How to facilitate the carrying of heavy loads?

Repetitive gestures expose operators to certain diseases such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which is why Manut-LM reveals in this article its cobotic solutions to facilitate the carrying of heavy loads.

What is the maximum weight of loads that an employee can carry?

The employer has a duty to take the necessary measures to avoid manual handling of loads by his employees. It should resort to this solution only in cases of extreme necessity.

There are three rhythms of manual handling:

• The isolated charging port (only once a day);
• Occasional wearing (once in five-minute periods);
• And finally the repetitive wearing (normal activity repeated more than once every five minutes for several hours).

The maximum weight allowed for carrying loads is defined as:

• Age;
• And the gender of the employee.

For example, a sixteen-year-old male employee may carry a maximum weight of 20 kilos, compared to 10 kilos for a female employee of the same age.

In all cases, the load limit is limited to a maximum of 25 kilos for women and 55 kilos for men.

What are the recommendations for carrying heavy loads?

As we told you in the introduction of this article, carrying heavy loads is a dangerous and repetitive task in the field of handling.

In order to minimize the risk of accidents at work and occupational diseases, various recommendations exist.
They are as follows:

• Move one load at a time with both hands over a maximum distance of two meters;
• Carry luggage once every five minutes with a grip and drop height of 0.75 to 1.10 meters;
• Carry the load on a non-slip, hard and flat floor without any obstacles in the room.

How to make carrying heavy loads easier with Manut-LM?

If carrying heavy loads is unavoidable, you must arrange your work to avoid risks to the health of your operators. In addition, it is important to use appropriate gestures and postures to protect their joints and avoid accidents and injuries.
Unfortunately, the consequences of carrying heavy loads can be significant.

Conditions or injuries are mainly:

• Muscle injuries (sprains, strains, ruptures, etc.);
• Chronic pain;
• Abdominal hernias and discs;
• Soft tissue injuries (ligaments, nerves, tendons, etc.);
• Etc.

Some conditions have repetitive strain injuries, while others are related to occupational overwork, cumulative trauma or MSDs.

Faced with all the risks associated with carrying heavy loads, Manut-LM has developed a range of cobotic tools designed to facilitate and secure the work of your operators.

These aids will allow you to:

• Configure the storage location;
• Facilitate horizontal and vertical movements;
• Install a height device;
• Lift heavy luggage using gripping accessories (suction cups).

Finally, do not forget that learning the right gestures and postures is at the heart of the prevention system and an obligation enshrined in the Labor Code.

And to meet the needs of manual lifting of loads, click here or contact our Manut-LM experts directly by email or phone!