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The Ergonomics of Medical Carts

Ergonomics in the healthcare industry has become a serious area of discussion in recent medical news. According to the United States Department of Labor, workers compensation for the healthcare industry amount to nearly $1 billion per year. Healthcare workers are essential in providing care but unfortunately this line of work exposes workers to many opportunities for ergonomic stressors. Hospitals pose a variety of risks including hazardous materials exposure and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Common tasks for hospital workers can create awkward postures that can contribute to injury or repetitive stress disorders. Employee injuries lead to increased costs, higher turnover and short staffing throughout a medical facility.

Ergonomic designs of hospital equipment are becoming more and more necessary for injury prevention.  When it comes to equipment, repetitive motions such as heavy lifting, pushing, and bending are high risk activities that can lead to physical strain on healthcare workers. At Lakeside Manufacturing, we place a high value on design and have recognized that medical carts, especially heavy duty stainless steel carts and surgical case carts, can be a source of ergonomic stressors when not properly outfitted.  We want to share some of the engineering innovations we have developed in order to improve the ease of use for healthcare workers and reduce the risk of repetitive stress related injuries.

 

All Swivel Casters for Easy Maneuvering

 

Any medical cart that is pushing or pulling heavy loads should roll smoothly with ease.  The Lakeside Ergonomic Series of stainless steel medical carts employs all swivel casters for easy transportation of equipment and continuous hauling of heavy loads.  These casters also allow for easy maneuverability over uneven floor or outdoor surfaces.  Medical carts should not require much effort from the user.  Even with a full load, medical carts should not require much effort from the operator.  When carts are difficult to push, workers put excess strain on their bodies.  It may not seem like an immediate risk to “put some muscle into it” but overtime, repetitive movements can lead to chronic pain or injury.

 

“Safe Zone” Shelves for Repetitive Loading and Unloading

 

Bending down to access supplies can easily cause excess strain on the back.  Especially if medical carts are stocked with heavy equipment that needs to be loaded and unloaded on a regular basis.  The Ergo-One 1,000lb capacity stainless steel medical cart is ergonomically engineered with exactly that in mind.  Shelf heights are in a safe zone for improved accessibility and decreased strain on the user.  The bottom shelf is 20 inches from the floor, leading to a significant reduction in the bending required to reach.

 

Ergonomic Handle for Natural Grip

 

Safe carts are predictable carts.  If a medical cart is making unexpected motions or is difficult to control, this can put the operator at risk.  The operator controls the cart, not the other way around.  Ergonomic handles play a role in easily maintaining control of the cart.  Lakeside has developed an angled handle that allows for a comfortable, natural grip to reduce strain of the user.  This design also allows for increased control and manueverability.

Lakeside Custom Solutions

Our Ergonomic Engineered medical carts are one of the many product solutions available at Lakeside.  We specialize in supporting your needs for customized solutions.  If there are additional modifications or features you are looking for, we will either help you find it or build it for you.

Case Carts

Lakeside case carts are highly configurable, all-welded stainless steel construction. Closed case carts are a perfect option for transferring cases from a remote processing area and open case carts provide efficiency to fit a lean picking and processing system. Rest assured that Lakeside’s carts are durable and will serve you well for years to come.

Utility Carts

Lakeside has been the leading manufacturer of stainless steel and plastic utility carts for decades.  Our Utility Carts feature a wide variety of products for any area of your operation.  Whether it is our very first stainless steel cart design, the 311, or a heavy duty guard rail utility cart, we can supply you with the perfect solution for your facility.