Workshop Improves Safety with Lifting Aids

Michelfelder Werkstätten, a workshop for individuals with disabilities in Germany, has enhanced its operational safety and employee well-being by integrating mobile lifters from Danish manufacturer Hovmand A/S. The facility, part of the Regens Wagner Foundation, employs 126 individuals with special needs across various functions, including assembly teams.

The primary challenge involved the manual lifting and transportation of crates weighing up to 40 kg. This task previously required two people and posed a significant risk of accidents and physical strain, particularly due to varying coordination abilities among team members. Employees also reported back pain associated with the strenuous lifting.

Hovmand's Apollo 130 M lifters, first introduced in 2008, are now in use across six assembly teams. The workshop also utilizes Hovmand Impact 80 L lifters with forks for managing heavier items like large cable drums. These lifters enable a single employee to safely lift, move, and precisely position the heavy crates at their workstations, improving efficiency and reducing physical exertion.

Thomas Kürzdörfer, a team leader at the workshop, stated that there have been no work-related accidents since the lifters were implemented, and complaints of back pain have ceased. He noted that the investment has proven effective, enhancing not only the ease of work but also fostering greater independence and dignity for the employees.