Security is paramount in a manufacturing unit. Everybody desires their staff members to be wholesome and obtainable to carry out their jobs. Accidents are essentially the most undesirable consequence, usually falling into two classes: speedy and progressive.
Speedy accidents, comparable to a reduce, burn, or damaged bone, require immediate medical remedy. Manufacturing amenities have private protecting tools (PPE) and security protocols to forestall these accidents. Alternatively, progressive accidents construct up over time and could also be more durable to mitigate. A few of these progressive accidents embrace listening to loss, respiratory points, and musculoskeletal problems (MSDs).
This weblog article will focus on pallet stacking security and the way this handbook job will increase the dangers of musculoskeletal problems. We’ll introduce 5 necessary info and concentrate on security inside three key industries: Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items Manufacturing.
Truth 1: The UK misplaced 149.3 million working days to MSDs in 2021 [1]
What are Musculoskeletal problems (MSDs)?MSDs are a bunch of circumstances that have an effect on the muscular tissues, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and different gentle tissues of the physique. Repetitive motions, awkward postures, extended static positions, overexertion, and forceful exertions may cause MSDs. |
How palletizing methods scale back MSDs in meals & beverage tertiary packaging
Truth 2: The incidence charge for MSDs in america was 25.4 days per 10,000 full-time equal (FTE) employees in 2020 [2]
Working in meals manufacturing poses hazards. Whereas the trade has seen some profitable automation, meals and beverage manufacturing encompasses a remarkably various array of merchandise that make it difficult to automate totally. Meals and beverage manufacturing contains powders (sugar, flour, spices, child meals), liquids (soda, wine, cooking oils, dressings, sauces), dry merchandise (cereals, nuts, espresso), and perishable merchandise (fruits, greens, cheeses). Dense merchandise (comparable to drinks and powders) might be cumbersome. Different merchandise (comparable to liquids) might shift with motion, making it extra harmful for an individual to carry above their head or transfer beneath their waist. In terms of palletizing merchandise, choosing and inserting require two key actions: again and shoulder flexion.
What’s flexion motion?
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Decrease again ache will increase when there’s a longer length of again flexion in gentle (20° to 40°) and extreme (>45°) positions (reported by the College of Buffalo) or excessive again flexion (>60° per Division of Kinesiology on the College of Waterloo). The handbook palletizing of meals or liquids exposes folks to each. Those that have skilled again ache know that restoration can take a very long time.
Truth 3: Injured employees within the US wanted a median of 14 days earlier than returning to work [2]
Nevertheless, introducing collaborative robotic (cobot) methods in palletizing operations presents a promising resolution. By assuming the bodily and repetitive pressure of inserting merchandise on pallets, cobots mitigate the chance of Musculoskeletal Problems (MSDs) related to palletizing duties. For instance, these cobots can execute lengthy horizontal and tall vertical reaches that might be harmful for a human employee.
Whereas the meals manufacturing trade tackles the inherent challenges of automating all through the worth stream, integrating cobots in palletizing operations represents a proactive step in direction of enhancing office security and lowering the incidence of MSDs.
Pallet stacking security in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Like meals and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing encompasses a variety of merchandise. It contains merchandise comparable to:
- Strong drugs: These embrace tablets, capsules, caplets, and capsules, usually in blister packs, bottles, or jars.
- Liquid medicals: Pharmaceutical liquids comparable to syrups, suspensions, options, and oral liquids are packaged in bottles, vials, ampoules, or sachets.
- Powders and granules: Powders and granules could also be packaged in sachets, pouches, bottles, or jars and may embrace merchandise like antibiotics, dietary and protein powders, or granules for oral administration.
- Injectables: Injectable drugs, therapies, and vaccines are available in vials, ampoules, or prefilled syringes. These require particular packaging and dealing with as a result of their route of administration.
- Topical therapies: This class contains lotions, ointments, gels, lotions, and patches. These are packaged in tubes, jars, or sachets.
- Disposable sterile merchandise: Intravenous (IV) luggage, needles, infusion options, masks, gloves, face shields, and surgical kits require specialised packaging to take care of sterility.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs: OTC drugs can are available in varied varieties however don’t require a prescription. These embrace ache relievers, cough syrups, antacids, and allergy drugs.
Given the various vary of pharmaceutical merchandise, packaging can fluctuate considerably in measurement, form, and weight. Some merchandise are heavy which poses a threat to employees manually inserting them on pallets.
Truth 4: 15-20% of misplaced working days within the UK had been as a result of MSDs in 2021 [1]
Moreover, automated palletizing methods play a significant function in defending the product being palletized. Given their usually excessive worth and delicate nature, minimizing product waste and harm is prioritized after employee security. Automated palletizers guarantee exact, constant dealing with and palletization, thereby lowering the chance of unintentional harm. By implementing automated palletizing methods, pharmaceutical producers cannot solely improve employee security but in addition safeguard product high quality and integrity, in the end contributing to operational effectivity and regulatory compliance.
Lowering materials dealing with dangers in client items manufacturing
In client items manufacturing, the manufacturing atmosphere is dynamic, with a variety of merchandise being processed and packaged. Client items embody varied gadgets, together with:
- Family Merchandise: cleansing provides, filters, pots, pans
- Workplace Merchandise: Printer ink, pens, pencils, paper, extension cords
- Electronics and Home equipment: espresso makers, headphones, laptop computer batteries
- Private Care Merchandise: cosmetics, hair care, oral hygiene merchandise
Handbook palletizing in client items manufacturing poses extra security dangers to employees. Merchandise tower on pallets, requiring staff to put merchandise each beneath and above waist stage. This apply will increase the chance of musculoskeletal accidents, significantly when coping with heavy or cumbersome gadgets. Lifting, climbing, pushing, pulling, and pivoting are the first actions in handbook materials dealing with (MMH) actions, which create a threat of harm on the again and shoulder.
Truth 5: MSDs are answerable for about $50 billion in annual prices within the US [3]
Automated palletizing methods provide an answer to those challenges by lowering reliance on handbook labor and minimizing the related threat to folks. By automating the palletizing course of, these methods alleviate the bodily pressure on employees and create a safer working atmosphere. They’ll deal with all kinds of client merchandise effectively and precisely, making certain correct stacking and palletization with out the chance of human error.
Conclusion
Offering folks with a secure working atmosphere is a high precedence for meals & beverage, pharmaceutical, and client product producers. Accidents, whether or not speedy or progressive, pose important dangers to employees and may result in substantial lack of working days and productiveness. Musculoskeletal problems (MSDs) are among the many progressive accidents that may consequence from handbook duties like pallet stacking, significantly prevalent within the manufacturing of Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items.
By means of the dialogue of 5 essential info, it turns into evident that bodily pressure, together with repetitive motions, awkward postures, and overexertion, considerably will increase the chance of MSDs. Nevertheless, the combination of automation (comparable to collaborative robotic methods) presents a promising resolution to mitigate these dangers. Cobots can deal with the bodily pressure of palletizing duties, lowering the chance of MSDs, growing pallet stacking security, and enhancing general office security.
General, by embracing automation in palletizing operations, industries can create safer working environments, defend employee well being, and enhance operational effectivity, in the end resulting in larger productiveness and success.
The long run is secure
At Robotiq, we comply with the rules of LEAN ROBOTICS to create a standardized resolution that’s simpler to scale, repeatable, and simple to make use of. We make it straightforward to transition from handbook palletizing to automated palletizing.
Implementation is less complicated than you suppose. Speak with one in every of our automation consultants in the present day to kickstart your mission. (Your folks will thanks).
If you’re able to make the transfer to automating your end-of-line course of, our FREE Automated Palletizing Purchaser’s Information provides you insider tips about discovering the most effective automated palletizing resolution for your corporation.
