The topic of Materials Handling is an important one when you are in business and handing industrial items. We shall explore in this space the kinds of equipment available that will assist a business in maintaining safety and increasing productivity.

For instance, in an oil and gas industry, employing safety sensors can provide important information about the harsh environment, disaster risks, refinery machine errors, etc. Such data can assist in ensuring the safety of the workmen, engineers, and other employees, along with refinery equipment. Moreover, opting for subsea lvdts sensors or another safety system with durability and pressure resistance can be beneficial for environmental protection.

Another instance we can consider is a workplace which has a lot of electric equipment, say for example a hospital with heavy-duty machines. Machines, especially the ones which have been in use for a long time could prove to be potentially dangerous if not checked timely. This risk, however, can be prevented by getting the equipment examined for arc flash analysis, short circuit analysis, or similar other potential dangers by abled engineers.

There are other such safety technology that can be incorporated in manufacturing and industrial businesses.

Lifting Equipment

When lifting anything, safety is paramount. This means not putting strain on any employee or putting them at risk of injury. To ensure this at all times means that we need the right lifting gear for the item in terms of its size, shape, and weight. Most lifting equipment will either be a type of crane, winch, or hoist. These are used for lifting heavy goods, materials, or equipment from one area of a warehouse or factory floor to another.

Cranes come in a range of types. Articulated jibs will allow for 360-degree rotations and have capacities of between 50 and 500kg. Altrac crane systems are lightweight and offer good coverage of a warehouse or factory space.

12V DC winches for small trucks will eliminate the need to lift anything manually and range from a weight load capacity of 120kg up to 8,604kg, with various loads possible in-between to suit your needs.

Crane Drum Clamps, or their equivalent, will lift steel drums easily and effectively. They can cope with weights of 350kg and are a safe and secure way to move these drums around.

An advantage of having good lifting gear is that it will improve productivity by reducing the amount of time it takes to lift and move objects about in a workspace. They are invaluable for a warehouse that has heavy and awkward goods and materials and needs to move them in and out safely and quickly in the shortest space of time possible, with time meaning money or those they supply waiting longer for their orders to be delivered.

It is useful to train staff in lifting techniques as well as equipment usage, should there be situations where manual lifting is appropriate. Where equipment can be used, it should also be considered as a first option to maintain staff safety and comfort.

Improving Access

When it comes to improving access to places within a workspace, we will think in terms of ladders, platforms, and decks. Usually hardware stores or even on websites similar to platformsandladders.com/lifts/. Traditionally the things that are needed to improve access are easily accessible for those needing such equipment.

With the right ladder, you can go double-sided or have it extended. If you go for fibreglass, as an alternative to traditional metal, then you have a ladder of strong construction compared to other products on the market. Check for ladders conforming to safety standards. You want one with industrial capabilities, not one you might find in a DIY store for home use. There are distinct differences in quality.

In terms of a platform, there is nothing more versatile than an electric hydraulic scissor lift. It provides a platform that will allow you to move staff to different heights to carry out their work. It can hold capacities of 230kg to 450kg and cater for heights ranging from 6m to 14m, with 8m, 10m, and 12m possibilities in-between.

Crane loading decks offer a secure platform when loading or unloading construction materials.

Waste Disposal

It is much easier and more efficient to dispose of waste using the correct equipment. Waste can be bulky and take up a lot of space until it can be taken away. For instance, an industrial-sized crusher can be used to reduce steel or aluminium cans in size. The bins used for storing waste will become particularly unsavoury unless a bin blaster is invested in to keep them clean. This will draw hydraulic power from a water supply. The device will conveniently tip the bins to allow you to clean inside them properly, washing away all debris that will otherwise smell and potentially prove a health hazard. The bin blaster will handle bins sizes of between 80 and 1,100 litres. All your staff working around these areas will be pleased that you have invested in one of these to improve the environment.

So, there is much to help us in our mission to handle materials safely and efficiently. The welfare of our workers and the productivity they show us is at stake. While providing them the right machinery may help ease their work, equipping them with right safety tools like bodysuits, helmets, masks, cut and heat resistant gloves (from companies similar to Unigloves), etc. would keep them safe when they carry out a task in an hazardous environment.

We can only have things working safer and faster when we invest in the right equipment for the job. It is cost-effective in the long term to have things running smoother using the right equipment. Lifting gear is all about safety and ladders are about ease of access. Waste can be a health and safety concern too, and so should be taken seriously. We can reduce the space it takes up and have everything much cleaner in the area where waste is dealt with. It is worth seeking out the equipment sooner as opposed to later, rather than waiting for a problem to arise where the wrong equipment was simply not on site for anyone to use.