Purpose

This booklet was designed for retailers and safety experts to illustrate the use of mechanical assist devices for reducing manual materials handling (MMH) injuries in retail grocery work.

This booklet provides illustrations of employees in a retail grocery store using mechanical assist devices to perform material handling tasks. For each task, there are multiple devices that can be used.

The types and numbers of such devices that are used in a retail business depend on the nature of the business and the type of work employees perform. The technology presented will also support a retailer’s growing internet sales that depends on moving large quantities of merchandise in a short time span and often with fewer employees.

Additional information on this topic can be found at the end of this document in two sections entitled: “Sources for Preventing Manual Material Handling Injuries” and “Sources for Information from Business/Labor Trade Associations”.

The drawings are not intended to depict the mechanical details of each assist device, but rather are intended to provide an illustration that shows how and where an employee would use such a device.

Figure: An employee operating a pneumatic lift and moving device. More details on Page 11, Figure 9.