Products made with the latest state-of-the-art forklift ergonomics are great for your employees. However, you might not realize they can also be great for your finances. Read on to learn how certain ergonomic features can help your forklift operators stay healthy and how healthy workers can positively impact your bottom line.   

Operators are more productive, less tired, and less likely to be injured 

Driving a forklift is a hard job. Every forklift operator’s movement causes fatigue, and a tired worker is less productive.  

An injured employee is even worse. Repetitive strain injuries take a long time to develop and a long time to treat. How long? According to the Insurance Journal, on average, strains and sprains resulted in 57 missed workdays.  

If you don’t want your skilled employees fatigued or, even worse, out for an extended time due to a repetitive strain injury, help them stay healthy by purchasing a forklift with ergonomic features.  

  • Fingertip controls to reduce un-needed movements to reach controls 
  • Lower front cowls to reduce leaning to view a load 
  • Integrated scales to alleviate having to exit the truck to weigh a load 
  • Smaller steering wheels to minimize shoulder strain
  • Suspension seats to relieve lower back pain 
  • Lower step height for easy exit and entry 
  • Swivel seats to reduce feet movement when driving backward 
  • Rear safety handles with an integrated horn button to reduce twisting motions

Financial benefits over time 

When your operators are healthy, it helps your finances stay healthy. Here are several ways ergonomics can help your bottom line. 

  • Reduced workers’ compensation claims  
  • Reduced accidents and OSHA fines 
  • Employees take less sick time 
  • Higher quality of work 
  • Higher rate of employee retention 

Forklift operators spend hours driving every day. Keep these ergonomic features and benefits in mind to protect the health of your drivers’ and your bottom line. Need help finding the right forklift for your operators and application? Let us help. Click here to contact us today. 

Tags: ,