Lift tables

Shopping season is going to be big this year, and a strong retail store ergonomics plan can help keep staff safe and productive throughout the boom cycle. Deloitte tells us that the average household will spend nearly $1,500 this season, and sales are expected to grow up to 5 percent compared to the previous year.

November 15, 2019, is America Recycles Day. Participants from all around the United States will stage recycling events to mark the occasion. As of this writing, nearly 80,000 people have signed an online recycling pledge associated with America Recycles Day.

The term 'meatpacking safety' suggests to the popular imagination serious injuries, with cuts, burns, and fractures featuring prominently. In fact, the greatest risk to the meatpacking workforce is much more insidious than a slip of the blade. According to data reported by NPR in 2016, repetitive motion injuries were close to seven times more common for workers in beef and pork processing plants than in other U.S. occupations.

Here in the middle of National Ergonomics Month, it's a great time to revisit our favorite warehouse ergonomics solutions. But it isn't just National Ergonomics Month. October 16 is also World Spine Day, an international event that raises awareness of spinal issues and back pain in particular.

Small plastic bottles don't always make for easy material handling, as any manufacturer could tell you. Bottles themselves are small enough, but the caps prove especially difficult to move in bulk. Too often, these difficulties are passed onto employees, who might have to engage in ergonomically risky movements — repeated motions, lifting heavy loads to transfer product — to keep the line moving.

In most warehouse workplaces, it's easy to focus on investing only in the bare essentials when it comes to equipment. And while they might not often be thought of as a necessity in the warehouse, you may be surprised at how beneficial lift tables can be for your warehouse's everyday operational efficiency and fluidity.