Using portable roll away bins to transport items around your work site or factory can be convenient, but workers have to remember safety rules if they want to avoid injury. Roll away bins, be they plastic carts with casters or large bins meant to haul large numbers of items, look very easy to use. But that can make people complacent. It's best to review safety rules for using bins like these. 

Push, Don't Pull

If you try to pull these carts behind you, no matter the configuration or shape, you have to twist your arms in such a way that injury to your shoulder is more likely. Even a lightweight cart that doesn't have much in it is a risk because people have a tendency to let these carts drag behind them, instead of trying to pull the cart alongside them. Be sure to push roll away bins instead of pulling them along.

Don't Overload -- Get Help

Big bins invite workers to fill the bins with as much as they can. That can overload the bins and make them distressingly difficult to push. Workers have to remember not to overload bins to the point where they struggle to move the bins around. Alternately, of course, workers can get others to help them. Whichever way the worker decides to go, though, those bins need to be loaded carefully.

Watch Your Feet

If the wheels on the bin are at the outer edge of the bin, rather than a few inches away from the edge, the wheels could catch people's feet as the bin is rolled along. This is possible even if the worker is pushing the bin from behind; sometimes workers can take a step and have their foot land right where the bulge of the wheel is. This can cause the worker to trip. Workers need to watch how close they let their feet get to the bin, and they also need to wear adequate shoes or boots that are not easy to crush.

Workers need to always be aware of their surroundings and not let their guard down just because something like a bin seems harmless at first glance. It's often those harmless items that can cause some of the worst injuries. Look for bins that are stable and that have the wheels set in a few inches from the edge of the bin, and place reminders not to pull or overload the bin. For more safety tips, talk to a company like American Northwest Recycling.