Written by Paul Montgomery, Marketing Leader at PRAB. Reviewed by Mike Hook, VP of Sales. Published July 22, 2026. Last updated July 22, 2026.

Manual scrap handling is one of the more overlooked safety risks on a manufacturing floor. It is not dramatic the way a machine guarding failure is, but it accumulates: forklift trips across the floor, operators lifting bins, spilled coolant creating slip hazards, all repeated dozens of times per shift.

Where the Risk Actually Comes From

Every manual scrap transfer is an opportunity for something to go wrong: a forklift operator backing into a blind spot, an overloaded bin tipping, an operator straining to move material that should have been automated years ago. None of these incidents show up as a single catastrophic event in most facilities. They show up as a steady stream of minor injuries and near-misses that safety teams spend real time managing.

What Automated Conveying Actually Changes

PRAB conveyor systems automate scrap removal from the point of production through to load-out, removing the manual handling steps that create most of this risk. Facilities running PRAB conveyors have cut forklift scrap transport by up to 80%, directly reducing the accident exposure that comes with repeated forklift trips across a production floor. In one metal stamping plant, installing an in-floor trough conveyor system reduced housekeeping labor by 15 hours per week, freeing that time for production-focused work while also keeping floors clearer of the scrap and spilled coolant that create slip hazards.

Safety Gains Compound With Productivity Gains

The safety case and the productivity case are not separate arguments here, they are the same argument. PRAB conveyor systems have been documented to increase productivity by up to 50% and improve worker safety by up to 25% in the same installations, because the automation that removes manual handling steps is the same automation that keeps production moving without interruption for cleanup or scrap removal.

What This Looks Like in Practice

• Reduced forklift traffic and blind-spot risk near production cells
• Fewer manual lifting tasks tied to bin changes and scrap transfer
• Cleaner floors with fewer slip-and-trip hazards from spilled coolant or scrap
• Freed-up labor previously spent on manual housekeeping

Further Reading

• White Paper: Four Steps for Maximizing Performance and Minimizing Costs
• Technical Brief: Create a Safer Workplace with Scrap and Fluid Management Equipment

Ready to see what an automated conveyor system could do for your floor? Talk with a PRAB expert or explore the full conveyor lineup.

About the Author: Paul Montgomery is the Marketing Leader at PRAB, Inc., bringing more than 20 years of B2B marketing leadership experience, including CMO and VP roles where he drove measurable growth such as 300% year-over-year revenue increase and an 83% reduction in customer acquisition costs. At PRAB, Paul leads SEO/AEO strategy and content development across the company’s metal scrap and fluid recycling equipment lines.