Safety has always been in the spotlight, but never more so than now when it dominates the news around the world. Reducing risks for the workforce, customers and visitors on the premises is therefore a major issue as companies get back to business. Even though certain rules may have been relaxed, it looks increasingly likely social distancing will be required for the foreseeable future, which poses challenges if space is tight. Amid all the relatively new concerns, overall safety when operating forklifts should not be sidelined.
Strategies will therefore be needed to adapt to these new circumstances. Now is a good time to take a holistic approach to the layout of the entire premises to see whether improvements can be made which will bear fruit in the long term.
One solution is to get advice on possible reconfiguration of certain areas of the premises from companies with long established experience in this field. Combilift offers a free layout and material flow consultation to ensure that space – an extremely valuable commodity – is used to optimum effect in warehouse and storage areas as well as in production facilities.
Optimise Your Space
One consequence of Covid-19 for manufacturers has been the challenge to get back to normal output levels whilst ensuring that employees maintain safe distances from each other. Combilift’s design and layout service can help to create extra space in production areas – which is where profit is made – whilst reducing the space required for storage of materials and finished products, which engenders costs. By optimising both these areas companies can comply with safety requirements whilst maintaining output.
If personal site visits are not possible, Combilift has implemented a virtual site survey system. This uses in-house developed technology and video calling apps and is quick and straightforward.
During the call, the site owner or manager switches their phone to video mode. They can then walk through the site, stopping at specific pinch points to take a screen grab of that area. Following this initial call, they may be asked to supply some further details on the dimensions of certain areas.
On the basis of this information, we can supply simulated animations and 3D designs within 24 hours, which clearly show how to achieve a substantial increase in storage capacity.
We have seen a significant increase in demand for this service in the last few months, which shows that more and more operations are realising the importance of this issue. And, of course, making the best use of the space already available can avoid costs for offsite storage in times of growth or even more costly relocation.
Forklift Safety
But with so much focus on coronavirus related issues, it is important that safety in other areas is not overlooked.
There are many risks involved when handling the variety of materials stocked by merchants, and bodies such as the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) and the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) run campaigns to identify dangerous situations and how to avoid them.
The National Forklift Safety Day in June was an initiative to promote a safer environment for all those who work with, on or near forklift trucks, and the FLTA designated October as Forklift Safety Month.
Safe procedures are of course paramount every working day, and for companies where staff are operating machines in the vicinity of other personnel, customers or visitors, it’s crucial to make sure that any risky practices are avoided.
Handling long loads, which is pretty much a daily scenario for the timber sector, can be potentially dangerous. Manoeuvering long packs of timber, for example in busy yards, through access doors and around parked delivery trucks, can pose all sorts of risks.
Trying to solve this by using a couple of counterbalance forklifts at either end of a load is a definite no-no from a health and safety point of view and travelling with elevated loads to avoid obstacles is deemed to be hazardous practice too.
Instead of relying on trucks with limited manoeuvrability, specialist machines such as Combilift’s multi-directional forklifts are the solution. Designed specifically for the challenges of long and bulky loads, they combine the advantages of a counterbalance forklift, sideloader and narrow aisle truck in one to ensure safe, space saving and efficient handling.
Their low centre of gravity and integrated platform provides a stable, low base for resting loads on during transportation and the cab position at the side of the mast offers a clear view of the load. Four-way ability enables quick change of the wheel direction to enable sideways travel in confined spaces or though doorways.
Walk Your Way to Safer Handling
Replacing ride-on forklifts with pedestrian models when possible is also an acknowledged way to improve safety. These naturally operate at slower speeds than ride on forklifts, and operators have a heightened awareness of their immediate environment as well as good all-round visibility of the load and the forks compared to when they are sitting in the confines of a raised cab.
Combilift launched its first pedestrian model, the Combi-WR reach stacker, around seven years ago, and the immediate success of this prompted the development of its multidirectional counterpart, the Combi-WR4.
Since then a number of further models have been added to the range, which include the award winning Combi-CS, which won a prestigious IFOY (International Forklift of the Year) Award earlier this year (TTJ September/ October).
With the length from the back of the unit to the face of the forks of just 1050mm, it is the only pedestrian counterbalance stacker that will operate in a conventional reach truck aisle, and can also block stack standard pallets for space saving and productive storage and handling. There are now around five different pedestrian models available, with lift capacities starting at 1,000kg, with various lift heights to suit individual requirements.
Combilift’s pedestrian trucks all feature its unique, patented multi-position tiller arm, which was designed to ensure maximum safety for the operator and other people nearby. This can be turned to the left or right of the truck to position the rear drive wheel, allowing the operator to remain in the safest possible position when working in narrow aisles – at the side rather than at the rear, as is the case with other pedestrian stackers.
This reduces the risk of the operator being crushed or trapped between the truck and racking and guarantees maximum safety in areas where other personnel or members of the public may be present.
The current circumstances could therefore be an opportunity to take stock of your space utilisation, evaluate overall safety and put measures in place to protect the workforce and customers from the risks – invisible or more evident – that may be out there.
