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Yea or Nay? A Step-On Dustpan

Ergonomic improvement, or pointless?

By Rain Noe - January 22

in Human Factors

Cleaning products company Libman makes this ergonomically-alternative Step-On Dustpan:

The idea is that you step on the rear part of the dustpan to hold it in place, rather than bending down to secure it with your hand, as you fill it. However, you've still got to bend down to pick the thing up. So I guess it's designed for people who can only bend over for short stretches?

Those long-handled lobby-style dustpans seem a better ergonomic choice for those with lower back issues, so I'm not sure why this step-on variant exists. It's also $40, which seems a bit pricey to me for a dustpan, particularly since a lobby dustpan can be had for half of that, and is more versatile, allowing you to carry it without bending over.

Is there an ideal use case for the step-on that you can picture?

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Ale C.

10 months ago

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This seems like something made first, then looked to for uses second.

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Kyle Lamson

9 months ago

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Looks like they had a complaint with an existing dustpan so added the feature of a foot hold, instead of thinking about the actual problem and a better solution. "We can adda feature to this dustpan and charge more $ for it"...

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Dee An

10 months ago

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There are health benefits to not placing your face next to the dust that you are sweeping.

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Scott Urban

10 months ago

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I suppose it would allow you to sweep with two hands while holding the dustpan, though I'd be a little concerned that the front lip might not be making good contact. $40 is pricey, though.

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