Trolleys, Dollies & Trucks - Reduce Risk in Manual Handling

Recent figures from the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provide eye-watering statistics on the prevalence of injuries from manual handling across the UK. In 2021 the HSE reported that 1 in 3 workplace injuries were as a result of manual handling, second only to slips, trips and falls. 

 

Any accident at work comes at a cost to the victim and the business. UK Law reported that compensation claims for injuries due to lifting and carrying can be as much as £160k. 

 

To protect your employees from injury it’s important to provide both comprehensive training and the right equipment for the job. 

It isn’t just employees in warehouse, picking areas and manufacturing that are lifting and carrying; manual handling also extends to the mailroom, marketing and events teams or even admin teams working in archives; finding the right equipment for the job is vital but what do you search for? 

 

Trolleys range from light-weight portable plastic trolleys that can be used in mailrooms or on-site at events, to multi-purpose shelf trolleys that can be used for both distribution and as a moveable table in a workshop or lab environment. 

 

One of our favourite trolleys is the Clever Folding Trolley. If transformers were a trolley, then this is it. With a total load capacity of 60kg, its nifty design means it is not only lightweight but it also folds down making it a handy piece of equipment when moving from site to site, such as for events. 

In tandem with the Sussex Business Show, Phoenix Systems is offering a 17% discount on Clever Folding Trolleys - find out more here. 

 

A dolly is a small platform on wheels used for holding and moving heavy objects. A heavy duty container dolly can manage a load capacity of up to 300kg. Alternatively, you could choose items like a ‘connect and roll’ dolly which help you build a moving platform specifically for the needs of the job by ‘connecting’ individual dollies. 

Heavy duty container dollies Connect n Roll Dollies 

 

 

Trucks help you manage much heavier loads, even up to 2 tonnes and come in many shapes and sizes for specific jobs. Truck types include, container trucks and skips, order-picking trucks, tip-a-trucks, sack trucks, turntable, platform and pallet trucks. Some popular truck-style trolleys include: 

1. What do you need to move and how heavy is it? 

2. Do you need to separate items - e.g. for picking 

3. What weight does it need to carry? 

4. In what environment are you using it, e.g. do you need it to be transportable off-site, among small narrow racking bays or are you in a warehouse? 

5. Are you moving pallets? 

6. Do you want it to be manual or electric-powered? 

 

If you’re not sure exactly which truck, dolly or trolley is for you then the Phoenix Systems shop has over 270 types of truck and trolley to help you compare the best options and prices. Browse the catalogue here.