Food Logistics serves the entire food supply chain industry with targeted content for manufacturers, retailers, and distributors.
Issue link: https://foodlogistics.epubxp.com/i/467905
www.foodlogistics.com FOOD LOGISTICS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 39 alerts)," says Dan Murphy, ware- house manager at Masters Gallery Foods. "We provided addi- tional training for the operators involved, and five months later we reduced the number of alerts to five – a reduction of 88 percent. The system plays an integral role. It encourages proper lift truck operation, reduces damage, main- tenance, downtime and costs." Clemens Food Group, a pork producer based in Hatfield, Pa., received similar results when they installed Crown's fleet software system called InfoLink, with an 80 percent reduction in impacts across three of their facilities totaling over 1.3 million square feet. With about 230 forklifts from many different manufacturers and 1,080 operators, Clemens originally installed the system to mine for hidden cost-cutting opportunities. Within five months, the system uncovered significant improvements related to OSHA compliance, operator certification management, impact detection and operator performance. The sys- tem has "completely elevated and enhanced the safety culture of our facilities," according to Kevin Shayer, the general manager of dis- tribution and warehousing at Clemens in a case study provided by Crown. Have a seat and get comfy Since keeping the operator comfortable for an entire 8- or 10-hour work shift is beco- meing more closely connected to safety, it's likewise become more of a focus in lift truck design and innovation. Simple ergonomic designs like added suspension in floorboards, adjustable and contoured armrests, knee- pads and backrests, lower operator steps and adjustable user controls have long been added to lift truck designs to increase productiv- ity and safety. These features reduce fatigue and the amount of repetitive motions. But more and more manufacturers have noticed a growing interest in one of the most basic and simple functions on a lift truck...the seat. Since a majority of loads in a warehouse are carried while the lift truck is in reverse for optimal visibility, seats that can swivel or that can be adjusted to multiple angles for differ- ent sized operators have become standard. This has been done to accommodate drivers who spend many hours each day in twisted positions. Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America (MCFA) recently launched a new series of Jungheinrich moving mast trucks to meet the demand for lift trucks with seats, as their new ETV 110/112 Series is one of the few sit-down moving mast trucks that have been LANDOLL CORPORATION MATERIAL HANDLING PRODUCT GROUP NARROW AISLE 1900 North Street · Marysville, KS 66508 · 800-428-5655 mhpsales@landoll.com · WWW.LANDOLL.COM/MHP FOR YOUR CRITICAL REQUIREMENT NEEDS Bendi Articulating and Drexel SwingMast ® FREEZER CAB NOW AVAILABLE PROMAT BOOTH #2607 Performance: • Freezer Cab Maintains Internal Temperature of 50° F (10° C) in -22° F (-30° C) Freezers • Easy Access Left Side Door has Sliding Window • Operator Can Stay in a Comfortable Environment for a Full Shift • Durable Structure Available with Polycarbonate Windows for Food Applications Features: • Bendi works in aisles as narrow as 78" • Drexel works in aisles as narrow as 66" • Cab for -22° F (-30° C) Freezers or for Outdoor Ambient Operations • Superb Visibility Through the Windows • Escape Window in Rear of Enclosure • Optional Wipers, Heaters and Defogger Fans ONLY ONE FORKLIFT NEEDED UNLOAD TRAILERS, USE IN NARROW AISLES AND NO PRODUCT STAGING AREA (WITH CERTAIN MODELS) • A warehouse worker uses Crown's QuickPick Remote to move the lift truck ahead in the aisle, eliminating the need to step up and down off the truck to move to the next pick position. Image courtesy of Crown Equipment.