Rotacaster Wheel Limited has won a 2009 NSW WorkCover Safe Work Award for a self supporting hand trolley invented for use in a range of different industries. Called the “Rotatruck”, the trolley took out the Best Solution to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue category, judged on how an innovation can be implemented to reduce an identified occupational health and safety risk.
The ergonomic design of the Rotatruck self supporting hand trolley assists in reducing injuries specifically by:
- The self supporting hand trolley alleviates the need to reverse over kerbs and obstructions, allowing the operator to lever rather than lift loads;
- Keeping operator hands free for handling doors and performing associated tasks;
- The self supporting hand trolley reduces the strain required to move from the loading to the transporting position; and
- The self supporting hand trolley allows the operator to move directly sideways or rotate on the spot in confined spaces.
Managing Director Peter McKinnon said winning the award was a great honour. “We were up against a field of some really innovative entries,” he said.
“It's exciting for Rotocaster that our product is receiving global interest for its huge potential to not only minimise the risk of injury, but also have a positive impact on productivity.”
Mr McKinnon invented the Rotatruck self supporting hand trolley after identifying a number of safety issues associated with conventional trolleys used in the building, manufacturing, retail and delivery/transport industries. “Conventional trolleys require the operator to place their body under a lot of strain which increases the risk of injury,” Mr McKinnon said. “Rotatruck’s self-supporting feature and multidirectional wheels remove the need for operators to carry or balance any weight. This makes the trolley much easier to manoeuvre without placing unnecessary strain on the body."
Rotacaster has been recognised previously for its innovative inventions, with its original Rotacaster wheel winning an episode on the popular ABC television program, The New Inventors in 2008.