Safety risks could be lurking in the mundane corners of your workplace. Whether used for simple, repetitive tasks, or for more variable project work, general utility carts may become a source of injuries — even when it’s not so obvious to you or your employees. In contrast, multi-purpose motorized utility carts avoid these types of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks, while providing much needed versatility for tasks and projects.
Simple Utility Carts, Multiple Uses
Simple, manual carts with flat decks or wire shelving are used everywhere from mailrooms and restaurants, to assembly floors and warehouses, to hotels and hospitals. These carts often facilitate the repetitive transport of equipment, components, packages, cleaning supplies, linens, mail and more throughout a place of work. It’s common for simple carts like these to serve multiple purposes and be used interchangeably to move items wherever employees have need of them.
During such repetitive daily transport, the accumulation of starting and stopping forces can lead to injury. Further, it’s easy to forget that even lighter items can accumulate rapidly on a basic utility cart, eventually turning into a heavy load. Particularly in workplaces with heavy traffic, employees rarely think about whether or not the materials they stack are too heavy to safely transport. The nature of utility carts as an easy “grab-and-go” solution adds to the potential risks of overloading them.
This type of transport problem calls for an ergonomic, yet versatile utility cart that can operate in a wide variety of workplaces the same way a manual option typically would.
Simple Motorized Utility Carts
The plethora of standard motorized utility cart models look very much like their manual counterparts, with the exception that motorized carts have a great ergonomic advantage. Their drive motors are powerful enough to eliminate the push/pull forces that would otherwise cause musculoskeletal disorders whenever a manual cart is too heavily laden.
Multi-purpose motorized utility carts also come with a wide range of features and shelving to suit the needs of individual workplaces. Simple electric platform carts, lockable security carts, and utility carts with wire shelving are some of the most versatile, while linen and u-boat carts are more application-specific. Both standard and custom carts like these can be outfitted with extra bins and storage containers wherever necessary.
With load capacities up to 4000 lbs., no matter what employees want to pile on top of a motorized utility cart, they’re unlikely to experience an MSD. Using motorized carts for projects and repetitive tasks keeps employees safe and protects them from hidden MSD risks management may not even be aware of.
For more information on motorized multi-purpose utility carts and how to avoid workplace MSDs, contact one of our team members.
