This month, we’re covering economic development and site selection factors based on comparing robotics and labor force development, a detailed ergonomics study on the impact of lifts and other work-positioning equipment on speed and injury rates, manufacturing construction and a bit more.
Insights: Ergonomics Study, Automation’s Role in Site Selection
Posted in Industry Insights|
Fall Protection Equipment – Harness Adjustment Guidelines
If your operation requires workers to conduct some aspect from certain heights, then you know fall protection. Keeping your workers safe from falls isn’t just a top priority, it’s most likely the most top priority!
The numbers back this up, with yearly OSHA stats showing falls topping the lists time and time again. There’s even a yearly campaign to raise awareness for stopping falls with education, training and accountability. Combine all of this with protective gear designed to stop falls and protect workers, and you can have an effective fall safety program.
When considering the equipment needed, introducing the right fall arrest system featuring tie-offs, lanyards and harnesses is the lifeblood of this protection. But to ensure the person using them is truly safe, the harness has to fit right.
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
VLMs Vs. Vertical Carousels: Critical Specification Factors
Vertical carousels and vertical lift modules—VLMs for short—enhance organization, increase storage density, improve security and speed throughput. They serve components directly to pickers in waist-high ergonomic zones.Â
While these systems are similar from a functional standpoint and look similar from the outside, they can have different use cases and application requirements. Kevin, a Cisco-Eagle Dallas account executive, zeroes in on the differences in this video.Â
Tags: order fulfilment, Shoptalk, ergonomics, industrial carousels
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
OSHA’s Warehouse Safety Emphasis Program: An Analysis
Warehousing grown for most of the last decade, with a 5-6% annual growth rate expected for the next 5 years. That level of expansion stresses labor availability and supply chains, but has another implication: safety. In July 2023, OSHA announced what it terms a “new national emphasis” for workplace hazards for warehouses, distribution centers and retail storage facilities. Since nearly 2 million people work in the industry, the agency is interested in reducing injuries across the board.
What are the implications of this emphasis?
Tags: warehousing, distribution centers, fall protection
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
Insights: Light-Directed Picking for Manufacturing
A look at ways to optimize labor in manufacturing and distribution operations, as well as more on the current American manufacturing construction boom and how it is affected by inflationary pressures.
Posted in Industry Insights|
How to Use Conveyors for Ergonomic Truck Loading and Unloading
We recently discussed the various ways you can use conveyors to optimize the end of the line, which includes the ways they interface with trucks and trailers. The transition between the end of a conveyor system and the trucks where goods are loaded or unloaded are one of the areas where distribution centers can struggle. The traditional method has been to throw labor at the problem, but as we know in 2023, that is becoming a less useful and more difficult option.
Tags: ergonomics, loading docks, Receiving, shipping, labor
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
Air Conditioner Protection
Recently in Tulsa, where I live, we were in the midst of a large power outage due to a violent thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are not at all uncommon in this part of the country, but power outages associated with them are. What made matters worse was that the heat of the summer was just starting to blanket the city as well. As electrical workers are tirelessly repairing the damage, many residents are battling the heat without their biggest weapon, their air conditioning.
For an industrial facility, keeping your workers comfortable and cool is a top priority as the temperatures rise. But what about protecting those investments made to keep your operations cold?
When Should You Use a Yard Ramp?
Yard ramps are great for letting you load trailers in situations where you can’t back them to a dock because they can easily adjust to trailer heights. You can also use them to connect dock height to the ground in situations where that’s necessary. Beyond these basic situations, there are detailed reasons for using a dock ramp. Let’s look at those reasons:
Tags: shipping, forklifts, Receiving
Posted in Docks & Shipping|
Insights: Manufacturing’s Real Estate Shortage, DC Survey and More
What are the top concerns of distribution center managers in 2023? The latest MMH survey lays it out. We also delve into manufacturing’s real estate problems, batch picking and a little more in this month’s roundup.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Industry Insights|
Does a Warehouse Mezzanine Count as Square Footage?
Above: is this a platform or a mezzanine?Â
Mezzanines are a great option when you need to add more square footage into your warehouse or factory floor. They’re less expensive and easier to implement than alternatives like new construction or facility expansions, but also pose challenges when it comes sato dealing with code, safety and construction requirements.
Tags: industrial storage, Safety & Ergonomics, Space Optimization
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|