Finding a more ergonomic solution for moving heavy loads

Ergonomic safety is crucial for workers who are required to shift heavy loads as part of their role.

As part of its day-to-day business, a large New Zealand commercial baker is required to move stacks of 12–15 bread crates. When fully loaded, these crates can weigh as much as 185 kilograms.

Traditional hand trucks utilised by the company required the operator to support the load, which made it very difficult for them to see past the load while they were moving forward.

As a consequence, the company sought a more ergonomically safe way to move these stacks.

It implemented the Rotacaster self-supporting Rotatruck, which enabled the company to focus staff on safely guiding bread crate stacks rather than having to primarily support them. This improved the ergonomic handling qualities for the user, reducing fatigue.

To secure the crates to the handtruck, Rotacaster developed a patented self-engaging latching system — easily disengaging after placement of the crate stack.

Productivity was improved with the use of Rotacaster wheels fitted to the front wheelbase, enabling precise multidirectional manoeuvrability.

Image courtesy of Rotacaster.