The first machine tools ever made were handcrafted pieces that date back to 1200 B.C. Since then, we’ve made great strides in our efficiency and ability to take on difficult or complex tasks using machinery. A material lift may seem like a simple, even negligible addition to a workplace with an adequate number of workers, but you may be surprised just how much it can improve workplace productivity.
Reduce Risk of Injury
In the United States, around 23,000 workers are injured each day. While many of these injuries are minor cuts and bruises, some include broken bones, loss of vision, and other serious outcomes. These injuries not only place a financial strain on the workers themselves but lower the company’s overall work output, potentially resulting in lost profits.
Implementing engineering solutions such as a material lift removes the risk of workers lifting or otherwise moving heavy loads incorrectly (by lifting with their back instead of their legs). Free of this time-consuming and potentially risky job, workers can turn their attention to other tasks, increasing overall productivity.
Move Loads More Effectively
While it may take several workers around 10 minutes to move a heavy, liquid-filled barrel across a warehouse, the same task could be completed in under 5 minutes by a material lift. Just because the manpower is available doesn’t necessarily mean it should be used for a specific task. Often it’s much more efficient to assign one worker to a material lift rather than assigning two or three to move the drum by hand.
Boost Worker Morale
One of the lesser-known benefits of bringing in newer equipment to help streamline workflow and keep workers safe is the positive impact it has on those workers’ morale. It matters to an employee when someone in authority goes out of their way for them, and that feeling even extends to bringing in new equipment. This change shows workers that an employer cares about their safety and well-being while they’re on the job, which often inspires workers to put their best effort in while they’re on the clock.
The bottom line is: adding a material lift to your work environment will not only help to streamline workflow and free up your employees to work on other tasks, but it will show them that their safety matters to the company, which will boost overall morale and help increase productivity over and above the time and manpower saved by the lift. Call the experts at the Werks CandC today for all of your machine shop needs today.
