.

Man using a Magliner convertible hand truck in 4-wheel mode to move a boxed toilet on a driveway

This hand truck intuitively converts from a two-wheel dolly to a platform truck. Convertible platform trucks are suitable for larger or awkward loads. It may also be able to handle more weight (up to 1,100 pounds in four-wheel mode versus 600 pounds in hand truck mode).

About Magline

Magline has set the standard for excellence in material handling for more than 75 years. Material handling teams across countless businesses and industries rely on Magliner hand trucks daily. From white-glove deliveries to restocking vending machines, Magliner tools help get the job done. Find the tools your employees need to stay productive and safe, including traditional hand carts, convertible hand carts, and heavy duty appliance hand trucks. With a Magliner hand truck, your employees can improve their day-to-day efficiency and safety.

Reduce strain in material handling with a Magliner hand truck from https://www.magliner.com/

This article was originally published on magliner.com’s blog here.

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