Case study : Low cost engineering solutions eliminate poor manual handling practices - Worker involvement in the design solution

The heavy strand area of Draka Wire, a high volume producer of copper wire, reported several back injuries over recent months, although in previous years the area had reported very few. Investigation showed considerable manual handling of empty and full reels of copper wire using lifting straps. This meant bending and twisting. Once out of the machine full reels of copper wire were rolled along the floor, using the foot, to a pallet onto which they were lifted by hand. Recently the workers had changed their method of working and were loading the pallet with two or three layers of reels, requiring more lifting while in a bent position. It was this that probably occasioned the back injuries.

There was discussion with the workers, safety representatives and an HSE inspector about how to redesign the work. Then the company worked with a lifting aids manufacturer to develop engineered solutions for three tasks.

A reel-lifting grab was purpose built to replace the awkward lifting straps;
A purpose built jig hung from a pivoting lifting beam, reduced the awkward nature of loading and unloading; and
A trolley was built internally that doubled as a storage rack into which reels are placed into as they are taken out of the machine. It also replaced the FLT that used to take them on the pallet to the next part of the manufacturing process.

As a result, manual lifting has been virtually eliminated, the number of times a reel has to be handled has been significantly reduced and the operatives maintain that these improvements have made the task much safer, easier and quicker.

The purpose built reel lift grab in the open position (left) and the purpose built trolley (right).