Material-Handling Aids

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Material-Handling Aids
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Session Outline

• You will be able to
• Recognize the hazards of material-handling aids
• Understand how this equipment can help you work
  more efficiently and safely
• Take proper precautions when using
  material-handling aids
• Handle materials safely and avoid accidents and
  injuries

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What You Need to Know

• What the company does to protect you from
  material-handling accidents and injuries
• What you can do to protect yourself and
  co-workers
• Types of manual and mechanical aids
• Hazards of this equipment
• How to use material-handling aids safely and
  efficiently

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Why Use Material-Handling Aids?

• 1 million workers suffer back injuries each year
• 1 out of 5 workplace injuries are back related
• 4 out of 5 back injuries are to the lower back
• 3 of those 4 injuries occur when lifting
• Material handling is responsible for other types
  of accidents and injuries as well

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How Material-Handling Aids Reduce Ergonomic Stress

• Eliminate the need to lift and lower manually
• Eliminate the need to push or pull
• Convert lift/carry tasks to push/pull tasks
• Eliminate the need to carry heavy objects

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What the Company Does To Help Protect You

• Engineering controls
• Administrative controls

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What You Can Do

• Maintain proper back posture
• Plan ahead
• Get help

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What You Can Do (cont.)

• Use proper lifting and carrying techniques
• Use the right tools
• Wear appropriate PPE

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Manual Material- Handling Aids

• Hand trucks
• Pallet jacks
• Carts
• Box trucks and tilting dumps
• Ratchet hoists and pullers
• Wheelbarrows

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Hand Trucks

• Choose the right hand truck for the job
• Stack carefully
• Make sure you can see over the load
• Secure the load, if necessary

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Hand Truck Operation

• Get a firm grip
• Watch your fingers
• Use safe lifting techniques
• Push, dont pull
• Watch where youre going, and keep the hand truck
  under control

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Pallets

• Use the correct pallet
• Stabilize the load and make sure its balanced
• Keep the pallet and load low when moving it
• Inspect pallets before loading
• Dont use pallets as a ladder or manlift, or for
  scaffolding

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Pallet Jacks

• Make sure the jack can support the load
• Check the load
• Watch where youre going, and keep the load under
  control
• Dont fool around

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Carts

• Different types of carts
• Material-specific carts
• Different heights of working surfaces
• Tips for safe use

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Box Trucks and Tilting Dumps

• Good for handling loose objects
• Dump and lift feature
• Potential hazards

Photo Credit Vestil Manufacturing
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Ratchet Hoists and Pullers(Come-alongs)

• Dont overload hoists and pullers
• Check anchor points
• Never straddle equipment
• Dont exert more force than the device can handle
• Dont use damaged chains, rope, or cable
• Inspect equipment before each use

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Wheelbarrows

• Place as much of the load as possible over the
  wheel
• Balance the load
• Always push a loaded wheelbarrow forward
• Cross obstacles at right angles
• Look out for slippery or uneven surfaces
• Be careful when dumping the load

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Manual Material-Handling

• Do you understand the information that has been
  presented in the previous slides?

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Mechanical Material- Handling Aids

• Forklifts
• Hydraulic- and winch-operated trucks
• Hydraulic lift tables
• Cranes and hoists
• Freight elevators

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Forklifts

• Trained and authorized operators only
• Capacity and stability
• Operator inspections

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Forklifts (cont.)

• Operator safety rules
• Obey speed limits
• Keep alert to pedestrians
• Be careful at intersections
• Use the horn to warn
• Pedestrian safety rules
• Stay in walkways
• Look both ways before crossing aisles
• Obey traffic signs
• Keep alert to forklift traffic

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Hydraulic- and Winch-Operated Lift Trucks

• Lift, lower, transport, stack, position
• Load capacity
• Load center
• Fork length and width

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Hydraulic Lift Tables

• Prevent bending, reaching, and repetitive lifting
• Manually or battery operated
• Rated capacity
• Floor locks

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Cranes and Hoists

• Trained and authorized operators only
• Rated load capacity
• Chains and slings
• Inspections

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Cranes and Hoists (cont.)

• Stay out of the danger zone
• Pick up a load only when it is directly under the
  hoist
• Never transport people
• Dont leave loads suspended
• Use lines to stabilize large, heavy loads
• Avoid crane operation around energized circuits

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Cranes and Hoists (cont.)

• Mark levers, buttons, pull chains, and other
  controls
• Accept hand signals from only one ground person

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Freight Elevators

• Follow rules for forklifts
• Approach slowly and enter squarely
• Enter with load end forward
• Neutralize controls, set brakes, and shut off
  engine
• Follow these other safety rules
• Dont overload elevators
• Make sure elevator is level with landing
• Watch out for closing doors

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Mechanical Material Handling

• Do you understand the information presented in
  the previous slides?

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Conveyors

• Operate only if you are trained and authorized
• Watch out for powered rollers and pinch points
• Do not climb over or under conveyors
• Dont perform maintenance unless the conveyor is
  locked out

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Conveyors (cont.)

• Do not ride on conveyors
• Know the safe load limit
• Know where emergency stops are located

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Chutes

• Dont walk under chutes
• Dont stand right in front of the opening
• Be careful when throwing things down chutes
• Dont overload the chute
• Always brace temporary chutes

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Handling Special JobsDrums

• Dollies and hand trucks
• Lifters and stands
• Tilters/dumpers
• Forklift attachments

Photo Credit Vestil Manufacturing
Photo Credit Vestil Manufacturing
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Key Points to Remember

• Material handling aids help you work more
  efficiently, saving time and effort
• They also save your back
• This equipment can also be hazardous
• To work safely with material-handling aids, you
  need to understand the hazards and take the
  proper precautions