Volume 1, Number 6
You’re a progressive employer. You have a participatory ergonomics program. Your company’s ergonomics committee includes employees, supervisors, and other levels of management. They’ve identified manual material handling tasks as one of the primary opportunities for improvement. You want to help reduce or eliminate risk factors to keep your workforce healthy and happy, but you don’t know where to find material handling equipment at the best price.
Your current equipment vendor or distributor should be your first source for new equipment. Because you’ve had years to establish a relationship and to keep your business, they may often give you a better price on new equipment than you could find on your own. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop for yourself to get the best price.
There are many excellent resources on the internet for locating and purchasing material handling equipment.
|
Company |
Web Address |
Description |
|
Google’s Froogle |
Excellent starting point. Simply search for the equipment you need. Returns pictures, prices, and links to online distributors. | |
|
Thomas Register |
Searchable list of manufacturers and distributors. Links to Web sites and other information. | |
|
Humantech's Vendorweb |
Ergonomics consulting firm’s searchable collection of equipment with links to manufacturers and distributors. | |
|
AliMed |
Online and catalog distributor. Variety of products with special emphasis on ergonomics and healthcare. | |
|
Lab Safety |
Online distributor. Search collection of products using keywords, or navigate using menus. | |
|
A+ Warehouse |
Online distributor of hand trucks, lift trucks, dumpers, load levelers, positioners, and many more products. | |
|
Global Industrial |
Online distributor of a wide variety of industrial equipment. Searchable online catalog; free hard copy catalog. |
This list is not comprehensive or an endorsement, just a starting point for your equipment purchasing process. Different distributors charge more for identical equipment—always comparison shop.
Manufacturers often make multiple versions of the same equipment. Weight capacity is at a premium; higher capacity equipment is more expensive. For example, if you are purchasing a lift-and-tilt machine for a bin of parts that never weighs more than 1,500 pounds, save money by buying a 2,000 pound capacity machine, rather than a 4,000 pound capacity model.
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The information herein is for reference only and State Fund does not warranty its accuracy or fitness for a particular purpose. Any products, references, or links to Web sites are not an endorsement by State Fund or its employees, but serve only as examples to assist you with your workplace design changes. State Fund cannot be held liable or accountable for content on linked Web sites.
