Manual handling issues have been the subject of much discussion and regulation. Manual handling while unloading trucks and vans poses the risk of injuries that contribute to more than 0.5 million reported cases of musculoskeletal injuries in the US each year.
These injuries typically affect the shoulders, lower back, and arms, causing not only millions of lost work hours annually, but also compensation claims filed against companies and their insurers. The cost to employers is both monetary, with higher insurance premiums, and in the form of work hours lost on the job. In most cases, the latter is more expensive for an employer than increasing employee insurance costs.
Manual handling risk assessments
Manual handling problems can be controlled through the use of effective risk assessments and audits and through the adoption of more efficient material handling practices. Although the maximum load that must be manually lifted with two hands is 51 lbs. In the US and 25 kg in Europe, workers will tend to lift heavier loads than this if they are quick to do so. Many will not wait until a forklift is available.
This is often the case when unloading trucks. It can be very dangerous trying to unload a truck or van without the proper lifting equipment, but many do. This often results in serious injury or even death. Even when forklifts are used, they occasionally tip over due to improper load positioning, again with potentially fatal results.
The benefit of tow trucks
Crane vans provide an ideal solution to this problem. The lifting equipment is already installed in the truck or van, so there is no excuse or need to avoid its use. Such equipment is rated to suit the load capacity of the vehicle in question, so no cargo should be carried that the tow truck cannot handle.
The advantage of ordering crane vans to handle your cargo is that they can load and unload to and from any type of premises, with or without a dock. They can unload heavy goods just as easily at ground level in domestic directions as in commercial or industrial units equipped with a modern unloading dock.
Fast loading and unloading
There is no need to wait for a forklift to arrive and there is no danger of overloading or unbalancing a forklift with unwieldy loads. A tow truck will safely unload any load from 20-foot steel bars and pipes to delicate antique furniture items without risk to the load or personnel. It is also not necessary to load a pallet truck onto the truck to move the goods closer to the queue.
The gantry style crane will safely move goods from inside the truck to ground level. You can also unload to another truck, box, or any other type of location. This kind of flexibility is impossible with a standard forklift fold, otherwise unloading into a box would involve two operations.
If you run a business that involves the transportation of goods of any kind and you are looking for flexibility in the locations to which you can deliver, crane trucks are the answer. Not only do they make loading and unloading easier, but they also help prevent manual handling injuries and labor downtime. Don’t give your staff the temptation to break the rules to speed up unloading – tow trucks will do it for you, safely and quickly.
