According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 3 million workplace-related injuries and illnesses reported during 2012, resulting in an incidence rate of 3.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers. Additional research notes there were 219,630 non-fatal workplace injuries involving falls, slips, or trips and 704 fatal injuries in 2012.

To prevent workers from falling from raised platforms, stairs, and crossovers and to protect drivers from collisions and other safety hazards, Cisco-Eagle’s selection of barriers, rails, fencing & gates can provide industrial strength safety equipment for warehouses, industrial, and other facilities. The following video gallery showcases the benefits of Cisco-Eagle’s safety barriers, including guard railing, partitions, machine guards, bollards, and more:

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When you look at your next live roller conveyor system, it’s smart to look at new advances. Hytrol’s e24 conveyor is one of the most important new product introductions in many years. It’s difficult to understate how this conveyor can enhance operations, but here is a quick summary of the advantages.

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When I was a kid, on rainy days my friends and I used  kitchen chairs, old blankets and lots of clothespins and built our own special space for imaginary adventures. Our rag-tag shelter was temporary, but gave us the sensation of being in our own little world. Frequently, in manufacturing and warehousing facilities, work zones and independent departments need separation from the larger whole for either safety or autonomy purposes, and there are products out there that answer those needs. Products like curtain walls, acoustic walls, thermal barriers and welding screens. Read the rest of this entry »

Every facility has its own  devices, equipment, and programs to promote safety. There are signs, strobes, beeps, mirrors, bright colors, vests, id tags, and more. When it comes to seeing a hazard approaching, or being able to see what’s around the corner, it can be hard to determine which technology works best. That’s why I decided to take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of two widely used technologies and one fairly new one. Let’s see what can be gained with each, it’s best application, and what you might miss.

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The focus when it comes to order picking is usually (and justifiably) on the fastest-moving product. You slot your warehouse for fast movers. You pareto-focus on the 20% of the product that generates 80% of the business, as you should. But it’s also useful to consider the slow-moving inventory and pick locations. Simply putting the slowest movers in the least accessible area may make them consume more order picking time and storage space than necessary.

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Ever find yourself wondering how you can get more out of your pallet rack? Do you have goods that take up very little space, but your pick operations don’t call for entire pallets full of the product? Then you might need to look at ways to achieve more density in your storage, and we’ve recently found a gem of a product that can help you out. It’s called Dynamic High Density Storage and it’s made by SpeedCell.

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Sometimes, good can come from great tragedy. Take for instance, the changes in emergency egress signage and marking standards since the 9/11 attacks. During the great devastation of that event lessons where learned about emergency egress – painful lessons. People could not find their way out of dark towers when the lights and emergency generators went offline. A better way had to be designed. Read the rest of this entry »

The Industrial Truck Association has designated June 10 as National Forklift Safety Day which will “serve as a focal point for manufacturers to highlight the safe use of forklifts and importance of operator training,” according to the ITA website.  Given the issues every operation deals with due to forklift safety, an event like this, that serves as a way to increase awareness for improved safety practices, is an excellent idea.

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When it comes to warehouse storage, pallet racks provide an optimal, easy-to-maintain solution. They’re the most common way of storing pallet loads in the world, and they’re used in the vast majority of warehouses, manufacturing facilities, commercial operations, and even retail stores. Whether you’re dealing with selective, pushback, drive-in, or other types of racks, the issues are frequently similar.

Safe pallet rack operation involves understanding how to properly use racks; an otherwise safe rack can become dangerous and expensive if used incorrectly. Here are 5 common mistakes people make with pallet racks—and what you can do to ensure you don’t make any of them in your warehouse.

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It’s not easy to understand when facility layout is causing significant problems for an operation.

Everything in a warehouse or distribution facility can be affected by the way the warehouse is planned and laid out. You may be suffering from over-forecasted demand for product and under-forecasted need for square footage. Executives may not fully understand what it takes to receive, store, and ship orders. What are some of the more common problems when it comes to facility layout?

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