In the past, factory workers had to work in significantly hazardous and dangerous working conditions. This was not only because their employers did not provide adequate safety equipment but also because there was no proper equipment to carry heavy loads and store hazardous material.
However, a lot has changed in the labour industry over the past few decades. Advances in science and technology, and the introduction of labor safety laws have made the workplace safer and a lot more efficient.
Employers are now aware that if they do not provide more effective ways to handle risky and hazardous material, this will only lead to inefficiency, injuries, slow production and loss of workers.
Here are five material handling solutions for factory workers:
1. How to Handle Bulk Materials
Today, most industries have a system in place for handling bulk material. Some of these materials are heavy, awkward to lift, and need to be transported manually. The material could be food, liquids, metal items or even minerals.
These days, it is common to find conveyor belts to help move such items from the point of arrival to the destination point. In some industries, drums are used to funnel loose items into a location where they could be more easily handled and packaged. In other instances, there are also heavy-duty elevators, hoppers, and stackers designed to store and transport material to the next point of destination.
2. Automation is Integral
Automation is part and parcel of our lives these days.
As material handling solutions and technology advances, automation can be found in many work-related systems from transportation to storage. These automated engineered services come complete with shelves and racks. A mechanized mobile shuttle is used to carry the material back and forth. Even though the devices require manual input into a computer system, the rest of the work is done by the mobile shuttle.
3. Industrial Transport Vehicles
Many large companies also use different types of trucks or vehicles for transportation. Some of these are manually operated, and others can be operated by an external control panel. These trucks provide great mobility around the workplace, carrying all types of materials back and forth. A lot of them can be operated in all types of terrain because a great deal designed for lifting, and others can be used to carry equipment and yet others come with fancy equipment for digging and drilling.
Most of these modern trucks also come with anti-collision devices and alarms when a worker or an obstacle is nearby.
4. Storage is Now Essential
Modern-day storage facilities are now becoming increasingly common in factories. Some of the storage places can store food, equipment, or raw materials. The inside of the building has sensitive temperature and humidity control. Plus, to avoid thefts, there are motion and light monitors with 24/7 video camera processing ability all over the place. The storage is typically done in an organized fashion in numbered aisles so that the item can be found when as and when needed.
5. Computers & Cloud Storage in a Factory?
Lastly, one key advancement in the work industry is the installation of computers with sophisticated software which store all types of data – from a list of equipment, items used on a daily basis, salaries to billing accounts. People entering the premise no longer need to carry a badge but sign on with the thumb fingerprint which is recognized by the computer. This prevents others from accessing the work area and mishandling any hazardous material.
The above-mentioned material-handling solutions are fairly effective in preventing unnecessary accidents or mishaps. However, employers do need to make sure that they have such measures in place. So, any carelessness can result in injuries and long-term consequences for the employees, something you never want to happen.