In the world of transportation and goods moving, the handling of large loads is always confusing.
Is it more correct to proceed with manual handling? Or is it better to rely on specialized equipment?
Safety regulations exist for both types of lifting, to protect workers and the load itself.
Today, we will find out together what are the general guidelines on heavy load handling in order to clarify the situation.
As you probably already know, handling is third in the process of moving and transferring goods. Everything follows a specific order:
Manual handling processes take advantage from the assistance and experience of warehouse operators. As you can easily imagine, they allow the person to directly take care of lifting and moving the load, without the intervention of external equipment.
For heavy loads and large loads, manual handling is strongly discouraged.
That’ s because it could be dangerous to the health of the operator, leading him or her to put too much effort in relation to his or her physical capabilities.
Before proceeding with manual handling, it is important to check the weight of the load and the safety of the goods.
Following safety names is always essential in the world of transportation because it helps the company take care of its employees.
Heavy loads are definitely more suitable for lifting by means of facilitators, mechanical tools that can halve the work and effort of operators. Using these specific tools, especially in emergency and difficult situations, can be more than smart.
Now that we have discovered what the risks and general indications for manual handling are, it is only fair to list the advantages associated with the use of special facilitators.
These tools, as useful as they are safe, include the popular traditional forklifts, retractable forklifts and pallet trucks.
Forklifts assist in moving and lifting the load, removing the risk of personal injury. However, it is important that they be used in full compliance with safety regulations, checking the weight of the load even before lifting begins.
At the planning stage, it is important to check the “health” of the equipment. In such cases, maintenance plays a key role in successful lifting.
Malfunctioning lift trucks can damage the load and lose grip with the ground, causing more problems than they can solve.
Managers must always make sure everything is running properly by conducting regular inspections and follow-up tests.
When the warehouse stores particularly heavy and large loads, it is a good idea to intervene with proper planning.
It all starts with the selection of the facilitator, which must be able to lift a heavy weight without any problems.
In such cases, the recommended forklifts are “stackers” and “side loaders.” The last ones, in particular, are designed to lift long and bulky loads.
Their design allows the load to be positioned sideways, rather than frontally, so that there is better visibility.
For pallet loads, which already have a first source of support, it is ideal to choose pallet trucks and order pickers, both of which are suitable for this type of lifting.
Whatever the nature of your load, whatever the weight and size of the goods to be lifted, it is always wise to spend time choosing the transportation process.
Handling changes according to the needs of the business, and can be manual or facilitated.
Now that we have discovered the features and advantages of both systems, all that remains is to choose the most suitable one. Good luck!