Dedicated Loading Solution Provides Peace of Mind for Self-Storage Business
January 9, 2024
A bespoke lightweight mobile platform from Thorworld Industries has enabled self-storage and warehousing provider St. John’s Hall Storage to significantly improve the efficiency of its manual unloading operations, whilst satisfying a range of health and safety requirements.
A significant part of the business’ operations involved the manual unloading of vans and containers which was previously performed without specialised equipment. Following an external review, this was deemed insufficient from a health and safety perspective, so a need for a dedicated manual loading solution was identified.
“We were in a position of having to turn down work due to not having the right equipment,” said Jenny Green, HR & Operations Manager at St. John’s Hall Storage. “This obviously wasn’t an ideal situation and our health and safety advisor suggested that we invest in a mobile loading platform to address this.”
Following this guidance, the company contacted Thorworld, who designed, manufactured and delivered a bespoke Lightweight Mobile Platform through its dealer Darmax.
Designed to be easily transported around a facility and secured to vehicles as needed, the platform comes with a range of features to ensure high levels of safety for St. John’s Hall Storage staff during.
These features include gas spring assisted barriers, self-closing gates and chains hooks and tensioning brackets to secure the platform when loading from either the side or rear of a vehicle.
Due to its lightweight nature, the platform can be moved manually without the need for a forklift or other heavy-duty equipment. The legs are also height-adjustable, allowing for safe and secure docking with a variety of different vehicle sizes.
“Devanning had been a tricky process for us beforehand, so having a dedicated raised platform has been a huge help both from a safety and efficiency perspective,” said Jenny. “The level of support from Thorworld and Darmax was really good and made finding the right solution quite straightforward.”
James Corfield, Director at Darmax commented, “Slips, trips and falls remain one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, particularly when moving in and out of vehicles. By implementing dedicated manual unloading systems, businesses can equip themselves with confidence that they are providing the safest possible working environment for their staff and customers.”
Based in Suffolk and family-owned for over 30 years, St. John’s Hall Storage provides warehousing and self-storage services to both commercial and consumer markets and prides itself on delivering a personal, tailor-made service to its customers.
