MasterMover Global News
Health Protection Agency Sees Handling Machine As Answer To Safe Transport Of Waste
SmartMover makes light work of hilly terrain and works well with waste trollies
The Health Protection Agency, headquartered in London with regional offices based all over the UK, is the organisation responsible for protecting the public’s health against infectious diseases and other potential threats and dangers to life. With 3000 staff and several laboratories to manage, the safe handling of waste is a key issue.
At the renowned Centre for Infections in London large volumes of clinical, cardboard and general waste are generated on a daily basis by the laboratories, offices and canteens. The rubbish, in general, is shifted from key locations around the outside of the buildings 4 or 5 times per day. Weighing anything between 60 – 100kgs per time each load is large and cumbersome to move.
With Health and safety issues becoming apparent in the waste removal process, repetitive strain injuries and fatigue included, the HPA decided the time had come to take preventative action to look after staff welfare and avoid manual handling incidences. The HPA approached Pallets Direct, the firm responsible for providing their materials handling solutions, who recommended a new pedestrian operated towing tug designed and developed by MasterMover Ltd, the SmartMover. Developed initially for the retail trade for towing loaded roll cages, the machine has been carving out a niche in many sectors, including the Healthcare sector. Highly easy to use and able to negotiate slopes, ramps and corners easily, the machine was demonstrated on site and proved ideal for the task of towing loaded waste bins around the site to the compaction area.
A new unit was ordered and has been put to use day in day out at the centre managing the waste collections. A number of custom made trollies were ordered to work specifically with the SmartMover and at the end of each day the unit is recharged ready to go again the next.
Paresh Tailor is the Centre Stores Manager for the HPA running the purchasing, warehouse and general logistics operations. He commented on the unit “The demonstration of the SmartMover really convinced us that this was the machine for our requirements. It made light work of the hilly terrain around the centre and negotiates tight spaces with ease. MasterMover was able to make modifications to the unit to ensure it would work well with our purpose designed waste trollies. If we ever have any issues with the unit, the Service team is quick to react to get us back up and started again. Most importantly we have eliminated the old problems of back, shoulder and leg pain that our porters used to get from manually handling the rubbish. They too feel better about the job now we have the SmartMover”.
