According to BLS data, musculoskeletal disorders led to 502,380 days away from work in U.S. private industry in 2021-22 alone, and they consistently account for close to a third of all workers' compensation claims. Packing and shipping roles, where the same hand and wrist motion repeats all day, every day, are exactly the kind of task ergonomics research flags as high risk.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Real Cost of an Overlooked Ergonomics Risk
Musculoskeletal disorders, the category that covers repetitive strain injuries like tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, are among the most expensive workplace injuries to treat. Direct costs per case commonly range from 15,000 to 85,000 dollars, and OSHA estimates workers' compensation medical costs for MSDs specifically at 30,000 to 80,000 dollars per case. NIOSH puts the total annual cost of work-related MSDs as high as 54 billion dollars nationwide.
None of that accounts for the indirect cost: a packer out on restricted duty or leave, a line that runs short-staffed, and a replacement worker who needs training. The average MSD case keeps a worker away from the job for a median of 14 days.
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By The Numbers |
THE RISK
What Makes a tape dispenser an Ergonomics Problem
Sealing a carton with a handheld tape dispenser requires a forceful pinch grip to hold it, a pulling motion through the shoulder and wrist to draw the tape across the box, and another gripping or tearing motion to cut it, repeated for every single carton on the line. Multiply that by a full shift and the same three motions can happen thousands of times.
Ergonomics guidance consistently points to the same three factors as the biggest drivers of injury risk: repetition, force, and awkward posture. A hand held tape dispenser used all day checks every one of those boxes, which is exactly why packing and shipping stations deserve the same ergonomic scrutiny as lifting and material handling tasks.
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The Textbook Risk Factors |
THE FIX
Take the Grip and the Motion Out of the Task
The most direct way to reduce a repetitive strain risk is to remove the repetitive motion, not to ask the packer to do it more carefully. Electric water-activated tape dispensers replace the pull-and-tear motion of a tape dispenser with a single push of a button, and hands-free accessories remove the hand and wrist motion from the task almost entirely.
Better Packages reports that switching from a handheld tape dispenser to an electric dispenser increases packer productivity by up to 21 percent, and it does that without adding any additional physical demand to the task, since the machine handles the measuring, wetting, and cutting that a tape dispenser requires the packer's hands to do manually.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Equipment Built to Take the Strain Out of Packing
Better Pack's electric dispensers are designed to remove the repetitive grip-and-pull motion from carton sealing, Resulting in lowering the packer’s risk of strain related injury.
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Color-coded, one-touch keys dispense a pre-set length of tape with a single push, replacing the repeated pull-and-tear motion of a handheld tape dispenser with a single, low-force action. See the Better Pack 555eSA and 555eLA models. |
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The Tape Aerial accessory attaches to the front of the Better Pack 555eSA to help deliver tape in an upright position for easy handling and placement. It simplifies and speeds up the packaging process when dispensing long lengths of tape. |
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Triggers the dispensing cycle with a foot press instead of a hand motion, keeping both hands free to position the carton and removing the repetitive hand action from the sealing step entirely. Available as a single or dual-pedal accessory. |
VIEW ELECTRIC DISPENSERS AND ACCESSORIES →
BOTTOM LINE
The Safest Packing Station Asks Less of the Packer's Hands
Repetitive strain injuries build up over months and years of the same small motion, which makes them easy to overlook until a claim shows up. Equipment that removes the grip-pull-tear and twist motion from carton sealing addresses the risk at its source, rather than relying on training or awareness alone.
For a task repeated as many times a day as carton sealing, that difference compounds fast, for the packer and for the safety record.
Ready to Take Repetitive Strain Out of Your Packing Line?
Better Packages' electric dispensers, Tape Aerial, and foot pedal accessories are built to reduce the hand and wrist motion behind one of the most overlooked ergonomics risks in the warehouse. The Tape Aerial adds a slight curve to the tape, making it easier for packers to grab and apply.
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Ready to Take Repetitive Strain Out of Your Packing Line? Better Packages' electric dispensers, Tape Aerial, and foot pedal accessories are built to reduce the hand and wrist motion behind one of the most overlooked ergonomics risks in the warehouse. The Tape Aerial adds a slight curve to the tape, making it easier for packers to grab and apply. |
