Cart Handling SOP

AB Asks:

I wonder if you could help with a problem we have.   How do you physically manage/unload carts in your storage area (prior to delivering to buildings/residents)?

I know that some municipalities contract this work out to a contractor.  For those that manage this work with municipal staff can you share your practice with me?  We are trying to develop a safe practice of doing this.  

Our current practice is not safe.  We store carts stacked as they are delivered by the manufacture (7 or more carts high).  Then, here’s where it gets dangerous – staff either push the stack over onto the ground, jumping out of the way, or they stand in front of the stack and slowly leverage it to the ground while walking backwards.  There must be a better way!

If you have a better method and can share I’d be grateful.  Thanks!

HC Replies

We uses a similar method, our staff tip over the stack of carts (7 high) away from them.
To get them off of the truck we require the driver to push them to the edge of the trailer and then use a forklift to bring them down and place in our storage area, we have several staff at our site that are trained to use the fork lift.

It is good to hear what other municipalities procedures are! I do like the requirement of stacking the carts 5 high only.

AB replies:

Hi all, thanks for your comments. Lower stacking would definitely help to reduce safety risks. One reason that this issue came up for us this time is that the cart supplier (Rehrig) wishes to ship in stacks of 13 carts high, instead of 7.

CIF this may be for consideration in the next CIF bulk tender.

AB replies:
V has shared details from Guelph. Check out the neat dolly they designed to move carts around, but still have the same issue with unstacking and separating carts. Clearly a safer method is needed. We will be looking at this with our H&S staff to develop an SOP. I’ll keep you in the loop, and please others do the same if you have ideas.