Hand wrapping health & safety
There are a few situations where employee health and safety is compromised while wrapping pallets by hand.
First there are the new employees or pallet wrappers just starting out, who may figure they know all they need to know about a ‘simple’ job. Then there are those who are ‘old hands’ at the work, employees who may have acquired bad habits along the way or are stuck using an inferior and cumbersome pallet film.
No matter the reason for the issue there’s no excuse for compromising health and safety. Here are our basic tips to get things right…
5. Use the right wrapping product.
At a brief glance, it may look the same. However, trust us, not all pallet wrap is created equal. The weight of the typical stretch film hand roll in 2010 was around 4.7 kilos. That’s roughly the same weight as the average domestic cat. Newer products are far, far lighter.
NanoLite, for example, is 1.36kg per roll and up to 50% thinner than other stretch film. When used with a BOLT dispenser less film is needed to secure pallets, and film application is far easier.
Here are our basic tips to get things right…
4. Bend zee knees.
A curved and painful back can be terrible in later life. So do everything you can to avoid it now. Keeping a straight back as much as you can is crucial as the wrap is wound around the pallet.
By bending your knees, you can keep a straight back and strengthen the legs and core muscles. There’s a reason why cross-fitters do similar exercises to this technique to stay strong and healthy (feel free to ask them – we’re sure they’ll tell you all about it).
3. Use the right technique.
Like Mr Miyagi taught Daniel, you have to “wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off”. Focusing on repetition of the right technique makes all the difference when it comes time to wrap pallets (and defeat Cobra Kai).
So, remember to let the roll unwind freely around the edge of the pallet before locking it tight. Only once it’s locked tight should you step ahead to stretch the film. To maximise pallet integrity always use a 40-50% overlap going up and down the pallet. You should always be walking forwards to wrap the pallet too – if your wrap technique is backwards it needs to change!
2. Noise? Not cool.
A noisy wrap application isn’t just annoying – it can be dangerous. Traditional blown films are far louder than the latest cast film products, and the constant ripping sound can be irritating to eardrums.
It also might be surprising how often the use of loud wrap muffles important sounds that might need to be heard (like beeping forklifts or other operators).
1. Don’t do it all by hand.
Using a good hand dispenser tool helps diminish friction on hands while also reducing the need to bend while wrapping pallets.
This is a tool that can take a bit of a battering in the typical DC working environment. So make sure you use a durable, built-tough dispenser too. We recommend using the BOLT hand wrap dispenser along with NanoLite pallet stretch film, these two products ensure everything is ergonomically sound and that application is a walk in the park.
