No matter what your business makes or moves, the equipment you choose to handle it can make all the difference.
Here’s why prioritising ergonomics in your equipment can keep your team safe, improve productivity and even lower costs.
What do we mean when we say ‘ergonomic’?
When we say a tool or piece of equipment is ‘ergonomic’, we’re talking about how people interact with it in their workplace, and how easy or comfortable that is to do.
Ergonomics are essential no matter the tool or task. From mops and brooms to bins and carts, the design of the equipment makes a huge difference to how efficient they are to use.
Ergonomics become even more important if you’re using tools to handle heavy loads, or using a tool for a long period of time. Investing in ergonomically designed tools will help your team move heavier loads faster, more efficiently, and more safely.
Preventing injury and improving productivity
Heavy, hard-to-move equipment can slow down your business and increase the risk of injury to your staff. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common work-related health problem in the EU* – but you can help reduce the risk with more ergonomic tools. When you reduce the risk of injury, you protect both your staff and your bottom line; a single back injury costs a business around €17,0001.
But even if it isn’t causing injuries, unergonomic equipment can still drag down your business’ productivity. Think of a fulfilment centre worker struggling to get their parcel trolley round a corner, or that awkward warehouse bin that needs two people to empty it instead of one; those extra few seconds add up and can lead to hours of lost productivity in a business. Research by Honeywell found that businesses lose nearly 3000 hours a year, on average, because of inefficient processes2. You can read more about the cumulative effect of productivity losses through labour inefficiencies in our blog.
Finding the right tools for your business
By considering ergonomics when you’re looking at equipment for your business, you address the risks ahead of time.
At RCP, we offer ergonomically designed cleaning equipment and material handling solutions that always put safety and efficiency first. For example, our heavy duty Tilt Truck carries loads of up to 454kg with ease, and is equipped with a steering-wheel handle to give users more control and reduce strain.
And if you’re moving materials across large facilities like warehouses or airports, the Mega BRUTE® Mobile Collector features rear doors for easy loading and unloading, and is narrow enough to fit through a standard doorway.
Take a look at our full range of material handling and cleaning mobility products, or download our brochure.
If you’d like to have a chat with our team to find out how we can help you create a more ergonomic workplace, please get in touch.
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