Burnout<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 staff members who are wiped out by noon aren\u2019t performing at peak levels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPretty cool reasons to invest in good equipment, right?<\/p>\n
Picking The Right Furniture Dolly For Your School<\/h2>\n
Different jobs require different dollies. Use the wrong one and you\u2019ll suddenly find yourself with smashed supplies littering the hallway.<\/p>\n
Here are the main types you\u2019ll come across:<\/p>\n
Standard 4-Wheel Furniture Dollies<\/h3>\n
These are your workhorses. A flat platform with 4 swivel casters that are rated from 600-1,000lbs.<\/p>\n
Best for:<\/strong> Filing cabinets, stacks of boxes full of textbooks, bulky furniture, and AV equipment.<\/p>\nAppliance\/Hand Trucks<\/h3>\n
The classic upright \u201cL-shaped\u201d dolly with two wheels and a tilting design.<\/p>\n
Best for:<\/strong> Boxes of paper, stacked supply crates, vending machine supplies, or anything you need to roll up a single step or curb.<\/p>\nConvertible Dollies<\/h3>\n
Convertible dolly units transform from an upright hand truck to a flat 4-wheel rolling platform. Ideal for schools transporting any type of supplies.<\/p>\n
Best for:<\/strong> Schools with limited storage space that need one tool for multiple jobs.<\/p>\nPlatform Trucks<\/h3>\n
Bigger than a furniture dolly, with handles. They can usually carry 1,000+ pounds.<\/p>\n
Best for:<\/strong> Large deliveries, multiple boxes at once, and end-of-year classroom moves.<\/p>\nWhen you\u2019re choosing, pay attention to:<\/p>\n
\n- Weight capacity<\/strong> \u2014 always choose a dolly with a rating that exceeds your maximum expected load by at least 25%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Wheel material<\/strong> \u2014 rubber wheels for indoor school floors, polyurethane for mixed surfaces<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Deck size<\/strong> \u2014 bigger isn\u2019t always better, especially in narrow hallways<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Brake locks<\/strong> \u2014 essential on inclines and ramps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
7 Best Practices For Moving School Supplies Safely<\/h2>\n
You now have the appropriate dolly, let\u2019s talk about how to use it properly. These tips have been learned from years of schlepping supplies in actual school settings.<\/p>\n
1. Plan Your Route First<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s simple, but most people don\u2019t take this tip. Do a practice run with an empty dolly.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re checking for:<\/p>\n
\n- Closed doors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Steps or ramps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Wet floors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Tight corners<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Students in the hallway<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Take 30 seconds to look ahead and you won\u2019t have to awkwardly backtrack while lugging 200 pounds of books.<\/p>\n
2. Load Heavy Items At The Bottom<\/h3>\n
Physics 101: keep your centre of gravity low and your load won\u2019t topple.<\/p>\n
Begin with the heaviest boxes on the bottom. Stack upward with lighter boxes. Do not place a heavy box on top of a lighter box.<\/p>\n
3. Don\u2019t Overload (Even If The Dolly Can Handle It)<\/h3>\n
Because your dolly is rated to carry 1,000 pounds doesn\u2019t mean YOU should be pushing 1,000 pounds.<\/p>\n
The taller your stack, the harder it is to:<\/p>\n
\n- See where you\u2019re going<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Control the dolly around corners<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Stop quickly if a student walks out of a classroom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A good rule of thumb: stack no higher than chest level.<\/p>\n
4. Push, Don\u2019t Pull<\/h3>\n
Never pull the dolly. Pushing allows you to keep your back straight and have more control.<\/p>\n
Pushing allows you to use your body weight to your advantage, have clear sightlines, and stop quicker.<\/p>\n
5. Use Two People For Awkward Loads<\/h3>\n
Large pieces that extend beyond the platform of the dolly, such as folding tables, large AV trays, etc. should be operated by 2 people. One person should steer from the front, and one person should push from behind.<\/p>\n
This is important because manual materials handling is the principal source of compensable injuries in the American work force, and 4 out of 5 of these injuries will affect the lower back. By using two person teams you can cut that risk by 50%.<\/p>\n
6. Secure The Load With Straps<\/h3>\n
Flexible bungee cords or stretchy moving straps are free or nearly free and prevent your supplies from shifting mid-move. Particularly useful for:<\/p>\n
\n- Anything with rounded edges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Stacks of loose books<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Boxes without lids<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Lab equipment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
7. Take Corners Slow<\/h3>\n
Sidewalks and furniture tip dollies on tight corners. Walk through corners slowly, cut wide and keep hands on the dolly grips.<\/p>\n
Common Mistakes That Damage Supplies (And Backs)<\/h2>\n
Even with the nicest dolly in the world, mistakes can still happen during the move. These are some of the most common mistakes seen in schools:<\/p>\n
Mistake #1: Skipping the dolly for \u201cquick\u201d trips<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s human nature to want to walk a box across the hall rather than get the dolly. Resist that urge. Most injuries occur during \u201cthis one little speedy trip\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mistake #2: Using the wrong dolly for the surface<\/strong><\/p>\nHard plastic wheels on tile = you will wake up the school. Soft rubber wheels on carpet = twice the pushing. Pick your wheel for your surface.<\/p>\n
Mistake #3: Ignoring weight limits<\/strong><\/p>\nThis all ties back to choosing the proper dolly. If you overload your dollies you cause wear and tear on the dolly AND put yourself at risk for injury. Double-whammy.<\/p>\n
Mistake #4: Not maintaining the wheels<\/strong><\/p>\nDolly wheels pick up hair, string, dust and debris off of school floors. Each month take the dolly wheels off and clean them by flipping the dolly over. A jammed wheel can become a tipped load in seconds flat.<\/p>\n
Mistake #5: Storing supplies on the dolly<\/strong><\/p>\nDollies are used to move items, not store them. Leaving heavy equipment on a dolly for extended periods damages the casters and creates a trip hazard.<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n
Moving school supplies safely is pretty simple. With the proper equipment and some good habits you can.<\/p>\n
To quickly recap:<\/p>\n
\n- Pick the right type of dolly for the job<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Plan your route before you load up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Load heavy items low and don\u2019t overstack<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Push, don\u2019t pull, and take corners slowly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Use two people for awkward loads<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Strap down everything that could slide<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Maintain your wheels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Your investment in a few good dollies will be returned to you the first time you prevent a workers comp claim. Not to mention your employees will thank you every day that they don\u2019t have to lift a box.<\/p>\n
Now go grab that dolly and get those supplies moving \u2014 the right way!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Packing school supplies improperly is one of the quickest ways to ruin your back, destroy a box of textbooks, or waste an entire day of prep. Schools receive endless deliveries of goods. Boxes of textbooks, cartons of chairs, art materials, gym equipment, lunchroom deliveries. You name it. And the vast majority of it is moved […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50381,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-50380","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technologies"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50380\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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