The safe bet: positioners improve worker safety
Waste and recycling manufacturer Sebright Products increases floor safety by utilizing five ALM Positioners.
If it can be recycled, it’s likely that Sebright Products offers the equipment to make it happen. With nine different waste-handling product lines, Sebright helps the world manage waste and recycling challenges.
“From oil filters to paper, bottles and aluminum cans, if it can be recycled, we help our customers utilize equipment to manage and reduce waste while transporting waste products,” said Emir Avdić, chief operating officer. “As a recycling equipment manufacturer, we’re always thinking about efficiency and how to make processes better, not only through our products but through how we operate, too.”
When it came to making their manufacturing processes safer and more efficient, they turned to ALM Positioners to help.
“From densifiers for foam recycling processes, to our bailers, trash compactors and bottle cyclers, we use ALM positioners across our product lines.”
With a background in lean management and finance, Avdić said he noticed the productivity results after working with ALM on their first positioner. He was quick to order several more.
“After our first production run with the positioner, we ordered four more,” said Avdić. “Over time, it’s proven to gain us between 32 and 52 percent in efficiency, and even more important, it makes our employees safer.”
Always safe, never sorry
Positioners are crucial in enhancing safety for welding and assembly workers. They completely replace the need to manipulate a piece of equipment by rigging it up on cranes and using ladders – something Sebright saw as a huge safety improvement on the floor.
“Safety is a huge aspect of why we utilize positioners,” said Avdić. “Now, our welders don’t have to sit on carts or crawlers and move under the weld. They don’t even have to bend over to make a weld. It literally makes it so that you don’t have to break your back.”
When using a positioner, a welder can easily adjust the angle and height of the workpiece with the push of a button. The positioner smoothly moves thousands of pounds to achieve a comfortable and ergonomic position, which can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and take the stress off the neck and back.
“We have to turn our equipment nine times before we’re done with a product,” said Avdić. “Before, we were using chains, hooks and cranes. We’d also have to open up the doors of the facility and take the machine out in the weather to be able to flip it. With the positioners, we’ve made that hard labor easier on our employees.”
Good for people, good for business
Safety is at the forefront of everything at Sebright. Not only do their products make the world a cleaner and safer place for the next generation, but they’re also focused on creating a healthy work environment for skilled laborers.
Thanks to ALM positioners, they work without feeling as exhausted by the end of the day and have the confidence that they’re going to end the day without incident.
“We’ve never had an accident,” said Avdić. “I can’t imagine going to someone’s family and having to explain why they got hurt at work. Having the positioners here and making sure our employees are safe has really gone a long way.”
Avdić noted that creating safe workplaces is good for employees and bottom lines alike.
“We’ve had OSHA come through, and they were really impressed with our processes,” said Avdić. “Our insurance costs have decreased because of our positioners, too. We’re saving money on so many aspects.”
He also said that when employees feel safe and secure in their work environment, they are more likely to be productive and engaged.
“Our efficiency has gone up because you’re not killing your body,” said Avdić. “The employees are more relaxed and they can go home and have the energy to engage with their families. That’s important to us.”
Sebright has found that by investing in employee safety, it creates a positive work culture that benefits both employees and the company’s bottom line. Not to mention, it will take a load off of your safety director’s plate, too.
“Since using the positioners, we’ve made our safety director’s life so much easier because they don’t have to worry about 80 percent of the things they had to before,” Avdić added. “It’s truly better in every aspect.”
Ready for a positioner to make your floor safer while improving product throughput? We’re ready to help.
Give our team a call at (309) 787-6200 or fill out our form.