A Birmingham-based manufacturing company has upgraded a unique product that was originally designed to help hospital mortuary staff cope with the increasing weight of deceased patients.
Wilmat's Mortuary Stackers have already proved an essential piece of equipment at several hospitals thanks to their ability to move the deceased without compromising their dignity or risking injury to staff. One person can easily lift and move bodies weighing up to 60 stones.
The Dignity 60 is now benefiting from a four-way travel system, offering greater manoeuvrability. The redesigned truck is also easier to store when not in use and ideal for environments where space is at a premium. This has been achieved by fitting special swivelling castors at the end of the support legs, which can change direction through 90 degrees at the touch of a button using electronic actuators.
Teresa Hands, Wilmat managing director, said: "The Dignity range was originally developed with mortuary staff at Manchester Infirmary who found that traditional lifting equipment was struggling to cope as a result of a wider obesity problem in society.
"The refrigerated mortuary shelves used in most hospitals are of a floor-to-ceiling design and so a lot of lifting is required and there is a real risk to people moving the deceased if the equipment is not up to the job. Using a Wilmat Dignity 60 enables staff to reach the highest and lowest shelves, and easily powers the trays into and out of the fridges.
"While the original Dignity 60 solved the problem, its success has enabled us to look at a wider range of applications, including use in community mausoleums.
"In smaller mortuaries space can also be an issue and so the new four-way travel system offers greater manoeuvrability."
This latest feature complements a wealth of other benefits offered by the Dignity range, including an electronic weigh scale, lift heights of up to 2270 mm, and a 380kg capacity.
The success of the product is built on Wilmat's experience of manufacturing bespoke lifting solutions alongside its acclaimed range of pedestrian operated counterbalance trucks. These are used across a wide range of industries, from heavy manufacturing to the healthcare sector.