According to the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), 30% of the 781,050 reportable workplace accidents in 2016 were caused by movement. The fourth most common cause of accidents, at around ten percent, is manual transportation. In addition to a person carrying a load, this also includes transporting an object vertically and horizontally.

When a trolley is in motion, it can quickly become a dangerous projectile depending on its speed. Blickle divides the potential hazards in intralogistics into three areas according to the movement status of the transport device: Moving, braking and stationary. In these situations, the wheel and castor specialist helps to increase occupational safety.

There are numerous sources of danger when operating a vehicle while driving. A castor equipped with foot protection offers protection from injuries caused by vehicle wheels or objects being thrown upwards. Customers can choose this accessory for many castor and fixed castor series. "Our transport systems are equipped with foot protection on all castors as standard," says Peter Beele, Product Manager at Blickle's long-standing customer LKE from Marl, one of the leading manufacturers of transport equipment and systems. "The topic of occupational safety is very important in intralogistics. Our customers therefore expect us to pay particular attention to the protection of their employees."

Dead man's brake protects people

To prevent accidents at work, it is also important that the operator of a trolley retains control at all times while driving. Unlike conventional locking systems, drum-braked castors allow the speed of the trolley to be reduced even while it is in motion. Blickle also offers a wide range of swivel and fixed castors with dead man's function to further increase personal safety. The dead man's brake has a braking force of over 600 N. In the initial position, the brakes are closed and only release when actively applied.

Electromechanical dead man's brakes are used in the ErgoMove range of electric drive systems. Thanks to automatic brake release by means of sensor hand detection on the operating handles, the transport trolley can only be moved if the operator has both hands actively on the trolley. The trolley brakes immediately when a handle is released. The emergency stop and pinch protection function also prevents pressure and crushing injuries.

The focus is not only on occupational safety when moving and braking loads, but also during the resting phase. This is where the Blickle locking systems come into play. These are either integrated directly into the castors as wheel and slewing ring locks or can be flexibly mounted on the trolley as independent units, such as the locking feet. They are comparable to a classic jack and differ in that they take the load off the transport equipment without lifting it. When the locking feet are activated, a contact force of around 600 N is generated between the trolley and the ground. This ensures a secure stand even with heavy loads.

The locking force always remains constant, regardless of the actual load. With a wide range of lifting castors, the company meets the growing mobility requirements of its customers. The lifting castors enable the flexible lifting, moving, positioning and leveling of mobile operating equipment, transport devices and machines. Both locking feet and lifting castors are ideal for applications on smooth and slippery surfaces and ensure safety and stability.