SAFETY

Safety Is Master Manufacturing’s Bottom Line!

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. In our continuing efforts to keep you apprised of important safety issues concerning our products, we have produced a new education flyer. This flyer, titled Accidents Happen, emphasizes caster safety and the hazards worn, damaged, or improper casters can cause.

Don’t Let Incorrect Casters Topple Your Safety Program

Few things are more basic to the workplace than the office chair. And for an office safety program to be effective, few things are more important than chair and caster safety. Caster wheels that are incorrect for the floor surface can pose the risk of serious injury.  Even brand-new chairs can cause problems as they are routinely equipped with hard wheel casters suitable for carpeted floors.  For chairs to roll safely, use hard wheels on carpeted floors, and soft wheels on chair mats and hard floor surfaces.  Many new chairs are equipped with hard wheel casters for use on carpeted surfaces only. Hard wheels skate and slide on hard floor surfaces. Soft wheel casters, which provide traction and prevent sliding, should be used on chair mats and all hard floor surfaces for safe rolling. Protect yourself and your company against rising insurance costs by equipping your office chairs with quality, American-made Master Manufacturing Caster Wheels.

As the industry’s leading supplier of replacement chair casters for over half a century, Master Manufacturing provides the solution for every type of caster safety problem.

Employers cannot afford to neglect any aspect of seating safety. They should never let worn or damaged casters remain in use. Nor should they take caster safety for granted when buying new chairs, which are usually supplied with hard wheel casters. The threat to worker health is too great.  The cost of potential damages is too high.  The recent rise in “chair accident” liability suits makes this clear.

In adapting safety features to new chairs or retrofitting existing chairs, the corporate decision-makers must focus on casters — the truly “pivotal” safety component.  It is the misuse of caster wheels and the use of flawed or worn casters that are the primary source of serious chair accidents. Just as tires must have the proper tread for safe driving performance on dry pavement as well as slick or snow-covered roadways, chair movement depends on wheels that provide appropriate traction on hard and soft surfaces.

Use Soft Wheel Casters on Hard Floors or Chair Mats

Hard floor surfaces require soft wheel casters or the chair will be subject to dangerously rapid movement.  Many new chairs are equipped with hard wheel casters for use on carpeted surfaces only. Hard wheels skate and slide on hard floor surfaces. Soft wheels, which provide traction and prevent sliding, should be used on all chair mats and hard floor surfaces for safe rolling.

When hard wheel casters are used on hard floor surfaces, potential injuries include spinning out of control while the user is seated, or the chair rolling away when the user rises. When the user tries to resume a seat, they may misjudge the seat and fall. In addition, injury due to falling is an obvious risk. Muscle strain is a more insidious problem that can result from constant efforts to keep the chair in place or trying to roll with an improper caster.

Use Hard Wheel Casters on Carpeting

For carpeted surfaces, hard wheel casters are necessary for the chair to glide smoothly across the floor.  If the caster grips the carpeting and the user tugs back and forth to move the chair, it can topple over. Even if this hazard is avoided, such constant exertion can result in strain and injury.

We have ergonomically designed our casters to reduce such risks to worker health and safety.  Built for quality and durability, Master Manufacturing casters are safety essentials.  So, the question is not if you need Master Casters for safety, but which Master Caster you need.  Important Note: For uniform caster wear and balanced, safe rolling, replace all casters at the same time.

There are ten Master Caster models to choose from. All come with a choice of hard or soft wheels and a variety of stem types for compatibility with metal or wooden chairs. Tools and measuring devices for caster installation are also available. Be sure to look for our casters in your favorite online or brick-and-mortar retailers! Contact us for more information.