Protect Pallet Trucks From Adverse Conditions With Consistent Maintenance Procedures in Winter Months

Whether being operated indoors or out, cold, wet and adverse weather has the potential to affect all pallet trucks used within the workplace. The extreme temperatures have implications for logistics equipment as well as floors and storage facilities. Strain reduces the reliability of key components of many trucks, such as batteries, tyres or any fluids used to aid their functionality, and any damage caused to these trucks can mean dipping into vital funds or budgets to provide replacements. It is essential to adequately and consistently maintain materials handling equipment in the winter months and after conditions such as the recent bouts of snowfall, or face potentially faulty equipment and a temporarily decreased level of productivity.

One of the first ways in which to stop the winter months from wreaking havoc on hand pallet trucks and automated lifting devices is to implement a thorough daily check routine. There may already be a regular check system in place, but making additions or altering them for the colder months can be beneficial. Checking the overall condition of the pump truck is paramount; this includes any lights, brakes, fluids or other controls that may affect the performance of the apparatus. These checks can help to catch any damage early so that it can be repaired accordingly. Check sheets are often available online or through the manufacturer.

Visibility is another important way to ensure trucks remain in good condition over winter. Whether it is supplying all employees with high-visibility garments or using extra internal and external lighting in winter in and around  loading bays and nearby buildings, high visibility can go a long way to creating a measurably safer working environment. Darker mornings and evenings can often mean more hours working in limited visibility so taking measures to avoid working in dim lighting reduces crashes, mistakes and other accidental damage to hand pallet trucks, forklifts, high lift pallet trucks and other everyday equipment. Similarly, if delivery lorries are in operation in limited visibility, dark nights and winter mornings, it is important to verify that their reverse beepers and horns are in good working order before undertaking any sort of task.

Many workplaces make use of both inside and outside areas as part of their everyday working processes; in the wet winter months, this can cause trucks and employees to bring a lot of the wet weather indoors on their feet, clothes or on their wheels. Placing the appropriate mats at entrances and exits, and ensuring that any slippery or wet areas are covered with noticeable signage can prevent accidents which can harm employees, ruin cargo and damage trucks and other equipment.

To find out more about pallet trucks and buy online, visit http://www.midlandpallettrucks.com or Tel: 01384 841440.

Protect Staff and Businesses With Appropriate Safety Measures

In the age of endless personal injury advertisements and compensation claims for the most blameless of accidents, it is vital that business protect both themselves and their staff by ensuring their safety when operating dangerous and heavy machinery. In certain industries, using this type of equipment is a daily process and a part of their everyday working remit, so it is crucial that each business takes precautions for the universal benefit of their staff. One of the most common methods used to increase safety for employees working with pallet trucks is to fit them with hand brakes, or purchase specific models with a brake installed. Midland Pallet Trucks, a leading supplier of lifting solutions and heavy-duty workplace equipment understands that many workplaces which rely on transporting heavy or cumbersome goods from one area to another on pallets and trucks, and they recommend that each employer ensures a percentage of their truck fleet is fitted with a brake.

Midland Pallet Trucks has the choice of two pallet trucks which come pre-fitted with a brake. The AC25HB Hand Pallet Truck with Brake has forks of 1150mm x 540mm and is specially designed to lift many different sizes of pallets which are currently in use across the continent. The truck itself, like all of the other trucks in the Midland Pallet Trucks’ range, is made from hardwearing steel and is coated in epoxy powder in order to protect against corrosion and deterioration of the efficiency and safety of the truck. The actual brake mechanism is controlled by hand so that the operator has easy access to their security controls, and the truck requires no special qualifications or training courses to operate, meaning it can be integrated quickly and seamlessly into a warehouse, factory or distribution centre.

The BFB2500A Hand Pallet Truck is the other truck fitted with a brake system available from Midland Pallet Trucks, and is used for lifting much higher loads. The maximum capacity of the forks is 2.5 tonnes; transporting loads this heavy without the added control offered by a brake can be a recipe for disaster in workplaces. The truck itself is easy to manoeuvre thanks to its 210 degree turning radius, and a fitted lowering valve adds an extra element of manipulation for the operator, who can control the rate of descent when the truck is loaded.

As well as traditional brakes fitted to trucks, pallet truck chocks are a vital piece of equipment to have around the workplace. They secure empty pallet trucks in place when they are being loaded or unloaded, in order to prevent them from rolling off loading bays. Though not specifically a brake, these chocks help to hold the truck in position and prevent unnecessary accidents which could injure staff, cause costly damage or ruin stock.

To find out more about pallet trucks and buy online, visit http://www.midlandpallettrucks.com or Tel: 01384 841440.

Vital Equipment For All Industries

Pallet trucks and all of their many variants are relied upon to a huge degree across a great number of different industries, all with exacting demands and requirements of their equipment. Different workplaces will see emphasis placed on a different area of productivity, whether the aim is to mass produce, distribute, collate or assemble; these various requirements are reflected in each industry’s choice of pallet truck or manual lifting equipment. A company whose main aim is to distribute goods to the wider public or to other businesses will need to be able to lift and transport large volumes of cargo in a reliable and safe manner, while the businesses whose primary concern is the intricacy of medicine or chemicals will need to ensure their equipment is sterile and hygienic. Each company has their prime piece of apparatus; this guide examines the main requirements for three of the largest industries.

Warehousing

The warehousing industry is preoccupied primarily with storage, and being able to hold large volumes of goods within the building. Shelving units scraping ceilings and long, narrow aisles help to maximise space in such workplaces, but employees often require mechanical help in order to access orders. Manual stacker trucks can lift cargo and pick orders from heights up to 3m, making them an integral cog in the machine of the warehouse industry. 1000kg lift capacities are standard with these trucks, meaning that elevating extremely heavy loads is made simpler and faster for all those involved. Without these trucks, warehouses would be condemned to use small shelving unit and would be unable to maximise not only space, but also profit.

Pharmaceutical / Medical

In the intricate and elaborate process of crafting chemicals which go into cleaning fluids, cosmetic product and even life-saving medicines, one of the most important qualities a truck can have is the ability to withstand harsh environments. Galvanized or stainless steel pallet trucks are often used in this industry due to their capacity to endure exposure to chemicals, not only from spillages but from the extensive sterilisation process they must undergo on a regular basis. When working with chemicals and other substances which could potentially interact with one another if mixed, it is important for the workplace to be entirely sterile; a reaction between two compounds could cause adverse results and cause loss of products, loss of earnings and the endangerment of employees.

Engineering / Construction

Working in the construction industry often requires equipment which can lift and transport oddly shaped items which are not necessarily palletised. Fork extensions can often assist with this type of task when fitted to an existing fork lift truck.

To find out more about pallet trucks and buy online, visit http://www.midlandpallettrucks.com or Tel: 01384 841440.

Safe Work At Height With Aerial Work Platforms

A 34-year-old man from Colchester has been seriously injured after using a makeshift aerial work platform in order to replace a light fitting. The incident occurred at Adhere Industrial Tapes in Colchester a year ago, and the injured man is still undergoing physiotherapy and using crutches, faced with the prospect that he may never work again after suffering multiple fractures to his skull, leg, back and wrist. The man, who has not been named, was standing on a cobbled-together aerial work platform which had been created by placing a metal cage on top of a wooden pallet, before being lifted by another truck. As he began to carry out maintenance on a light fixture, the cage fell from the truck’s forks and the man fell a total of seven metres to the ground.

It was ruled by Colchester Magistrate’s Court last week that the company involved had failed to ensure that right procedures and equipment were in place to carry out work at height. The work that the man carried out was not properly planned, nor was it appropriately supervised. The company involved was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after it was revealed that none of the company’s drivers had been trained in lifting persons, nor were the essential safeguarding standards adhered to. Restraint harnesses were overlooked and there was no means to secure the cage to the forks of the truck. The work was inherently dangerous and did not conform with the health and safety standards laid down by the government; the man should have been using a verified, safe and secure aerial work platform for the job, which would have surely prevented his injury and saved his career.

Aerial work platforms offer a safe and economical solution for one person to work at height, and features such as their emergency down and stop buttons, levelling indicators and the closed-in nature of the platform help to ensure an employee’s safety when using one. They are most popularly used in hospitals, schools, warehouses and other areas where carrying out maintenance at height is often required. Most aerial work platforms are supplied with integrated chargers and built-in battery indicators, and are considered to be much more versatile than static mobile towers, as their heights can be adjusted with just the touch of a button. This also contributes to safety regulations, as should employees experience a problem whilst working at height, it is a simple process to return them to the ground.

It is vital for all companies to ensure that safe systems of work are in place to protect their workforce, and it is also the company’s responsibility to provide the correct equipment for all tasks which need to be carried out. If there is the chance of any employee having to carry out work at height, companies must ensure they purchase an aerial work platform such as Midland Pallet Truck’s MJCPT 3.0m mobile aerial work platform, rather than allowing employees to construct a dangerous alternative which could put them at risk. 

Lightweight Pallet Trucks To Prevent Back Strain For Employees

Injuries that occur as a result of muscle strain in the back or the shoulders are one of the most common types of workplace injury that can befall an employee, and this is especially true for those who manoeuvre heavy pallet trucks around a busy workplace all day, every day. One in five of all workplace injury complaints are related to back pain, with the manual handling industry being one of the largest culprits. Pallet trucks are constructed entirely for the purposes of moving heavy loads from A to B, and so it follows that the actual construction of the trucks should be as lightweight as possible, not only to ensure that there is no unnecessary weight added to an already heavy cargo, but also to drastically cut the chances of complaints such as back or muscle strain.

Using a lightweight hand pallet truck is paramount to ensuring staff safety without compromising on high quality. Trucks such as the i-ton 1000 Hand Pallet Truck offer a piece of equipment that weighs in at just 38kg, yet can carry up to 1000kg safely and easily. This is due to a highly advanced Techno-polymer compound, a lightweight material that is as rigid and robust as the steel which pallet trucks are normally constructed from. The material also protects from external corrosive agents such as water or harsh chemicals, in much the same way as a galvanized or stainless steel pallet truck might. The operating lever which controls the lifting mechanism of the truck can be used with both right and left hands, and the hydraulic pump elevates the truck to its highest height in just three strokes; both of these mechanisms combine with the incredibly lightweight nature of the truck to make it extremely easy and safe for staff to use without picking up a strain or muscle complaint.

For smaller loads and even smaller spaces, the ML0308 Portable Folding Pallet Truck weighs in at just 26kg and when not in use, it can be easily stored by being hung up on a wall or on the side of a cupboard. Despite its incredible lightweight construction, it can still safely carry and lift up to 300kg of cargo, and like many other trucks which boast lightweight credentials, can be used within a van or truck to truly take the strain off employees for a while.

When using lightweight pallet trucks in a car, truck or other form of transport, it is vital that they are used in conjunction with a pallet truck chock, which works by immobilising the rear wheels of a truck and ensuring that they can’t roll off the edge of a loading bay or truck bed. As well as providing extra security for the items within the truck, pallet truck chocks also help to protect staff members against the dreaded back strain by enabling them to place the truck into the van without risking an injury in turning it onto its side or lifting it into a tyre.

Looking To the Future: Invest In Manual Handling Aids

The vast majority of businesses have their Christmas contingency plans in place already, and are well-equipped to deal with whatever the festive season may through at them. But the savviest and smartest of managers are already looking far ahead, beyond the Christmas season, to the time when business returns to normal and the profits are reduced after the busiest time of year. Recession and austerity is plaguing the country, and many businesses are in two minds about how to approach 2013. Popular advice dictates that businesses should make cuts, but this causes harmful redundancies among staff, budgets reduced across the board and profit margins made much smaller. Other schools of thought believe that the best way to combat the effects of recession in the next twelve months is to invest.

With markets so unpredictable, and the country teetering on the brink of falling back into recession all the time, warehouses, factories, distribution centres and other businesses in the freight and logistics field are reluctant to make huge investment in aspects such as staff training and company equipment. But devoting larger portions of the budgets to the correct training of their existing staff members, and purchasing new apparatus such as pallet trucks or stacker trucks, can help to secure the future of a company. Once the markets begin to rectify themselves, businesses will be fully equipped to take their company to the next level, aiding growth and expansion.

The key for many companies is to try and look further ahead than the next few months. The financial crisis will not last forever; some businesses are saving money by taking on inexperienced, young staff members, or renting pump trucks to avoid buying their own. This leads to less productivity, smaller budgets and a smaller likelihood of emerging from the financial difficulties with any semblance of profit. Those who invest in the foundations of their business, in items such as hand pallet trucks, lift tables or new storage systems, will stand themselves in good stead for the future.

A good workforce is only fully functional if it is fully equipped. By making cuts and reducing budgets, workforces are forced to adapt their processes and become less productive. When purchased as new and properly maintained, much of the equipment that is vital to these processes can last a lifetime, and will serve a company for years after this country escapes this era of austerity.

Why A Manual Stacker Beats A Forklift For Cost-Effectiveness

When faced with the prospect of purchasing new apparatus for a warehouse environment, many managers often find themselves in two minds over two specific pieces of equipment: the forklift truck and the manual stacker truck. One of the biggest considerations given when trying to make the decision is the cost-effectiveness of each truck. Which will initially cost the most? Which will cost the most to run in the long term? Which will have the highest return on the investment? This thorough guide examines the ways in which hand-operated stacker trucks can be much more cost-effective than a forklift truck, and why businesses should be looking to invest in the for the long term.

When purchasing a forklift truck, many managers tend to disregard the extra costs they will have to invest as time goes on, to ensure the maintenance and proper operation of the truck. Some will purchase a forklift with the idea that they will pay a one-off lump sum for the equipment, and not have to splash out on another truck for many years. What they don’t consider is that forklift trucks often have a number of additional hidden costs. Training, for instance, is compulsory for any employee who will be operating it. Courses to ensure an employee has the correct qualifications to operate the apparatus can cost thousands, with refresher courses needed every few years to ensure their training is up to date. One of the main advantages of buying a manual stacker truck by comparison is that they currently require no license to operate in the workplace, and though basic safety training courses may be necessary, there are no specific qualifications or top-ups needed for staff members. This saves on training and also means that anyone in the workplace can operate them, rather than a specified few who have undertaken training.

The cost of actually running a forklift truck when compared with a manual stacker is often overlooked too. There is the option to purchase a gas-operated forklift, which won’t need charging, but it will go through expensive canisters of gas and use up just as much energy from a different source. As suggested in the name, a manual stacker truck such as the 1000kg 1.6m manual stacker from Midland Pallet Trucks is operated entirely by manpower and manual labour. Hand and foot controls lift pallets to workable heights without needing to be connected to a power source at all, saving on all kinds of fuel expenses.

Maintenance on battery and gas-operated forklift trucks is also an added expense. Levels of distilled water within battery cells need to be constantly monitored to check that they are maintaining a consistent level. Without this maintenance, batteries can dry out and need replacing, which results in an even higher bill for the equipment department. Manual stackers’ freedom from the use of power sources means that the only maintenance required is of the aesthetic type, protecting the truck from corrosion and rust, and ensuring that all joints are smooth and well-oiled.

In summation, the cost of running a manual stacker truck when compared to a forklift truck is lower in every aspect. From initial outlay to employee training, and from fuel allowances to maintenance costs, the money saved when using a manual stacker can be used to great effect elsewhere within a business at a time of great economic uncertainty.