Transportation of cargo is crucial for the functioning of our society. In order to reach end customers road transportation with truck is required. Heavy road transportation has increased. More than half of all truck drivers work with customer deliveries. These drivers can have up to 50 stops per day. The goods can weigh more than 1000 kg. The handling is done manually with a pallet truck. The varying context makes the work particularly heavy for the driver. Loading and unloading is the most dangerous work a truck driver performs. The arms, back and legs are most vulnerable in this stressful job, according to "Löntagaren" nr 4/2006. The goal of the project was to design a new product which can replace the pallet truck in order to improve the safety and ergonomics.

Statistics of occupational injuries show that bricklayers are among the most exposed, with heavy lifting by far the most common cause of long-term sick leave. Prefabricated brick beams create yet another risk of injuries that can be prevented by auxiliary equipment or alternative solutions. From articles, interviews with masons and from a survey carried out in conjunction with this report, it appears that there are frequently difficulties in the use of available means for lifting and handling. Previous studies on the subject of transverse reinforcement in masonry beams indicate a viable method for bridging large openings in masonry walls. This bachelor thesis delves into whether the idea could be realized in today's brick construction with a view to improving occupational health and safety. Within the project a method, applicable in today's manufacturing of pre-stressed brick beams enabling mounting of vertical reinforcement, was developed and tested.