Moving Medical Equipment – Movers & Tips

Moving medical equipment requires particular expertise and specialized shipping techniques and tools to ensure that the sensitive equipment reach its destination in the same condition in which it left its current location. As medical equipment has different sizes and forms, it is sensitive to its environment and it’s expensive, it can be an exhausting project to organize its relocation.

If you are a company looking for a professional company to relocate your equipment safely, you can contact multiple companies from our commercial cost estimate page.

If you consider moving medical equipment, your major task is to find medical equipment movers. Now that might seem as an easy task as there are so many commercial movers out there, but how many are actually capable of organizing and executing such move. When the future of your heavy, sensitive, million-dollar equipment is at stake, you have to do your best to hire professional medical equipment movers to organize the safe transportation of your equipment.

This time I have prepared a plethora of moving medical equipment tips and interesting information. I got it straight from the horse’s mouth.

The specifics of moving medical equipment

Moving labs and medical equipment requires a lot of  planning, patience and competence. Each detail has to be worked out before even the move start. Issues such as contamination and vibration should be taken into consideration.

Alek Klemko’s moving company – Moving Masters, was responsible for moving a microscope at George Washington University. He shared some expert opinion on moving a lab:

“Laboratory moves present unique challenges in that we are tasked to move heavy equipment, such as centrifuges, -80° freezers, balance tables, and at the same time, delicate table top electronics, such as Robots, electron microscopes, spectrophotometers, micro-plate readers, cellimagers, etc. Add to that, large and bulky bio and fume hoods, as well as small and fragile glassware, along with computers. Further, we must keep in mind the value to the scientific equipment. Frequently, the contents of the -80° freezers have specimens inside that cannot lose their temperature, which present a timing issue of how long they can be unplugged and stay frozen.”

The story of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Here is what Chris at Camelback Moving shares regarding moving an MRI:

We would first schedule a walk-through to gather information regarding the placement of the machine in its’ current location (providing it has been previously installed). We would find out at that time if we needed to rig the magnet (tunnel) to remove it from its’ present location and if we had to remove any walls that the facility may have built around it. I have never installed or uninstalled an MRI that didn’t need to be rigged and removed with a crane.  Assuming this is again the case, we would jack it up and place it in a beam sling, roll it to the point of extraction, put it onto an erected platform, secure the sling to the crane rigging, and hoist it to the ground where it would be prepared for loading.

Moving Medical Equipment – Budgeting it right!

Moving medical equipment can be pricey and that shouldn’t be news. We are talking about expensive, sensitive and demanding equipment. Medical equipment requires special conditions to be maintained during the relocation, a lot of moving tools are involved, and last but not least, professional manpower. All this comes at a price.

Alex explains the major factors considered in the moving estimate and how they calculate the cost of moving medical equipment. Move costs begin with determining the volume of what is moving in terms of truckloads. The timing is next, based on the nature of what is moving. If the items are unusual shape and size pieces that are delicate or heavy, such as lab equipment, 1.5 hours per truckload is needed, plus travel and unload. After determining the truckloads and the timing, manpower and cost per man, per hour is added. Stairs, narrow doorways and other such obstacles which prolong the move result in increase in the moving cost.

Typically, a large lab relocation (more than five to six truckloads) requires a crew at origin and a similar crew at destination with drivers ‘round robining’ the trucks.

Usually, clients are asked to tag items that are over $5,000.00 in value, with the approximate value written on the tag. Insurance allows coverage of up to $300,000.00 per truckload at no extra cost. Truck is loaded once value reaches its maximum, regardless of the fact that there might be extra space in the truck. Items valued higher than $300,000.00 result in additional charges, determined by the particular insurance carrier, based on the details of the move.

He who pays the piper calls the tune

When looking for professional medical equipment movers, you should consider even contacting the USDA and the NIH for references. You can’t be to picky when it comes to moving your medical equipment. License check is a must definitely, but you should also check company’s reviews. You should be sure that the potential movers have the competence to perform the relocation of your medical equipment. Do not hesitate to ask movers for references from previous customers. You should make sure that your movers would be able to provide timely and efficiently solutions, and justify all your requirements. Ask for moving quote at least a few companies.

Find a mover that will worth every penny. Spend enough time researching, so you don’t have regrets later. Check out the others commercial moving articles before booking a mover.