How the Hand Truck 360 Helps Reduce Injuries and Worker Comp Claims
Falling Boxes = Potential Injuries
The Multi-Directional Hand Truck 360 Safety Review
By Josh Corbin, OTR/L, Licensed Occupational Therapist
Upon initial observation of this product, it is apparent that The Hand Truck 360 is the only multi-directional, easily maneuverable, hand truck in the industry today. There are two sizes of hand truck. The smaller Hand Truck 360 (with balloon tires) is also available with an optional double keg hook and bottom safety plate for secure keg handling (known as the Wheeler 360). The larger, Hand Truck 360 Pro model is available with either balloon tires for hard surfaces or semi-pneumatic tires for going over grass, rocks, dirt, etc. Every model has an attached multi-directional button activated retractable 10-foot Erickson retractable ratchet strap to allow for the ability to secure all objects either vertically or horizontally in preparation for transport. The fact that the strap is attached makes it convenient to use based on its constant availability with this product. The multi-position handles also have fingertip triggers that allow the user to free the spring-loaded pins and turn the entire handle/wheel assembly with ease for either free direction use or specific locked positions at 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 180 degrees. Once pins are secured, the user must re-engage the triggers to allow the wheel(s) to change direction quickly, smoothly, and easily.
TECH SPECS
Attached Retractable Ratchet
Erickson 10’ retractable ratchet safely attached to safely secure items vertically and horizontally
Materials:
Frame: 1" steel tubing
Base: 1/8" thick steel plate
Connector: 1/4" steel rope or bar
Tires: 8"x2" non-marking, gray, soft performance rubber tire molded to a high impact polyolefin off-set hub with bearings. Can carry loads of up to 500 pounds.
Weight:
41 lbs. (under OSHA’s 50 lb. limit for hand trucks)
Dimensions:
51" height, 23" width
The only multi-directional, steerable hand truck available.
TECH SPECS
Grainger Retractable Ratchet (when available)
1’ X 15’ Grainger retractable ratchet is safely attached to secure items vertically or horizontally
Materials:
Frame: 1" steel tubing
Base: 1/8" thick steel plate
Connector: 1/4" steel rope or bar
Tires: 8"x2 1/2" semi-pneumatic treaded tires with off-set hub with bearings. Can carry loads of up to 500 pounds.
Weight:
44 lbs. Under the OSHA required limit
Dimensions:
53" height, 25 1/2" width
9" width, 18" length
Industry Workplace Injury Statistics
The Liberty Mutual Safety Index is published every year and is used by many workers’ compensation agencies to determine the yearly statistics around injury for writing regulations. The number one cause of injury for the past several years is overexertion, which consists of 22.7% of all injuries at a cost to the industry of $13.3 Billion (a statistic that continues to climb year over year). Injuries caused by overexertion, is followed by falls on the same level, struck by objects, and other exertion of bodily reactions (more statistics that together add up to an additional 35.7% and $20.9 billion in injury costs).
All the above listed injury categories are associated with hand truck and material handling use. The most common injuries seen in the workers compensation industry related to hand truck use consist of:
An employee trying to save an awkward load that shifts, risking product falling because of not using good body mechanics. (Potential injuries include bicep tear/separation, rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, hand injury, wrist injuries, elbow injuries, knee injuries, neck sprain/strain and upper or lower back strain/sprain or injury.) *
An employee having to physically lift a hand truck and load to maneuver around obstacles or reposition. This often leads to a load shift which can increase the risk of an employee being struck by falling objects. (Potential injuries include bicep tear/separation, rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, neck sprain/strain, hip injury, knee injury, upper or lower back strain/sprain, hand, wrist and arm injuries and amputation of limbs.) *
An employee being struck by items that fall from a stack while moving. (Potential injuries include bicep tear/separation, rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, neck sprain/strain, hip injury, knee injury, upper or lower back strain/sprain, hand injuries and amputation of limbs.) *
An employee experiencing loss of balance, resulting in a fall from a potential awkward maneuvering challenge. (Potential injuries include head/CNS injuries, hip fracture, elbow fracture, wrist fracture, hand injury, shoulder dislocation, neck sprain/strain and upper or lower back strain/sprain or injury.) *
An employee suffering an injury when initiating load transfer/transport shifting weight from the hand truck’s center of gravity to balance on wheels. (Potential injuries include bicep tear/separation, rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, knee injuries, hand injury, wrist injury, elbow injury, neck sprain/strain and upper or lower back strain/sprain or injury.) *
Cost of Typical Workplace Injuries
The injuries that result from the above-mentioned scenarios often result in an employee recovery time that ranges from two to twelve weeks, depending on severity. More severe injuries can cost insurance claims anywhere from $2,500 to over $150,000 if surgical intervention is required. These injuries often result in unnecessary increases in insurance premiums or a company’s out-of-pocket costs for injuries. Not to mention the decrease in productivity that results.
In most material handling organizations, there exists large equipment such as pallet jacks, forklifts, and other material handling tools that are designed for large spaces. All material handling jobs require a manual component that involves a much smaller and more maneuverable option which is often a hand truck to help the material finish the “last mile” of material transport.
Hand Truck 360 Solutions that Reduce Certain Workplace Injuries
The Hand Truck 360 material handling models have solutions for the above-mentioned injuries:
· Awkward load shifts are addressed in two ways. The hand truck tools have an easy-to-use attached retractable ratchet strap designed to secure loads either horizontally or vertically without having to place and hold a strap in place while using another arm to secure. The hand trucks have wheel positioning, easily accessible fingertip triggers on each handle with secure pin placement for positions at 45, 90 and 180 degrees to allow for non-lifting direction change and maneuvering that can be completed smoothly without applying unnecessary load shift force.
· Too many employees sustain back injury or strain when lifting a hand truck to reposition or position the load to change direction. With the Hand Truck 360’s easily transitioning individual wheels, an employee has multiple options to smoothly move a load without the need to lift an already secured load, which diverts potential injury from an unstable load directional transition.
· For shifting loads, the strap attachment, or even multiple strap attachments can serve to ensure that the load is safe for transport and the potential for injury from falling materials is avoided. The custom-made hand truck with its retractable ratchet strap has been able to safely transport 55-gallon barrels full of liquid helped by securely fastening the barrel to the hand truck (using either the barrel clamp or the multi directional strap). This configuration allows for multi-directional maneuvers without serious liquid shift that could cause injury. With the multiple wheel positioning options, the Hand Truck 360 models are designed for smooth transitions at any point in load handling without sudden movements that create turbulence, shifting center of gravity and causing potential strain or injury.
· Loss of balance frequently occurs when an employee is trying to manage close-quarter maneuvering with a uni-directional (only one direction of travel) hand truck, causing employee to contort his/her body to handle the load around difficult non-linear directions of travel. With the Hand Truck 360 products maneuvering on demand is easily accomplished with handle placed finger controls to change wheel direction.
· When an employee is initiating a load transfer, there is a moment when it is necessary to push the wheels forward while pulling back on the load handles. During this transition, the load’s center of gravity is affected by the foot kick and the pull as well as the employee’s attempt to gain control of the load as the center of gravity shifts away from upright to balance on one wheel. The strap attachment on the Hand Truck product will secure the load to avoid large shifts in transport. Additionally, the wheels can be placed in a perpendicular position to avoid the roll effect of a load transfer. Easy hand controls smoothly move wheels to linear movement pattern without the extreme force needed to initiate transition from stationary to transport ready.
The Hand Truck 360 thus provides an easy solution to avoiding thousands of dollars in workers’ comp claims and lost man hours in all material handling industries.
* According to the National Safety Council in 2019 the below costs were associated with potential material handling injuries. Each year the numbers have been climbing, according to metrics that are recorded yearly with other agencies.
Conclusion
The Hand Truck 360 product may be more expensive than the basic linear hand truck, but its features, including the ratcheting/retracting strap attachment can go a long way in preventing injuries in material management that can cost companies loss of labor, loss of income, and increased workers’ compensation premiums.
Author’s Medical Background
I am an ergonomic specialist, an expert witness in workers’ compensation cases, an active professional selected multiple times to review workers’ compensation guidelines for the State of Colorado, as well as a practicing workers’ compensation therapist. I believe that the extra investment in the Hand Truck 360 will help to create a culture of safety, productivity and risk management that is worth the investment in the employees’ and company’s future.
Josh Corbin, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist