MasterMover Global News
Cart Mover Reduces Risk Of Injury And Increases Efficiency At Lancashire Teaching Hospitals
The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTFT) has reduced risk of accidents and injuries to its staff and improved handling efficiencies by investing in six cart movers. The electric operated materials handling tugs are used to move roll cages for catering, laundry and medical notes around its two sites.
“Since purchasing six cart mover tugs from MasterMover we’ve seen a significant improvement in our handling efficiencies,”
comments Trevor Loftus, Head of Physical Risk at LTFT.
“The SmartMover tugs have also reduced the risk of handling injuries to our staff.”
Trevor explains why the investment in handling machines was necessary: “Prior to investing in the six SmartMover tugs, catering supplies, laundry and medical notes were being unloaded from a truck and then moved by roll cage to their required destinations. A roll cage of linen, for example, can weigh up to a third of a tonne and so moving it would often require two people, one to push and the other to pull.”
He continues: “As well as being inefficient in terms of manpower, moving heavy goods around our sites posed too high a risk of injury to staff. Pushing a roll cage can be physically demanding for staff and dangerous in terms of line of sight. If you are pushing a roll cage, you cannot always see what’s in front of it, or if you’re pulling a roll cage, you can’t always see what’s behind you.”
After a market review, MasterMover was appointed to deliver a suitable solution and a SmartMover was suggested straight away. This versatile machine is designed specifically to move heavy roll cages. By clamping to the base of the roll cage, the unit ensures that the cage cannot be tipped over. This reduces serious injury to employees and makes unloading and moving goods a single-person procedure. Efficiency and safety are further improved by enabling the movement of multiple roll cages using towing links.
MasterMover conducted on-site training at LTFT for a total of 18 staff in how to operate the six machines. “This training was fast, straightforward and provided a real morale-boost for our staff,” says Loftus.
“Although the initial cost was justified on how the machines would reduce the risk of manual handling injuries to staff, the SmartMover tugs have also improved our handling efficiencies significantly. Using the tugs has encouraged staff to think more about how moving supplies around the hospitals can be carried out more efficiently.”
If you would like to arrange a free demonstration of the SmartMover contact MasterMover today.
