Ergotainer

Description

The Ergotainer is a reusable, airtight, burst-resistant product which has been designed to comply with ergonomic lifting standards. It comes in one size with two colour variations – clear with a grey lid and opaque white with a white lid.

The tough, non-porous material of the Ergotainer can hold up to 20kg and has a considerably longer lifespan than traditional sample bags. The rigid sides of the Ergotainer allow it to be filled by one person, thereby reducing time and effort.

This widely-used Australian-made product has reduced the manual handling risks associated with the sampling, transport and preparation of construction materials testing samples.

Why change?

The need to improve manual handling practices within laboratories has been brought into sharp focus due to the increased incidence and cost of injuries.

A review of work practices and processes by occupational health professionals specialising in work injury management, identified the filling, lifting, carrying and storing of sample bags as a major contributor to injury in this high-risk area.

While mechanical aids, such as electric lift trolleys and carts, have been introduced into laboratories to reduce the amount of manual effort involved in material movement, the underlying cause of most injuries is related to the use of sample bags.

Addressing manual handling related injuries has become a high priority for management and staff due to:

Staff injury and disability;
Loss of income;
Increased insurance premiums;
Lost time and productivity; and
Common law claims.

Research and Development

The development of the Ergotainer is a great example of the construction materials testing industry identifying a priority need and working together to achieve a successful outcome. An international search, including product testing, failed to find a container that met the agreed specification.

With strong industry backing, it was decided to design and manufacture a suitable container in Australia. Field and laboratory trials proved that the concept was sound.

The concept container was found to have superior handling and filling characteristics when compared to a sample bag. In addition, the better stacking and storage ability substantially reduced storage space demands.

Features

The Ergotainer improves on sample bags through the following features:

A design that facilitates two-handed lifting and carrying as well as limiting sample masses to 20kg.
Greater container stability allowing two-handed filling.
A standardised container allowing the modification of sample preparation and testing equipment for a common receptacle throughout a laboratory.
Improved work flows and practices, reducing double handling and the need for a range of sample container types.
Airtight lids providing moisture retention and being less prone to spillage.
Being available as either translucent (allowing materials to be more easily identified) or all white containers (for greater durability).
Being available as either translucent (allowing materials to be more easily identified) or all white containers (for greater durability).
Manufactured from UV stabilised, burst resistant and recyclable materials.
Heat and solvent resistant to 65–70oC and can be easily cleaned to remove contaminants and sample numbers.
Containers are more stable for transport and stacking. The containers can be stacked up to two high in a regular prism shape when filled, doubling storage capacity.

The Ergotainer improves on traditional round buckets through the following features:

Providing an opening wide enough for a shovel head to pass through.
A design that facilitates two-handed lifting and carrying as well as limiting sample masses to 20kg.
Being strong enough to prevent damage to the container lip from shovels.
More efficient storage for transporting samples.