Mitsubishi PBPL range features a 48 v Lithium-ion power source for electric driving and lifting functions

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks is highlighting the benefits of electric hand pallet trucks in reducing strain on the workforce.

Stewart Gosling, sales director at Red Diamond Distribution, the exclusive UK importer of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, says: "Shifting loads over 500 kg in the workplace can easily put you on the wrong side of official guidelines. Hand pallets are the biggest growth area in the sector, but anyone running manual trucks at their site should be aware of the effects they can have through long-term use."

Guidelines from the HSE set 20 kg for men and 15 kg for women as an acceptable weight for the effort needed to start moving a load from stationary. This is around the typical maximum weight for a suitcase at an airport check-in.

Independent research of a wide variety of hand pallet trucks showed an average effort of 23.3 kg from stationary for a 500 kg load, and 49.6 kg for a load of 2,000 kg - more than 2.5 times the guidelines.

Manual handling accounts for more than a third of workplace injuries that require three or more days off, Gosling explains. "If your operators are regularly using hand pallet trucks, then switching to a powered version can greatly reduce the chance of worker injury."

"Fatigue, back injury, strains and more all come into play through repeated long shifts with a manual truck. Having the assistance of a powered truck can make a huge difference to your staff's wellbeing," he adds.

"Given the increased productivity with an electric pallet truck, as well as the reduction in time taken off with injury, it's easy to see how the cost benefits speak for themselves."