Health and safety procedures in manufacturing, and all workplaces, are now coming under the microscope as we move into working with COVID-19 still being present. In material handling, the safety of staff has always been a high priority. This will continue to be the focus of management staff moving forward and that now includes protecting staff from the Novel Coronavirus.
So what might this look like for your industry and how can a MotorMover help you?
Government guidance for the manufacturing industry
As various places of work start to open again for their employees, the UK Government has begun issuing guidelines for different industries- including guidance for the manufacturing industry.
This guidance discusses the following:
- The need for only essential workers to return to the workplace- any office staff that can work from home should continue to do so
- Increasing the frequency of surface cleaning and handwashing
- Limiting the number of people each worker comes into contact with to reduce the risk of spreading the virus among the staff that do return
- Staggering arrival times/leaving times/break times and making use of any entrances/exits to reduce congestion
- Providing PPE for all workers (i.e. gloves and face masks), as well as considering changing the layout to ensure 2m distance between work stations
Single person operation
One of the major ways that is recommended to protect staff during the pandemic is to ensure that social distancing is enabled throughout the workplace. This means that all staff should be able to work from 2m distance from each other at all times to avoid potentially passing on the virus.
When considering social distancing and transport goods and materials around your premises, it is often necessary to have more than one person completing this task so as to adhere to safety standards and reduce the risk of injury. Some material handling equipment will also need two or more people to move the heavy loads. However, our MotorMovers can be operated by one person due to the assisted electric motor, meaning that your staff can continue to operate as normal.
Reduced workforce
The benefit of our MotorMovers being able to be used by a single person also comes in handy considering the potential for a reduced workforce as people remain on furlough. Carrying on business as normal as possible during this time can mean a world of difference for many companies.
Where you need fewer people to operate this material handling equipment, there is not so much strain on the company to have more people in confined environments.
No need for licenced operators
Another benefit of electric tugs is that they do not require a licence to operate and work under standard health and safety manufacturing regulations for lifting loads within a workplace. This means that your business does not need to rely on licenced individuals, or pay for a licence in order to utilise them in your manufacturing process.
Reduces heavy lifting
The overall benefit of using an electric tug is to reduce the need for heavy lifting or pulling of non-assisted manual handling equipment. Switching over to MotorMovers reduces the risk other manual handling equipment poses to staff- such as back and knee injuries or overall strain.
Through reducing this risk, you will not only be protecting your staff but also increasing productivity through easier transporting of goods and reduced absenteeism through injury.
If you would like some more information regarding the use of MotorMovers in your industry, feel free to contact a member of the team or sign up for our newsletter!
