A Modern Solution to Age-Old Problems

In today’s fast-evolving warehouses and distribution centres, cutting-edge technologies such as AI-assisted robotics and automation are transforming the speed and efficiency of operations. Yet, in the race for technological innovation, it is easy to overlook the essential role that humans must play in these environments.

Skilled workers remain vital, ensuring that operations run smoothly through tasks such as monitoring, quality assurance, and maintaining safety standards. Safetech, a company with a deep history in ergonomic solutions, continues to keep workers’ well-being front and centre.

Now part of Jebsen & Jessen Group, Safetech’s journey began in 1985 with the creation of the Palift, a groundbreaking ergonomic lifting device that helped warehouse workers avoid back injuries by reducing the need for repetitive bending and lifting. As the company celebrates nearly 40 years of industry leadership, it has come full circle with its latest innovation: the Workstation Platform.

Human Centric Design

The new platform was designed to address a familiar challenge—minimising the physical strain workers experience when accessing goods at various heights. Earlier this year, feeling a sense of nostalgia for the Palift, Safetech revisited the principles of ergonomic lifting that first propelled them into the spotlight. Their goal was to create a modern solution to an age-old problem: how to make manual handling tasks safer and more efficient for workers.

The result is a custom-designed Workstation Platform, developed in-house by Safetech’s team of engineers. Currently in use at multiple pick-stations within one of Australia’s largest supermarket distribution centres, the platform allows workers to adjust its height, reducing the need to bend or stretch excessively while retrieving items from conveyor belts. This not only improves productivity but also helps prevent injuries related to repetitive motions and awkward postures.

What sets the Workstation Platform apart is its actuator-raised design, which can be adjusted easily using intuitive onboard controls. Additionally, the platform is fitted with Safetech’s unique non-slip surface, a feature inherited from the company’s renowned Vehicle Lift range, ensuring stability and safety during use.

While Safetech’s standard products continue to enjoy strong demand, it is their custom design services that truly differentiate them in the market. With a deep understanding of both the technological advancements and human factors at play in modern distribution centres, Safetech is committed to creating innovative solutions that enhance both productivity and worker well-being.