Pallet Stacking Security: Revealing 5 MSDs Info

Security is paramount in a manufacturing facility. Everybody needs their staff members to be wholesome and obtainable to carry out their jobs. Accidents are probably the most undesirable consequence, sometimes falling into two classes: rapid and progressive.

Fast accidents, reminiscent of a lower, burn, or damaged bone, require immediate medical remedy. Manufacturing amenities have private protecting gear (PPE) and security protocols to stop these accidents. Alternatively, progressive accidents construct up over time and could also be more durable to mitigate. A few of these progressive accidents embody listening to loss, respiratory points, and musculoskeletal problems (MSDs). 

This weblog article will talk about pallet stacking security and the way this guide job will increase the dangers of musculoskeletal problems. We’ll introduce 5 essential info and give attention to security inside three key industries: Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items Manufacturing.

Reality 1: The UK misplaced 149.3 million working days to MSDs in 2021 [1]

How palletizing methods scale back MSDs in meals & beverage tertiary packaging

Reality 2: The incidence charge for MSDs in the US was 25.4 days per 10,000 full-time equal (FTE) employees in 2020 [2]

Working in meals manufacturing poses hazards. Whereas the business has seen some profitable automation, meals and beverage manufacturing encompasses a remarkably numerous array of merchandise that make it difficult to automate totally. Meals and beverage manufacturing consists of powders (sugar, flour, spices, child meals), liquids (soda, wine, cooking oils, dressings, sauces), dry merchandise (cereals, nuts, espresso), and perishable merchandise (fruits, greens, cheeses). Dense merchandise (reminiscent of drinks and powders) will be cumbersome. Different merchandise (reminiscent of liquids) might shift with motion, making it extra harmful for an individual to raise above their head or transfer under their waist. Relating to palletizing merchandise, selecting and putting require two key actions: again and shoulder flexion.

Decrease again ache will increase when there’s a longer length of again flexion in delicate (20° to 40°) and extreme (>45°) positions (reported by the College of Buffalo) or excessive again flexion (>60° per Division of Kinesiology on the College of Waterloo). The guide palletizing of meals or liquids exposes folks to each. Those that have skilled again ache know that restoration can take a very long time.

Reality 3: Injured employees within the US wanted a median of 14 days earlier than returning to work [2]

Nevertheless, introducing collaborative robotic (cobot) methods in palletizing operations affords a promising answer. By assuming the bodily and repetitive pressure of putting merchandise on pallets, cobots mitigate the danger of Musculoskeletal Issues (MSDs) related to palletizing duties. For instance, these cobots can execute lengthy horizontal and tall vertical reaches that might be harmful for a human employee.

Whereas the meals manufacturing business tackles the inherent challenges of automating all through the worth stream, integrating cobots in palletizing operations represents a proactive step in direction of enhancing office security and lowering the incidence of MSDs.

Pallet stacking security in pharmaceutical manufacturing

Like meals and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing encompasses a variety of merchandise. It consists of merchandise reminiscent of:

1. Strong medicines: These embody tablets, capsules, caplets, and drugs, typically in blister packs, bottles, or jars.
2. Liquid medicals: Pharmaceutical liquids reminiscent of syrups, suspensions, options, and oral liquids are packaged in bottles, vials, ampoules, or sachets.
3. Powders and granules: Powders and granules could also be packaged in sachets, pouches, bottles, or jars and may embody merchandise like antibiotics, dietary and protein powders, or granules for oral administration.
4. Injectables: Injectable medicines, therapies, and vaccines are available in vials, ampoules, or prefilled syringes. These require particular packaging and dealing with as a result of their route of administration.
5. Topical therapies: This class consists of lotions, ointments, gels, lotions, and patches. These are packaged in tubes, jars, or sachets.
6. Disposable sterile merchandise: Intravenous (IV) baggage, needles, infusion options, masks, gloves, face shields, and surgical kits require specialised packaging to take care of sterility.
7. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines: OTC medicines can are available in varied varieties however don’t require a prescription. These embody ache relievers, cough syrups, antacids, and allergy medicines.

Given the various vary of pharmaceutical merchandise, packaging can range considerably in dimension, form, and weight. Some merchandise are heavy which poses a danger to employees manually putting them on pallets.

Reality 4: 15-20% of misplaced working days within the UK have been as a result of MSDs in 2021 [1]

Moreover, automated palletizing methods play an important position in defending the product being palletized. Given their typically excessive worth and delicate nature, minimizing product waste and harm is prioritized after employee security. Automated palletizers guarantee exact, constant dealing with and palletization, thereby lowering the danger of unintentional harm. By implementing automated palletizing methods, pharmaceutical producers cannot solely improve employee security but additionally safeguard product high quality and integrity, finally contributing to operational effectivity and regulatory compliance.

Lowering materials dealing with dangers in client items manufacturing

In client items manufacturing, the manufacturing setting is dynamic, with a variety of merchandise being processed and packaged. Client items embody varied objects, together with: 

1. Family Merchandise: cleansing provides, filters, pots, pans 
2. Workplace Merchandise: Printer ink, pens, pencils, paper, extension cords
3. Electronics and Home equipment: espresso makers, headphones, laptop computer batteries
4. Private Care Merchandise: cosmetics, hair care, oral hygiene merchandise

Guide palletizing in client items manufacturing poses further security dangers to employees. Merchandise tower on pallets, requiring staff to put merchandise each under and above waist degree. This observe will increase the probability of musculoskeletal accidents, significantly when coping with heavy or cumbersome objects. Lifting, climbing, pushing, pulling, and pivoting are the first actions in guide materials dealing with (MMH) actions, which create a danger of damage on the again and shoulder.

Reality 5: MSDs are answerable for about $50 billion in annual prices within the US [3]

Automated palletizing methods provide an answer to those challenges by lowering reliance on guide labor and minimizing the related danger to folks. By automating the palletizing course of, these methods alleviate the bodily pressure on employees and create a safer working setting. They’ll deal with all kinds of client merchandise effectively and precisely, guaranteeing correct stacking and palletization with out the danger of human error.

Conclusion

Offering folks with a secure working setting is a prime precedence for meals & beverage, pharmaceutical, and client product producers. Accidents, whether or not rapid or progressive, pose important dangers to employees and may result in substantial lack of working days and productiveness. Musculoskeletal problems (MSDs) are among the many progressive accidents that may outcome from guide duties like pallet stacking, significantly prevalent within the manufacturing of Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items.

By the dialogue of 5 essential info, it turns into evident that bodily pressure, together with repetitive motions, awkward postures, and overexertion, considerably will increase the danger of MSDs. Nevertheless, the combination of automation (reminiscent of collaborative robotic methods) affords a promising answer to mitigate these dangers. Cobots can deal with the bodily pressure of palletizing duties, lowering the probability of MSDs, rising pallet stacking security, and enhancing general office security.

Total, by embracing automation in palletizing operations, industries can create safer working environments, defend employee well being, and enhance operational effectivity, finally resulting in higher productiveness and success.

The long run is secure

At Robotiq, we comply with the ideas of LEAN ROBOTICS to create a standardized answer that’s simpler to scale, repeatable, and straightforward to make use of. We make it straightforward to transition from guide palletizing to automated palletizing. 

Implementation is less complicated than you suppose. Discuss with one among our automation specialists right now to kickstart your venture. (Your folks will thanks).

If you’re able to make the transfer to automating your end-of-line course of, our FREE Automated Palletizing Purchaser’s Information provides you insider recommendations on discovering the very best automated palletizing answer for your enterprise.