Pallet Stacking Security: Revealing 5 MSDs Details

Security is paramount in a manufacturing unit. Everybody desires their crew members to be wholesome and out there to carry out their jobs. Accidents are probably the most undesirable end result, sometimes falling into two classes: rapid and progressive.

Speedy accidents, resembling a reduce, burn, or damaged bone, require immediate medical therapy. Manufacturing amenities have private protecting tools (PPE) and security protocols to forestall these accidents. Alternatively, progressive accidents construct up over time and could also be tougher to mitigate. A few of these progressive accidents embrace listening to loss, respiratory points, and musculoskeletal problems (MSDs). 

This weblog article will talk about pallet stacking security and the way this handbook activity will increase the dangers of musculoskeletal problems. We’ll introduce 5 vital information and deal with security inside three key industries: Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items Manufacturing.

Truth 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

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

Working in meals manufacturing poses hazards. Whereas the trade 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 contains 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 (resembling drinks and powders) could be cumbersome. Different merchandise (resembling liquids) might shift with motion, making it extra harmful for an individual to raise above their head or transfer beneath their waist. In the case of 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 gentle (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 handbook palletizing of meals or liquids exposes individuals to each. Those that have skilled again ache know that restoration can take a very long time.

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

Nevertheless, introducing collaborative robotic (cobot) methods in palletizing operations provides 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 trade 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 decreasing the incidence of MSDs.

Pallet stacking security in pharmaceutical manufacturing

Like meals and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing encompasses a variety of merchandise. It contains merchandise resembling:

1. Stable medicines: These embrace tablets, capsules, caplets, and drugs, typically in blister packs, bottles, or jars.
2. Liquid medicals: Pharmaceutical liquids resembling 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 embrace merchandise like antibiotics, dietary and protein powders, or granules for oral administration.
4. Injectables: Injectable medicines, remedies, and vaccines are available in vials, ampoules, or prefilled syringes. These require particular packaging and dealing with attributable to their route of administration.
5. Topical remedies: This class contains lotions, ointments, gels, lotions, and patches. These are packaged in tubes, jars, or sachets.
6. Disposable sterile merchandise: Intravenous (IV) luggage, needles, infusion options, masks, gloves, face shields, and surgical kits require specialised packaging to keep up sterility.
7. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines: OTC medicines can are available in varied varieties however don’t require a prescription. These embrace ache relievers, cough syrups, antacids, and allergy medicines.

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

Truth 4: 15-20% of misplaced working days within the UK have been attributable to MSDs in 2021 [1]

Moreover, automated palletizing methods play a significant function 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 decreasing the danger of unintended harm. By implementing automated palletizing methods, pharmaceutical producers can’t solely improve employee security but in addition safeguard product high quality and integrity, in the end contributing to operational effectivity and regulatory compliance.

Decreasing materials dealing with dangers in shopper items manufacturing

In shopper items manufacturing, the manufacturing surroundings is dynamic, with a variety of merchandise being processed and packaged. Client items embody varied gadgets, 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 shopper items manufacturing poses extra security dangers to staff. Merchandise tower on pallets, requiring workers to put merchandise each beneath and above waist degree. This follow will increase the probability of musculoskeletal accidents, significantly when coping with heavy or cumbersome gadgets. Lifting, climbing, pushing, pulling, and pivoting are the first actions in handbook materials dealing with (MMH) actions, which create a danger of damage on the again and shoulder.

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

Automated palletizing methods supply an answer to those challenges by decreasing reliance on handbook labor and minimizing the related danger to individuals. By automating the palletizing course of, these methods alleviate the bodily pressure on staff and create a safer working surroundings. They will deal with all kinds of shopper merchandise effectively and precisely, making certain correct stacking and palletization with out the danger of human error.

Conclusion

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

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

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

The long run is protected

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 simple to transition from handbook palletizing to automated palletizing. 

Implementation is simpler than you suppose. Speak with considered one of our automation specialists right now to kickstart your challenge. (Your individuals will thanks).

In case you are able to make the transfer to automating your end-of-line course of, our FREE Automated Palletizing Purchaser’s Information offers you insider recommendations on discovering one of the best automated palletizing answer for what you are promoting.