Moving medical equipment is a delicate task. More often then not, health care institutions avoid taking on such a challenge. Just think about having to pack and secure an MRI, then lower it five floors down (God bless elevators!), load it onto a truck, later unload it and set it up once again. Given the difficulty of the task, many people decide that it is easier to hand the task over to someone else to deal with it. This is exactly what hospitals and clinics do. They hire moving professionals from their state, Maryland movers, for example, to do it for them. However, can you do it yourself? Here is what you need to know in order to move medical equipment.
Contemplate the size of the equipment that you need to move
Moving in MRI is a complex task
First things first, make sure that you are aware of the size of items that you need to move. While one piece of medical equipment is going to be large, you will probably need to move more of them. For that purpose, make sure that you have a truck at your disposal that is able to carry them all. We are taking into account the fact that you will probably be moving equipment from one hospital to another one. This means that you will have plenty of parking available to leave your truck while you are unloading it. Therefore, make sure that you have a truck large enough to accommodate all of your machines. It will be so much easier to move them all in one go than moving them one by one. If you do not have one, think about renting a moving truck to do it yourself. Depending on where you are moving from, make sure that you contact movers on time in order to hire them for the dates that you need.
Protect your items
This may be the most important aspect of the move that you need to take care of. Bear in mind that you will be moving equipment that is probably worth thousands of dollars, if not millions. You do not want to damage them during the move. Also, make sure you pack them and prepare them not only for the ride but for the transporting within buildings as well. In order to protect them in the best possible way, follow these tips:
- Use original packing if you still have it. There is no better way to protect the load than putting it back into its original packing.
- For a smaller item, you may use Styrofoam and basic cardboard moving boxes. If you decide to do it this way, you should read the user’s manual before you start the move. There may be reasons why this might not be a good idea. If that is the case, it is going to be written inside of that manual.
- Beware of damaging the items with shock absorbers. If your items have them, you will want to make sure that you secured them in such a way as not to damage them.
Dentists have a lot of tools that require skill to move
Make sure you have the right tools to move medical equipment
Having the right tools of the trade should be one of the things on top of your list. In case that you do not have anything to use to lift such heavy items, you should think about contracting professional movers to take care of the move. While you will need to move medical equipment inside the premises of your institutions, once you reach the parking you will need to load it into the truck. Therefore, make sure that your truck, or the truck that you have rented for this purpose, has a lifting ramp installed. This should allow you to place your heavy load onto it and easily bring it to the storage compartment.
Make sure you have what it takes to move medical equipment
On the other hand, if you are going to be moving items that weigh more than just a few hundred of pounds, you might want to make sure that you have a crane that you can use. Having a crane will enable you to move medical equipment by lifting it onto a truck and lowering the items on it straight from the top. For some of the items, there is no other way to moving them but this one.
To move medical equipment, you should know your budget
This is obviously an option that you go to when you realize that to move medical equipment you need so much stuff that you cannot obtain. In the end, it all comes down to money. When you are preparing to move medical equipment, you need to make sure that you know how much money you can spend on it. This means that you should start planning your move on time. The first step on this road is to make a list of all the items that you need to move. Once you are done with it, decide whether you have the means to move them yourself or you will need professional help. Given the fact that Houston is home to some of the best hospitals in the world, you may contact Texas movers, in case that you are moving to or from here, for more detailed information on the price.
In order to get the best possible price, make sure to contact at least three professional moving companies and ask them for price estimates. Tell them that you have a list of medical equipment that you need to move. Then, make sure that they understand that you need written estimates in order to take them seriously. To move medical equipment is very expensive. Therefore, you will want to make sure that you get the best offer out there. Depending on which state you are moving to, the prices will vary. Still, if you are moving to the South, you may expect to receive slightly lower costs comparing to moving to Washington for example. If you decide to hire a moving company, make sure you read through moving companies reviews.