Easycrate Safe Lifting Tips

Injury through improper lifting of heavy objects is very common and leaves people in serious and long lasting pain -but it is avoidable. Do not fall victim to common back injury by taking note of these simple tips when lifting your crates:

 

1) Think before you lift 
Plan the lift. Where is the load going to be placed? Use appropriate handling aids where possible. Will help be needed with the load? Remove obstructions. For long lifts, such as from floor to shoulder height, consider resting the load mid-way to change your grip.

2) Keep the load close to the waist
Keep the load close to the waist for as long as possible while lifting. The distance of the load from the spine at waist height is an important factor in the overall load on the spine and back muscles. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body.

3) Adopt a stable position
Your feet should be apart with one leg slightly forward to maintain balance (alongside the load if it's on the ground). Be prepared to move your feet during the lift in order to maintain a stable posture. Avoid wearing over-tight clothing or unsuitable footwear, such as heels or flip flops.

4) Ensure a good hold on the load
Where possible, hug the load close to the body. This may be a better option than gripping it tightly with the hands only.

5) Don't bend your back
A slight bending of the back, hips and knees at the start of the lift is preferable to either fully flexing the back (stooping) or fully flexing the hips and knees – in other words, fully squatting.

6) Don’t flex the back any further while lifting 
This can happen if the legs begin to straighten before starting to raise the load.

7) Don't twist
Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways especially while the back is bent. Keep your shoulders level and facing the same direction as the hips. Turning by moving your feet is better than twisting and lifting at the same time.

8) Keep your head up 
Keep your head up when handling the load. Look ahead, not down at the load once it has been held securely.

9) Move smoothly 
Don't jerk or snatch the load as this can make it harder to keep control and can increase the risk of injury.

10) Know your limits 
Don't lift or handle more than you can easily manage. There's a difference between what people can lift and what they can safely lift. If you're in doubt, seek advice or get help.

11) Lower down, and then adjust 
Put the load down and then adjust. If you need to position the load precisely, put it down first, and then slide it into the desired position.

So when packing and moving your crates, remember these handy tips to ensure you stay safe and healthy. Visit our website to view our range of useful crates or for more information about hiring our crates please get in contact. 

Crazy Crates!

We pride ourselves here at Easycrate on providing durable, reusable and eco friendly plastic crates that are suitable for a myriad of uses. 

Some of our clients in China hired our crates out and used them as wine coolers for an event... this made us think what else you could use our plastic crates for!?

So just for fun we've come up with a few ideas; crate furniture, crate lighting, crate art! Maybe even as make shift toys such a go karts!

Can you think of any other wacky uses for our plastic crates?

To find out more about our plastic crates please view our website or get in contact today. 

Take back control - Storage solutions for the masses

Hong Kong property prices are at an all time high and in this crowded environment where square footage is one of the most expensive in the world it becomes vital to make the most of the space you have – in Hong Kong more than half of private dwellings now measure less than a meagre 538 square feet! But don’t worry; this is where Easy Crate can help providing storage solutions for the masses.

 

Our computer Lidded Crates are ideal to store away any unused computers that are just taking up precious space. Being more durable than simple cardboard boxes, you can rest assured that your computer will be safe and sound till such a time when you have the space to bring it back to life.

Or why not utilise our large metre lidded crate, perfect for moving and storing a wide range of office and home equipment – the possibilities are endless.

To find out more about our excellent crates, boxes and packaging solutions please click here.

Put The Green Foot Forward

There is a common misconception that plastic crates are worse for the environment than cardboard, even though they are much more reusable and also recyclable. Plastic crates are stronger and consequently more efficient than cardboard and outlast their flimsy counterparts by at least 50 times. They can withstand harsh weather and constant handling. This means that they can be re-used over and over again, which not only causes less landfill and less deforestation, but also reduces disposal costs for you or your company.  Furthermore plastic can be recycled for a much wider range of uses in comparison to cardboard, from medicine to food to industrial purposes.

There are some negative plastics such as PVC which can be detrimental to your health and the environment. However our plastic crates are made out of the best PVC alternative, polypropylene. Our PP plastic crates are classified under Returnable Transit Packaging Solutions. This means that by hiring plastic crates businesses can take advantage of significant cost savings whilst simultaneously adhering to legislative requirements such as the Packaging Waste Directive.

Here at EasyCrate, we are dedicated to the environment and reducing our carbon footprint, so contact us today and join us on our green journey, using our planet-friendly plastic crates.

Suitable Storage for Christmas Decorations

OK so it might not actually be twelfth night yet which is traditionally the time to take down the Christmas decorations but as most people put their Christmas trees and other decorations up very early these days, most are gone by New Year’s day. So where are you planning on storing your Christmas decorations until next year? In a slightly ripped cardboard box in the attic where they will gather dust? In a bin bag shoved into the corner of the garage? Well might we recommend something a little safer and more protective…put your Christmas decorations into a reusable plastic crate which are available to either rent or buy from us here at Easycrate.

We offer a range of different plastic crates so you’re sure to find one that’s the right size for all your ornaments, baubles and other bits and pieces. We can even provide packing materials such as bubble wrap too should you need it and not to mention labels which will help you keep everything organised to make your life easier next Christmas.

To book your crate hire, you can use our online ordering system. Alternatively contact us for a quote.

5 Ways Easycrate Can Make Expos Easier

The coming months are due to see numerous expositions in all different shapes and sizes, but whatever the exposition, and the product or service you are providing, there always remains one universal issue how to get your product, and materials to and from the site of the show. 

The majority of people attending an expo will not only have their product to transport, but will also have marketing materials such as leaflets, posters and freebies, along with technical support such as computers, hand held tablets and overhead projectors that need to be transported to and from the expositions as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

For many companies who’s business activities rarely occur in such a scale or format outside of their office premises this can create a logistical nightmare. 

With numerous items of varying sizes and types, choosing the correct vehicle for the task may not be the only issue faced, in fact choosing the right way to transport the items can be equally crucial. The obvious choice for many would be cardboard boxes; but as these key points explain renting plastic crates can provide many benefits than cardboard boxes cannot. 

Durability and Flexibility: Our crates range from long meter crates to deep computer crates and we offer an array of additional items to help make them as user friendly as possible. There reinforced plastic design also means they can carry far heavier weights than cardboard boxes and are not compromised when wet. 

Security and Tracking: Particularly when at large events, it’s incredibly easy to lose track of boxes and their contents, which, when attending an expo a long way from your place of operation can be a disaster. For this reason we can provide numbered security seals to keep your crates contents protected and labels for you to list and keep track of the items inside. 

Cost Reduction: Although crates are more expensive to buy, they are incredibly cheap to rent, costing as little as a few pence a day. This is far cheaper than a single use cardboard box.

Time Saving: Due to their clever design and high manoeuvrability, our plastic crates are much faster to pack and transport than cardboard boxes. They can easily fit into a car, or be stacked in a van or lorry. We can also provide rubber topped skates or trolleys to help move the crates easily around the site. This is especially true when packing and unpacking computer hardware crucial into our specially designed computer crates that many companies often rely heavily on at expos. Check out this video to see just how fast our crates are to pack. 

Environment Awareness: Our crates are made from recycled materials and will be reused many times in their lifetime, before being recycled once again at the end of their lifecycle. This Reusable Transit Packaging (RTP) solution is much more cost effective than alternative options and also improves companies green credentials.

Most importantly, we can deliver and pick up the crates when and where you want! This means that you won’t have the hassle of finding somewhere to store the crates when not in use.

As a Country which is consistently at the forefront of technological advances replacing the single use cardboard box with plastic crates, something which is commonplace with facilities managers in the West, is the next logical step for Hong Kong. 

If you would like any further information on our plastic crate hire options please feel free to contact us and a member of our team would be happy to answer all of your questions.

Making It Personal

At EasyCrate H.K. we don’t just offer crate hire, we also sell plastic crates too. Our reusable plastic crates have been specially designed to make them suitable for a wide range of uses from moving offices to transporting items securely, to safely housing things whilst in storage. Our most popular crates are the Standard Lidded Crate and the Metre Lidded Crate, but we have a wide range of other crates available to buy too.

Our crates can be placed inside each other when not in use, ideal for space saving, whilst when full the crates can be stacked on top of one another. Thanks to their durable design, they won’t crush the contents of the crates at the bottom either. Fully watertight and with integrated lids, the possibilities of using our crates are endless.

Plus you can now make your crates personal by adding your company name or logo to the sides too. If you are interested in this service, please contact us for further information.