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Issue link: https://foodlogistics.epubxp.com/i/195855
ogy and innovation is helping to make lift trucks safer based on the concept of keeping the operator safe, trained and secure on, or inside, the vehicle. Keeping operators restrained: the "new" focus One of the more alarming statistics gleaned from the OSHA data was that 42 percent of fatal accidents happened when the worker jumps off the lift truck or forklift, getting caught in its path or getting crushed by the vehicle tipping over. The second most frequent type of accident was being crushed between the vehicle and a surface (25%), and the third was getting crushed between vehicles (11%). The main component in all these types of accidents is the operator is not secured inside or on the lift truck. So, with a renewed focus on training and safety, the lift truck industry is addressing today's safety issues by promoting technology like operator presence, speed control and vibration-reduction systems along with trucks that produce fewer exhaust gases. Some of the newer towing tractors and order pickers have operator presence sensors spread out over the entire floor, ensuring the driver works in a correct and safe position during operation. Newer models of reach trucks also come with curve control systems that automatically reduce the speed of the lift truck when cornering. Other new trucks come with rear-area monitoring systems that come as extras, which are designed to warn drivers by reducing the speed of the vehicle going backwards. Controlling speed in corners is one safety feature, but improved forklift speed overall also has a hand in making today's lift trucks safer for operators. With an emphasis on slimmer lift mast profiles for visibility, and travel speeds that are simply quicker up and down and front to back than older trucks, new technology is making it easier to operate, resulting in safer operating. The frequent braking and driving on and off of uneven surfaces causes operator wear, as well as vehicle wear, which is something the lift truck industry has approached by introducing vibration-control systems on new models. Some manufacturers are reducing vibration by separating the lift mast and drive axle, and steering axle operations in some models, while forklifts with seats are often equipped with rubber buffers under the cab to absorb vibration for the driver. With advances in diesel particulate filters today's diesel lift truck is substantially more eco-friendly that diesel trucks of the past. New models with filters can remove up to 95 percent of the soot, producing emissions well below the limit permitted by law. ◆ Using data from your fleet management system can give you better visibility into your operations while helping identify opportunities for improvement. W ith 230 forklifts and 1,080 operators spread out over three locations across the state of Pennsylvania, when the Clemons Food Group identified the priority of improving operator and forklift productivity as a way of reigning in costs, it became a very large and complex task. Clemons Food Group, a pork processor with over 118 years of history based in Hatfield, Pa., had its main 1.3 million square foot facility covered with 120 forklifts, as well as a third-party logistics warehouse and second smaller processing plant all covered with various lift trucks of different sizes, makes and models. The task of trying to identify where to focus their attention in achieving efficiency and operator safety started with a clear understanding of how and when the forklifts were being operated. "We quickly realized we needed some sort of operator and fleet management system that would help us collect and analyze relevant fleet information that we could 34 OCTOBER 2013 then use to identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve productivity," said Kevin Shayer, general manager of distribution and warehousing at Clemons. After considering the alternatives, Clemons Food Group picked the InfoLink System from Crown because as Clemons director of maintenance Mike Bracrella stated, "we liked that the system was developed by an actual forklift provider, and while Crown forklifts • FOOD LOGISTICS make up the majority of our fleet, we do have other brands. It was critical that we could deploy a system that could work with a mixed fleet without any drastic changes on our end." There were three specific areas of focus the Clemons team decided beforehand that they wanted the InfoLink system to try and address: improving OSHA compliance, operator certification and impact detection. Within months the team at Clemons was seeing significant improvement in all three areas. "InfoLink brought a new level of efficiency to our OSHA compliance efforts," said Jeff Barnes, maintenance engineer at Clemons Food Group. "Because the system allows us to assign a PIN number to each operator, we are able to limit access to the vehicle to only those operators with the required certification. By integrating the inspection checklist into the system we were able to automate the process, which ensures each operator performs the inspection process with the proper attention to detail." Through the use of the system's impact monitoring and management capabilities, Clemons also was able to dramatically reduce the number of impact events, in some instances as the reduction in major impact events dropped 80 percent. InfoLink can also collect and filter the data right down to the number of impacts per shift, allowing supervisors to create benchmarks and increase their ability to evaluate the productivity and safety of each operator. "Through the gathering of performance information and monitoring of benchmarks, we are able to identify our most productive operators, as well as identify the operators that may need additional training," said Barnes. "We can keep track of how and when our equipment is being used and which operator is on the equipment at any given time. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting optimal use out of the trucks we currently have." www.foodlogistics.com