Two UK companies have been honoured for their innovative workplace safety designs that reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in their operations.
Ainscough Crane Hire has won the MSD Risk Reduction through Design Award 2024/25, while UPM Raflatac Ltd has received the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Recognition Award. Both awards, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), were presented at CIEHF’s annual awards ceremony on 28 April 2025.
Ainscough Crane Hire developed a specialised brake and hub assembly tool set that eliminates the need for workers to manually handle heavy components weighing up to 52kg during crane maintenance. Previously, plant fitters had to adopt awkward postures in restricted spaces beneath crane wheel arches, placing significant stress on their lower backs.
“Taking the strain out of crane maintenance has been a priority for us,” said an Ainscough Crane Hire spokesperson.
“Our maintenance and engineering colleagues collaborated to design a solution that eliminates the need to handle brake and hub assembly components.”
A worker at Ainscough Crane Hire added: “The new tools mean brake inspections are much easier to carry out. There is no need to lift the heavy drums by hand, which previously took two people.”
UPM Raflatac Ltd, based in Scarborough, created an ingenious trolley system for handling heavy paper reels weighing between 20kg and 90kg. The solution was proposed by a worker to eliminate manual lifting and stacking of offcut reels.
“Our solution was truly collaborative,” said a UPM Raflatac spokesperson. “A worker proposed an initial idea, and our in-house production and engineering departments worked together to design a solution that would transform our handling processes.”
Chris Quarrie, Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors specialist and chair of this year’s judging panel, said: “We applaud both Ainscough Crane Hire and UPM Raflatac for their contributions towards reducing workplace MSD risks to their workers. These awards demonstrate how MSD risks can be designed out of daily work activities.”
Iris Mynott from CIEHF added: “Through these recognitions, we highlight the impactful contributions of businesses in advancing workplace safety. Congratulations to our winners and all the entrants for their dedication to ergonomic improvements.”
For further details on the winners and their innovative designs, visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/msd-awards.htm
Further information:
- For more information on the award winners visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/msd-awards.htm.
- More information about Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) can be found here: https://ergonomics.org.uk/.
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
- HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk.