Prevent Problems with Pedestrians

“It’s ok, there’s plenty of space, that forklift will see me and stop.”

Have you ever felt this way, or have you ever heard other people say things like this? I know I have! Forklifts and proper safety procedures go hand in hand. However, there is the occasion where an accident may occur that the forklift operator is not necessarily at fault for. These accidents typically involve pedestrians and can cause numerous problems for companies and all parties involved.

 

How Much Do You Know?

1.     ______ percent of forklift accidents involve pedestrians.

a.     75

b.     50

c.     25

d.     20

2.     It is acceptable to give pedestrians and other personnel occasional rides on a forklift.

a.     True

b.     False

3.     One main cause of forklift/pedestrian accidents is because…

a.     The pedestrian does not hear the truck.

b.     The pedestrian does not see the truck.

c.     The pedestrian gets too close to the truck.

d.     All of the above

4.     Similar to a car forklifts have blind spots.

a.     True

b.     False

Get This…

There are roughly 100,000 forklift accidents per year! Yes, nearly 100,000! Many of these accidents occur through operator error, but sometimes accidents are caused by the surrounding environment. With that said, it does not make these types of accidents acceptable. Often times these types of accidents involve pedestrians. Due to the weight of a forklift accidents involving pedestrians can cause serious injury, and can even be fatal! It’s a good idea to take precautionary measures to ensure that forklift/pedestrian accidents are limited, or in ideal situations avoided completely. Here are some ideas on keeping pedestrians out of harm:

1.     First and foremost, have drivers yield to pedestrians.

2.     Make use of the horn! This can warn pedestrians of a forklift in use.

3.     Use a spotter in circumstances where the operator's vision is impaired.

4.     Absolutely never allow pedestrians to stand or walk under a forklift.

5.     Clearly mark and block off areas where the forklift will be in use. Blocking the next isle over is imperative in case anything is pushed off of shelving.  

 

Can You Answer This Question???

Does OSHA require forklift/pedestrian training specifically?

a.     Yes

b.     No

OSHA does not require forklift/pedestrian safety to be specifically taught to operators. However, OSHA does require that employers take precautions to keep pedestrians safe around forklifts and other heavy machinery. With this said forklift accidents involving pedestrians make up 20% of all accidents. In conclusion, it is never a bad idea to require your forklift operators to go through a safety course highlighting pedestrian related issues. 

Get The Facts!

People die from forklift accidents every day! Passerby’s are not the only people who fall victim to forklift accidents. In fact, many people who are injured by forklifts know the risks and even know how to operate a forklift! This seems shocking right?! Well much of this is incredibly preventable and is caused by forklift operators giving their friends rides! OSHA prohibits any passengers from riding on forklifts. This means no passengers inside the forklift, or riding on its forks. Also remember, if passengers are being lifted make sure that you are using specialized equipment! What not to do is pictured below.

…So Call

If you’re interested in more information on driver training for your future forklift operators give us a call! We will come to your facility to perform the class, and provide picture IDs for all your newly certified operators! For any additional questions or concerns contact us at (513) 842-2012, or omega.rockett@yahoo.com!  

New Year, New Business Strategies

With a new year comes new responsibilities and opportunities. From a business perspective the beginning of a new year is a great time to assess and implement changes that may need to be made to your company. So let’s take a look at how to start the new year off right!

How Much Do You Know?

1.     It’s a good idea to review your past year before planning your new year.

a.     True

b.     False

2.     Most small business owners are unable to…

a.     Delegate work

b.     Get focused after the holidays

c.     Keep employees

3.     Making ___________ a weekly event can be vital to business success.

a.     Customer reviews

b.     Planning

c.     Employee complaints

4.     It can be beneficial to set _______ goals.

a.     High

b.     Realistic

c.     Low

Get This…

Many businesses can’t tell you where their performance level is. Especially in the realm of finances. The problem with this is that you don’t know if you’re making progress if you don’t know where you are starting from. That’s why beginning the year by reviewing the past year is always a good idea! If you have a growing business looking into a CRM software (customer relationship management) to help manage your finances could be a good decision. For tips on choosing a CRM that fits your business use this link: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7838-choosing-crm-software.html

For a couple more quick tips on managing your business's finances check out this website!

https://succeedasyourownboss.com/6-tips-managing-small-business-finances/

Can You Answer This Question???

About ________ percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.

A.    74

B.    84

C.    87

At one point in time people went to their neighbors for reviews and recommendations on companies and appliances. Nowadays more people are using the internet for their reviews, and it is shown that about 85% (B) of people trust online reviews as much as friend and family recommendations. This has the potential to be detrimental to a business, but why not take these online reviews and spin them into a positive? 

Get The Facts!

Another thing that can easily be overlooked in a business is promotion and advertising. There are so many ways to advertise that it can be tricky to decide what is best for your company. Here are some low-cost ideas for advertising your business:

1.     Promote through communication: Whenever you communicate via e-mail, mail, ect. include your business name, logo, and contact information. You can even add links on Facebook and other social media sites so that viewers and recipients can contact you!

2.     Promote through social media: Use all forms of social media to get the word out about your business and special offers.

3.     Write to promote your business: Getting articles published in blogs, newspapers, and magazines can be a great way to promote your business. This also showcases the knowledge that you and your employees possess. 

4.     Have fun to promote your business: It seems simple, but anything you do can be turned into an opportunity to promote your business. For example, if you love to play soccer ask your team to wear shirts with your company’s name and logo on the uniforms, you can even offer to have your company sponsor the team!

5.     Consider cross promotion: Buddy marketing can be a great inexpensive way to promote your business. It’s as simple as adding an extra paragraph in a flyer or putting a small ad along the side of your blog. In return the company you are promoting will also promote your business! This can help you reach potential markets that you have a hard time breaking into or don’t know about.

What do you think is important for businesses to keep in mind going into the new year? Let us know in the comments, we want to hear what you have to say!

…So Call

Start your year off right; if you have any questions relating to your material handling needs give us a call or shoot us an e-mail, (513) 842-2012, omega.rockett@yahoo.com! 

        

Freezing Our Batteries Off

I’m sure most of you have already noticed…but it’s winter! With the colder weather many people have problems with their vehicles. There’s a wide range of vehicular troubles brought about by the cold, however, the most prevalent issue seems to be batteries. Why does the cold make it so difficult for vehicles' batteries to get going in the morning?

How Much Do You Know?

1.     Batteries in general discharge more quickly in cold weather?

a.     True

b.     False

2.     During cold weather electric forklifts can face a possible ____-____% decrease in cycle times.

a.     15-25

b.     25-40

c.     25-50

3.     The electric current that is generated by a car battery is produced by  positive and negative ___________.

a.     Terminals

b.     Neutrons

c.     Peroxisomes

4.     Most forklift batteries are made to withstand temperatures of about _______degrees Fahrenheit

a.     -5

b.     -15

c.     -30

Get This…

So why do car batteries die more often in the winter months? Well the answer is fairly simple, batteries run off of a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction creates electrons, which then creates a current. This current is what gets a battery going. When the weather gets colder this current slows down; if a battery is already in the process of dying this current could slow down so much that the battery stops/dies. Sometimes warming the battery back up can help to get it started again, but typically it’s better to play it safe and invest in a new battery. Besides the cold there are a few other things that can impact the life of your car battery. Constantly having things plugged in to your car, like your phone, can use up a lot of energy, making it harder for your battery to stay charged and recharge. If you want to lengthen the lifespan of your battery unplug your extra devices!  

          Can You Answer This Question???

At 32 degrees Fahrenheit your car loses ______% of its battery strength.

A.    25

B.    35

C.    45

Cold weather can be very hard on industrial batteries. Even when they’re used every day; it can take twice as much current to get an engine started in cold conditions as opposed to more “normal” conditions. It is reported that at 0 degrees Fahrenheit your car battery loses 60% of its strength, and at 32 degrees it loses about 35% (making B your answer). Because of this it’s important to get your batteries tested before the cold weather hits if possible.   

      

Get The Forklift Facts!

There are several different fueling methods for forklifts, and they are all impacted by the cold in different ways.

Electric forklifts can have a 25-50% decrease in their cycle times during cold weather, similar to a car. This is because the electrolytes in the battery thicken, then causing a struggle to complete the chemical reaction needed to power the forklift.

Fuel and diesel forklifts can be harder to start in the winter, so it’s a good idea to make sure the tank is fairly full!

LP forklifts are even impacted by the cold when the engine battery is weakened.

Keep this in mind when purchasing forklifts and preparing for cold winter months!   

…So Call

If you find yourself experiencing any of this issues with your forklift then contact us (513) 842-2012!