Matching equipment to the environment
When selecting material-handling equipment (MHE), you should use a system’s approach to ensure safety, productivity, and efficiency. This involves considering the interaction between the five key elements of the workplace system: the equipment, the task, the organizational management, the environment, and the worker.
In this article, we consider the environment your MHE will operate in.
Considerations
Considering environmental factors helps ensure your MHE is efficient and is an effective control for preventing injuries. For example, having to push a heavy wheelbarrow with small wheels over thick sand can make the task slow and requires the worker to exert high forces, putting them at risk of injury. Some factors to consider when selecting the appropriate MHE can include:
- Floor surface: Smoothness, slope, uneven surfaces, and transitions between flooring types all affect push/pull forces.
- Debris and cleanliness: Dust, dirt, and contaminants can increase forces to push/pull, damage wheels, or create slip hazards.
- Temperature: Hot or cold environments can affect wheel material hardness, impacting forces exerted to push or pull.
- Moisture and weather exposure: Rain, snow, ice, humidity, or wet environments may require corrosion-resistant materials and wheels designed to maintain traction.
- Chemical exposure: Oils, solvents, acids, alkalis, or cleaning agents may degrade wheel materials, bearings, coatings, or the cart frame if incompatible materials are selected.
- Workplace layout: Narrow aisles, tight corners, doorways, and limited turning space affect the size of the MHE you select. Choose dimensions and manoeuvrability that fit the workplace.
Read the rest of the series
For a deeper dive, check out the rest of the articles in this series:
Visit worksafebc.com/ergonomics to learn more.
We’re here to help
If you have questions about ergonomics or human factors, please contact us at HumanFactors@worksafebc.com.
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