Increasing Productivity and Safety in Manual Overhead Bridge Crane Operation
Rochester Institute of Technology, by Jasper Shealy, Ph.D.,
Director, Human Factors Laboratory & Wendy Stibitz, M.S
In a study performed by the Rochester Institute of Technology, manually operated, traditional I-Beam cranes were compared to Gorbel® Work Station Cranes (WSC) in relation to push and pull standards developed by Snook and Cirello (1991) for consideration by NIOSH. This study consisted of two parts:
• Part One compared the Snook and Cirello guidelines with the type of push/pull forces experienced in
industrial conditions on I-Beam and WSCs.
• Part Two determined the difference in productivity for both types of cranes.
The study revealed that workers using manually operated bridge cranes can safely handle significantly more weight with a Gorbel® Work Station Crane than with an I-Beam crane. In the workplace, this translates into reduced risk of job-related injury as well as significant increases in work productivity.
Download the ergonomic study