Security is paramount in a manufacturing unit. Everybody desires their staff members to be wholesome and accessible to carry out their jobs. Accidents are essentially the most undesirable end result, usually falling into two classes: rapid and progressive.
Quick accidents, akin to a lower, burn, or damaged bone, require immediate medical remedy. Manufacturing amenities have private protecting gear (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 embody listening to loss, respiratory points, and musculoskeletal issues (MSDs).
This weblog article will talk about pallet stacking security and the way this guide process will increase the dangers of musculoskeletal issues. We’ll introduce 5 essential details and deal with security inside three key industries: Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items Manufacturing.
Reality 1: The UK misplaced 149.3 million working days to MSDs in 2021 [1]
What are Musculoskeletal issues (MSDs)?MSDs are a gaggle of circumstances that have an effect on the muscle groups, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and different comfortable tissues of the physique. Repetitive motions, awkward postures, extended static positions, overexertion, and forceful exertions may cause MSDs. |
How palletizing techniques scale back MSDs in meals & beverage tertiary packaging
Reality 2: The incidence price 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 numerous 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 (akin to drinks and powders) might be cumbersome. Different merchandise (akin to liquids) could shift with motion, making it extra harmful for an individual to raise above their head or transfer under their waist. In the case of palletizing merchandise, selecting 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 period of again flexion in delicate (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 guide palletizing of meals or liquids exposes individuals to each. Those that have skilled again ache know that restoration can take a very long time.
Reality 3: Injured employees within the US wanted a median of 14 days earlier than returning to work [2]
Nonetheless, introducing collaborative robotic (cobot) techniques in palletizing operations provides a promising answer. 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 will 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 the 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 akin to:
- Strong medicines: These embody tablets, capsules, caplets, and drugs, usually in blister packs, bottles, or jars.
- Liquid medicals: Pharmaceutical liquids akin 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 might embody merchandise like antibiotics, dietary and protein powders, or granules for oral administration.
- Injectables: Injectable medicines, therapies, and vaccines are available vials, ampoules, or prefilled syringes. These require particular packaging and dealing with because 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) baggage, needles, infusion options, masks, gloves, face shields, and surgical kits require specialised packaging to keep up sterility.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines: OTC medicines can are available varied varieties however don’t require a prescription. These embody ache relievers, cough syrups, antacids, and allergy medicines.
Given the varied vary of pharmaceutical merchandise, packaging can differ considerably in dimension, form, and weight. Some merchandise are heavy which poses a threat to employees manually inserting them on pallets.
Reality 4: 15-20% of misplaced working days within the UK had been because of MSDs in 2021 [1]
Moreover, automated palletizing techniques play a significant position 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 danger of unintended harm. 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.
Decreasing materials dealing with dangers in shopper items manufacturing
In shopper items manufacturing, the manufacturing setting 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 shopper items manufacturing poses extra security dangers to employees. Merchandise tower on pallets, requiring workers to position merchandise each under and above waist degree. This apply will increase the probability of musculoskeletal accidents, notably when coping with heavy or cumbersome gadgets. Lifting, climbing, pushing, pulling, and pivoting are the first actions in guide materials dealing with (MMH) actions, which create a threat of damage on the again and shoulder.
Reality 5: MSDs are accountable for about $50 billion in annual prices within the US [3]
Automated palletizing techniques provide an answer to those challenges by lowering reliance on guide 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 setting. They will deal with all kinds of shopper merchandise effectively and precisely, making certain correct stacking and palletization with out the danger of human error.
Conclusion
Offering individuals with a protected working setting is a prime precedence for meals & beverage, pharmaceutical, and shopper product producers. Accidents, whether or not rapid or progressive, pose important dangers to employees and might result in substantial lack of working days and productiveness. Musculoskeletal issues (MSDs) are among the many progressive accidents that may outcome from guide duties like pallet stacking, notably prevalent within the manufacturing of Meals & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Client Items.
By the dialogue of 5 essential details, it turns into evident that bodily pressure, together with repetitive motions, awkward postures, and overexertion, considerably will increase the danger of MSDs. Nonetheless, the combination of automation (akin to collaborative robotic techniques) provides a promising answer to mitigate these dangers. Cobots can deal with the bodily pressure of palletizing duties, lowering the probability of MSDs, rising pallet stacking security, and enhancing total office security.
Total, 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 higher productiveness and success.
The longer term is protected
At Robotiq, we comply with the ideas of LEAN ROBOTICS to create a standardized answer that’s simpler to scale, repeatable, and simple to make use of. We make it straightforward to transition from guide palletizing to automated palletizing.
Implementation is simpler than you assume. Discuss with one in every of our automation consultants right this moment to kickstart your mission. (Your individuals will thanks).
In case you are able to make the transfer to automating your end-of-line course of, our FREE Automated Palletizing Purchaser’s Information offers you insider recommendations on discovering one of the best automated palletizing answer for what you are promoting.
