When thinking about a new trolley the first consideration is whether you should go for a trolley at all. Would conveyor feeds be better – to present laundry to the operator at a comfortable height and position? When trolleys are the only practicable solution, design, and the use they are put to, should be assessed to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, such as neck, back and joint strain.
Such injuries account for about 60% of reported ill health – a huge cost to business. Cheap, badly designed trolleys can add to the injury risk and may be a false economy! A basic trolley, with fixed sides, requires excessive bending and awkward posture to lift linen from the bottom. Trolleys with spring-loaded bases, which rise as the trolley is emptied, mean that items are always removed at waist height. Alternatively, a removable side allows removal of linen from the trolley using good lifting technique.
Trolleys should be easy to maintain: defective trolleys with sticking wheels require force to manoeuvre them and commonly cause strain injuries.
Design may also be a factor in how the work can be arranged ergonomically. It must be possible to allow the trolley to be placed in a good position, so reducing the amount of bending required.
