Security is paramount in a manufacturing facility. Everybody needs their workforce members to be wholesome and out there to carry out their jobs. Accidents are essentially the most undesirable final result, sometimes falling into two classes: instant and progressive.

Fast accidents, reminiscent of a reduce, burn, or damaged bone, require immediate medical therapy. Manufacturing services have private protecting gear (PPE) and security protocols to stop 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 essential info and deal with 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]

How palletizing techniques cut back MSDs in meals & beverage tertiary packaging

Truth 2: The incidence charge for MSDs in the US 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 absolutely. 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 (reminiscent of drinks and powders) might be cumbersome. Different merchandise (reminiscent of liquids) could shift with motion, making it extra harmful for an individual to raise above their head or transfer under their waist. In relation to palletizing merchandise, choosing and inserting require two key actions: again and shoulder flexion.

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 individuals 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) techniques in palletizing operations affords a promising resolution. By assuming the bodily and repetitive pressure of inserting merchandise on pallets, cobots mitigate the danger of Musculoskeletal Problems (MSDs) related to palletizing duties. For instance, these cobots can execute lengthy horizontal and tall vertical reaches that may 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 decreasing 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 reminiscent of:

1. Strong drugs: These embrace tablets, capsules, caplets, and tablets, usually in blister packs, bottles, or jars.
2. Liquid medicals: Pharmaceutical liquids reminiscent of syrups, suspensions, options, and oral liquids are packaged in bottles, vials, ampoules, or sachets.
3. Powders and granules: Powders and granules could also be packaged in sachets, pouches, bottles, or jars and might embrace merchandise like antibiotics, dietary and protein powders, or granules for oral administration.
4. Injectables: Injectable drugs, therapies, and vaccines are available in vials, ampoules, or prefilled syringes. These require particular packaging and dealing with as a consequence of their route of administration.
5. Topical therapies: This class contains lotions, ointments, gels, lotions, and patches. These are packaged in tubes, jars, or sachets.
6. Disposable sterile merchandise: Intravenous (IV) baggage, needles, infusion options, masks, gloves, face shields, and surgical kits require specialised packaging to take care of sterility.
7. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs: OTC drugs can are available in numerous varieties however don’t require a prescription. These embrace ache relievers, cough syrups, antacids, and allergy drugs.

Given the varied 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 consequence of MSDs in 2021 [1]

Moreover, automated palletizing techniques play an important function in defending the product being palletized. Given their usually excessive worth and delicate nature, minimizing product waste and injury is prioritized after employee security. Automated palletizers guarantee exact, constant dealing with and palletization, thereby decreasing the danger of unintentional injury. By implementing automated palletizing techniques, pharmaceutical producers can’t solely improve employee security but additionally 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 surroundings is dynamic, with a variety of merchandise being processed and packaged. Client items embody numerous gadgets, together with: 

1. Family Merchandise: cleansing provides, filters, pots, pans 
2. Workplace Merchandise: Printer ink, pens, pencils, paper, extension cords
3. Electronics and Home equipment: espresso makers, headphones, laptop computer batteries
4. 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 workers to put merchandise each under 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 damage on the again and shoulder.

Truth 5: MSDs are chargeable for about $50 billion in annual prices within the US [3]

Automated palletizing techniques supply an answer to those challenges by decreasing reliance on handbook labor and minimizing the related threat to individuals. By automating the palletizing course of, these techniques alleviate the bodily pressure on employees and create a safer working surroundings. They’ll deal with all kinds of client merchandise effectively and precisely, making certain correct stacking and palletization with out the danger of human error.

Conclusion

Offering individuals with a protected working surroundings is a high precedence for meals & beverage, pharmaceutical, and client product producers. Accidents, whether or not instant or progressive, pose vital dangers to employees and might result in substantial lack of working days and productiveness. Musculoskeletal problems (MSDs) are among the many progressive accidents that may end result from handbook duties like pallet stacking, significantly prevalent within the manufacturing of Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items.

Via 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 danger of MSDs. Nevertheless, the mixing of automation (reminiscent of collaborative robotic techniques) affords a promising resolution to mitigate these dangers. Cobots can deal with the bodily pressure of palletizing duties, decreasing the chance of MSDs, rising pallet stacking security, and enhancing general office security.

Total, by embracing automation in palletizing operations, industries can create safer working environments, shield employee well being, and enhance operational effectivity, in the end resulting in larger productiveness and success.

The long run is protected

At Robotiq, we comply with the ideas 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 assume. Discuss with one in all our automation specialists right now to kickstart your mission. (Your individuals 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 offers you insider tips about discovering one of the best automated palletizing resolution for your enterprise.