FACTS

1. Common injuries that result from hand cart operations are:

• fingers and hands being caught in, on, or between the cart and other objects,
• toes, feet and lower legs being bumped or crushed by the cart,
• slips, trips, and falls, and
• strain injuries predominantly for the lower back, shoulder, and arm muscles and joints.

2. Overexertion injuries are by far the most common claims when it comes to worker’s compensation, so finding ways to reduce these types of injuries (think pushing vs. pulling) can save employers time and money.

3. Many employees pull a cart behind them rather than push it ahead of them. Unfortunately, this can cause significant injury.

4. When pulling a cart, you cannot see where you are going if you’re walking backward. And because of the cart’s weight, pulling it can put undue stress on the shoulders and back. What’s more, the cart can keep rolling after you have stopped, which can cause it to collide into you. 

5. When you push a cart, not only will you be able to see where you are going, you’ll also put less pressure on your shoulders and back. The main reason to push rather than pull is you can apply more force; you are leaning your body into the cart and making the work easier by distributing more of the force of the weight.

6. Whether you’re transporting boxes, gas canisters or spools of cable, task-specific wheeled carts and dollies are one of the best solutions for moving large quantities or heavy items with speed, ease, and maneuverability. 

STATS

• Between 20% and 30% of all workplace injuries fall into the musculoskeletal category, and include strains and sprains to the lower back, shoulders, neck, and arms. These injuries alone are responsible for nearly 25% of workers’ compensation payouts and can result in anywhere from days to weeks of lost work for employees.
• According to the Liberty Mutual Index 2019 release, overexertion is the top cause of most serious injuries in the US workplace. These are injuries related to lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, carrying or throwing had cost businesses 13.11 billion US dollars and rated 23.65%.