Case Study: How A Retail Chain Improved Efficiency and Safety with Aerial Lifts for Facility Maintenance

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In the fast-paced world of retail, efficiency and safety are top priorities. We know you always hear us talk about safety, but unsafe working environments are COSTLY. They are not only costly to your bottom line, but to employee moral, potential lawsuits, and even equipment quality. In today's article, we want to share a case study of an aerial lift success story broken up into: the challenge, the solution, our implementation, and the results.

When a large retail chain found themselves struggling to manage regular facility maintenance tasks, they knew they needed a solution to improve both productivity and safety for their employees. This case study explores how they overcame those challenges by incorporating aerial lifts into their maintenance operations and saw significant improvements in both time management and worker safety.

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The Challenge: Time-Consuming and Risky Maintenance Practices

The retail chain operates large stores with high ceilings, which posed a unique set of challenges for routine maintenance tasks. These tasks included changing lightbulbs, fixing electrical wiring, repairing HVAC systems, and cleaning hard-to-reach areas like signage and vents. Traditionally, the staff had been using ladders for most of these maintenance activities, which presented several significant issues:

1. Inefficiency:
   Maintenance teams had to constantly reposition ladders for each task, which took up valuable time and caused frequent delays in the work. This meant that even simple jobs, such as changing a lightbulb, would often take much longer than necessary.
2. Safety Risks:
   Working on ladders inherently increases the risk of falls and injuries, particularly when tasks are performed at heights. Employees were often balancing on ladders while using both hands for their work, creating an unsafe situation where even minor missteps could lead to serious accidents.
3. Operational Disruptions:
   The need to conduct regular maintenance during store hours led to disruptions in the shopping experience. Having maintenance personnel on ladders around customers increased the risk of accidents and often meant areas of the store had to be temporarily blocked off, reducing the store’s efficiency and sales potential during peak shopping times.

The company knew it needed a better solution to streamline its maintenance processes and improve the safety of its workers.

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The Solution: Introducing Scissor Lifts for Facility Maintenance

After evaluating the challenges and consulting with our team, the retail chain decided to incorporate scissor lifts into their maintenance operations. Scissor lifts provided a stable, elevated platform for workers to perform maintenance tasks safely and efficiently, with the following key benefits:

1. Increased Efficiency:
   Scissor lifts allowed maintenance personnel to reach high ceilings and perform multiple tasks in one location without having to repeatedly reposition ladders. The wide platform could accommodate both workers and their tools, enabling them to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently. The lift’s mobility also made it easier to navigate between different parts of the store, reducing downtime between tasks.
2. Enhanced Safety:
   The secure platform provided by the scissor lift eliminated the need for workers to balance precariously on ladders. Employees could now stand safely on a stable surface while using both hands to complete their work. This significantly reduced the risk of falls and injuries, creating a safer work environment for the maintenance team.
3. Less Disruption to Store Operations:
   Because the scissor lifts were easy to maneuver and required less time to complete tasks, maintenance could often be done during non-peak hours, minimizing disruption to customers. The lifts also allowed workers to quickly complete tasks and move on, reducing the need to cordon off sections of the store for extended periods of time.

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The Implementation: Training and Adaptation

Introducing scissor lifts into the retail chain’s operations required proper training to ensure that workers could use the equipment safely and effectively. If you are curious to learn more about training and certification requirements, check out our previous blog.

1. Safe Operation:
   Workers were trained on how to properly operate the scissor lifts, including how to control the lift’s movement, positioning, and elevation. Special attention was given to ensuring that employees understood how to secure the lift before beginning work and how to navigate around store fixtures without causing damage.
2. Worksite Safety Protocols:
   While the scissor lifts significantly reduced the risks associated with ladder use, it was still important to ensure that all worksite safety protocols were followed. Workers were trained on maintaining clear communication with the store staff and ensuring that any areas under maintenance were clearly marked to prevent customers from entering the workspace.
3. Maintenance and Upkeep of Equipment:
   To ensure that the scissor lifts remained in good working condition, the maintenance team was trained on routine inspections and basic upkeep of the lifts. This included checking battery levels, ensuring that the platform and guardrails were secure, and verifying that the lift’s controls were functioning correctly.

The transition from ladders to scissor lifts was smooth, and within a few weeks, the maintenance teams were fully comfortable using the new equipment.

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The Results: Improved Efficiency, Safety, and Store Operations

After implementing scissor lifts for facility maintenance, the retail chain saw measurable improvements across several key areas:

1. Up to 30% Reduction in Maintenance Time:
   The ability to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently meant that the company was able to reduce overall maintenance time by up to 30%. Maintenance teams could now cover more ground in less time, and jobs that used to take hours were completed in a fraction of that time.
2. Enhanced Worker Safety and moral:
   By eliminating the need for ladders, the company significantly reduced the risk of falls and other related injuries. The stability and security provided by the scissor lifts created a safer work environment for maintenance personnel, which led to fewer reported injuries, and a boost in employee moral and company culture.
3. Improved Customer Experience:
   With maintenance tasks being completed more efficiently and during non-peak hours, there were fewer disruptions to customers. This allowed the store to maintain full operations during its busiest times, improving the overall shopping experience.
4. Cost Savings:
   Although there was an initial investment in scissor lifts and training, the long-term savings from improved efficiency, reduced downtime, and fewer workplace accidents outweighed the costs and risks. The company reported savings from reduced labor hours and the ability to complete more maintenance tasks without hiring additional staff.

For this retail chain, incorporating scissor lifts into their maintenance operations was a game-changer. The lifts provided a safer, more efficient way to complete essential tasks, and the company saw significant improvements in both worker safety and operational efficiency. By making the switch to aerial lifts, they were able to reduce maintenance times, improve the customer experience, and create a safer working environment for their employees.

If your business faces similar challenges with facility maintenance, consider the benefits that aerial lifts can bring to your operations. Contact us today to learn more about how our equipment rental solutions can help streamline your workflow and improve safety across your organization.

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