A Birmingham-based manufacturing company has upgraded a unique product that was originally designed to help hospital mortuary staff to 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, explained: "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

"Whilst 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 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.

As with all Wilmat products, operators of the ‘Dignity 60' benefit from a first class, national after sales service.

Teresa added: "We are sure this latest upgrade to the ‘Dignity' range will bring further success as we continue to rise to the challenge of developing innovative lifting solutions for a diverse range of working environments."