This past weekend, we celebrated Labor Day. It is a day dedicated to the achievements of America's labor force, and celebrates the contributions our workers have made to the prosperity of this country. At UNEX, celebrating America's laborers doesn't just mean taking a Monday off to relax- it means continuously supplying solutions that make workers more efficient while protecting them from workplace injuries.
In 2011 alone, approximately 3 million workplace injuries were reported by private industry employers to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These injuries have a staggering financial impact upon the operations and facilities where the injury takes place. The National Safety Council states that the average work related injury costs the operation $38,000 in direct costs. The more damaging figure is the indirect cost of the injury to the operation's output and consequent productivity- $150,000 on average. These costs can easily cripple an operation. That's why UNEX solutions are developed with safety and ergonomics in mind.
Higher shelves can lead to dangerous picks and unsafe work habits.
When it comes to the material handling industry, back injuries are one of the most common issues reported by facilities. The American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons estimate that approximately 186 million work days are lost every year due to back pain and injuries alone. These injuries, known as musculoskeletal disorders or ergonomic injuries, can be prevented by implementing solutions that reduce the need for a worker to overexert themselves. At UNEX, our solutions are fundamentally focused on ergonomics and aim to eliminate overexertion in your operation.
Take, for example, Span-Track. It is very common for workers to injure themselves by reaching deep into a pallet rack in order to pick a case. If a case is stored on a pallet on the floor, they have to bend and reach, limiting their ability to properly lift the case and increasing their odds for injury. If the case is stored deep within the pallet rack, visibility and reach is compromised and further jeopardizes the worker's safety when picking a case. Span-Track ensures that the case is at the point of pick, and that workers do not have to climb into a pallet rack to reach them. We use SKUBE to slot your more popular products in the Golden Zone (above the knees, below the shoulders, and close to the body), making the lift as safe and easy for the picker as possible. Combining Span-Track with tilted pick trays allows workers to get a better look at cases stored higher in your pallet rack, and allows them to pick that case without blindly reaching into the rack or scaling the beams.
Loading and unloading in the Golden Zone is a safe, ergonomic strategy in order picking.
These are a few examples of how just one of our solutions can make your facility an ergonomically safe and sound operation. All of our products are designed with worker safety in mind. After all, without a happy and healthy workforce, your operation simply cannot run- let alone run smoothly. We're determined to reduce injuries and accidents in your facility while simultaneously increasing efficiency and productivity. UNEX is ready to work with you in order to take the load off of your workers' backs.