Construction companies are increasingly allocating more money for labor-saving items that reduce man-hours in the field while limiting liability risks. Handheld tools and devices can enhance worker performance and reduce owner overhead costs for increased market competitiveness. Greater productivity can be achieved through safer, ergonomic devices that increase efficiency while reducing health insurance-related claims.
创新部分是由在深层衰退期间被迫做更多工作的公司驱动的。职业安全与健康管理局报道，最受欢迎，最畅销的物品通常解决重复的压力伤害，雇主每年在工人的薪酬中造成超过200亿美元的损害。另外1000亿美元用于丧失生产力，员工营业额，治疗和/或手术。
但是，总部位于纽约州MAX USA的制造商正在使用手持式钢筋层削减这种昂贵的趋势，看起来和表现像无绳电钻。该公司的新型RB 397可以与扳机挤压，每次指控2,000个领带。它由可充电锂离子电池提供动力。14.4伏RB 397有助于减少腕管综合征，同时使用21号线通过每条领带的三个包裹提高效率。Max还提供了扩展手柄，因此工人可以在绑定钢筋时直立站立。
Manually tying rebar at ground level involves pliers, wire and deep, sustained trunk bending with rapid, repetitive and forceful hand-wrist, forearm movements that limit the time workers can safely perform tasks. A battery-powered rebar tying tool "significantly reduces" those physical movements and frees one hand for trunk support, reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Although the MAX RB 397 costs about $2,600, the average compensation for a carpal-tunnel injury is $33,000, reports the National Council of Compensation Insurance. Construction laborers had an incident rate of 35 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2011 due to overexertion and repetitive motions, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Indeed, frustration over aches, pains and scrapes prompted Australian concrete laborer Ray Rowbotham to invent the Robo-Joiner BNRJ-100. The 5.75-lb, rechargeable device, which resembles a jig saw on steroids, cuts concrete control joints with speed, ease and accuracy.
"In the old days, you would have a hand tool that you would have to push along and pound to create the joint," Rowbotham says. "This does it automatically in half the time with less cracking."
Powered by dual 20-volt lithium-ion batteries, the Robo-Joiner can produce saw-cut and rolled edges using two 3/4-in. blades that move at up to 2,400 rpm. The variable-speed trigger-controlled device sells for $695, a nominal sum compared with the 12 lost work days and $38,500 in average compensation paid out for repetitive stress-related injuries, according to the BLS.
Opening Doors
像许多行业企业家一样，Rowbotham正在寻求解决工作场所问题的最佳解决方案。以特拉维斯·凯利（Travis Kelley）为例。他是一名前孟买建筑工人，当他意识到事情可以做得更好时，他被任命为门制造商的保修代表。凯利说：“由于安装不良，百分之九十五的门失败了，这会导致不平衡的张力和过早的扭曲。”他在2011年与妻子詹（Jen）建立了詹德拉工具。“无论技巧或专业水平如何，安装门都会令人困惑和沮丧。”
因此，詹特拉（Jentra）推出了七件作弊的门装套件。这款50美元的尼龙树脂设备放弃了杂耍6英尺平坦的人和垫片，并在物理上平衡门以保持正方形，从而保留肌肉，关节和骨骼。取而代之的是，Chotah使用集成的级别和内置垫片，这些级别点击到位，以使门周围的空间平行和铅垂保持。三片适合门铰链；又有三个罢工，最后一块放在门顶上。折叠，类似手风琴的垫片可确保适合1-3/8英寸的适当工具。和1-3/4英寸。詹特拉说，门，占市场的99％。该工具在明尼苏达州的罗杰斯（Rogers）制造，在贸易展览会上进行了巡回演出，在一月份的国际建筑商展览会上获得了最高产品荣誉。备忘录，到目前为止有3,000个预售和计数，应在7月1日之后在木材码中提供。
JenTra很简单但是声音的解决方案可能意味着大公司vings in reduced labor, time and injuries. Worker sprains, strains and tears made up 44.4% of all incidents in 2011, the BLS reports. That affects the cash-intensive, bottom-line construction industry, whose already slim profit margins further narrowed during the economic downturn. Today's surviving contractors are closely scrutinizing jobsite procedures and practices with an eye toward safety, proficiency and remaining competitive.
"We promote both safety and efficiency on our jobsites, including mandatory constant pressure switches on hand tools in lieu of on-off switches," says Ray Sedey, McCarthy Building Cos. executive vice president. "Additionally, we analyze potential work hazards and identify ways to mitigate them. This includes dedicating time to stretch at the beginning of each shift so the risk of soft-tissue injuries can be reduced."
