Kärcher works towards eliminating repetitive strain injury
Health and Safety at Work Statistics for Great Britain in 2018 revealed that 469,000 workers suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders, with the industries most affected including agriculture, construction and transportation. Further to this, 6.8 million working days were lost in 2018 due to work-related ill health, with 25% of those specifically related to musculoskeletal disorders. Repetitive strain on hand muscles while using machinery has become a real problem for manual workers and companies whose productivity is reduced when their workforce is affected by these injuries.
Kärcher says it has consistently implemented advancements across its range of Professional pressure washers to enable an efficient, fatigue-free user experience. The trigger gun is said to be the most important interface between man and machine, making it an excellent starting point for effective innovation. A traditional design, where the trigger sits at the front of the handle, requires a strong and continual pulling force from the fingers which can quickly cause muscle fatigue.
Kärcher has combatted this with the patented EASY!Force Trigger Gun which is the only one of its kind that is located at the back of the handle. The recoil force of the water jet automatically presses the trigger into the palm, contributing to stress-free and effortless use. In addition to this novel design, the activation lever is pressed only once to start the pressure washer, meaning that hardly any holding force is required for continual use, relieving the strain on the fingers, hand and arm muscles by a considerable degree. The reduced force required to operate the EASY!Force Trigger Gun is said to prevent muscle cramps, allowing for longer operating periods and greater efficiency in the workplace.
The new EASY!Force Trigger Gun design is the result of over two years of practical testing by Kärcher customers and a DLG Test Report, which focused on the physical effects from practical use of a pressure washer on farms. The results of these tests confirmed that users were ‘less strained’ after using EASY!Force in comparison to traditional models, with those tested exhibiting a 58.3%* increase in relief on the fingers. The introduction of this new design showcases Kärcher’s investment into innovation to improve user experience and health in the workplace.
The EASY!Force Trigger Gun is available across all Kärcher hot and cold Professional pressure washers**, allowing users the freedom to master any high-pressured task in comfort and with effortless control. This innovative trigger gun provides full power with zero force, letting the water do the work, and helping to prevent the user from developing work-related RSI.
*In comparison to traditional formats. Stats taken from DLG Test Repot 6772.
**The EASY!Force Trigger Gun is now standard across all Kärcher hot and cold water pressure washers with a maximum pressure of up to 300 bar pressure.
