Mission was aware that its staff should not be handling the larger, heavier, reels that the company had started to use for labelling its food packaging, because of the risk of back injury or musculo-skeletal disorders.

Lift Safe supplied Mission with five of its Lift & Drive Expando Turn Reel Manipulator to pick vertical reels weighing up to 60kg each off pallets in the warehouse. Using this manipulator, the reels can smoothly and quickly be turned through 90 degrees to enable safe, easy loading on to trolleys to be taken to the food production area where the labels are affixed. 

The lifting boom of the Expando goes into the core of the reel, where it expands to grip the inside of the core firmly so that it can lift it up to 1.5 metres high, turn the reel with ease and put it into a horizontal loader.

Parma Rai, production manager at Mission Foods, said: “The method of gripping the reel in a stable vertical position is completely safe, and gives the user a clear view of their planned route and the knowledge the load is secure. The equipment is also easy to manoeuvre around a busy packing hall area where there are several members of staff and machinery.”