By Allan Parsons, head of short term rental at Briggs Equipment
November 15, 2007 - With many fork lift trucks only required during seasonal peaks, short-term rental is often an economically viable option compared to outright purchase or a traditional contract hire agreement. However seasonal peaks in production place untold pressures on managers to deliver targets. In a busy environment, with the constant movement of materials and interaction with pedestrians, it is all too easy to cut corners in an effort to get the job done.
Ultimately, responsibility lies with managers and it is therefore critical that they work to mitigate against risks by reinforcing health and safety policy. A safety study conducted by Briggs Equipment, revealed that an alarming 65 percent of accidents involving fork lift trucks were driver related. Unfortunately, many of these accidents occur because drivers cut corners and do not conduct regular equipment checks.
It is very important that drivers are made aware of their areas of responsibility, particularly to conduct a comprehensive, daily safety check of the lift truck and report any problems immediately. The daily check is made up of three key elements – machine walk around, engine/battery compartment inspection and operator seated checks.
Common walk around checks include; check the condition of the forks, chassis and overhead guard. Lift chains should be looked at for signs of broken links, pins, mal-adjustment or damage due to overloading. Tyres should be analysed for cuts, gouges also be inspected and they should also look out for liquids on the floor. Across every piece of handling equipment, operators should look to see if the machine capacity plate is visible. If obscured, this could lead to somebody using the machine and exceeding its lifting capacity.
The engine/battery checks are the second stage. Obviously this section is very different for an electric machine compared to a diesel or LPG vehicle. With a battery powered machines, the list should include; switching off the charger and disconnecting the battery, checking the condition of battery cells for corrosion, battery cables and plugs, distilled water levels of individual cells and the attachment of the battery. Engine checks should always include; checking the coolant level, oil level, transmission oil level, hydraulic oil level, brake fluid level, battery electrolyte level (where applicable) and finally the compartment for oil, coolant or fuel leaks.
The third and final stage of checks should be with the operator seated. Again these will vary across equipment and operators should take note of the manufacturer’s guidelines. Common checks across all handling equipment include: Checking the brakes, testing the horn, checking the seat safety switch and checking the operation of flashing beacons and work lights.
A flexible, short term hire package should allow companies to rent a LOLER certified machine from one day up to one year, with the machine often being modified to meet the customers’ specific application requirements. By creating a clear set of guidelines and ensuring that all the lift truck drivers are fully up to speed and have the time built into their schedule to carry out daily checks, managers should be confident of reducing accident levels and improving health and safety.
- Ends -
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Briggs Equipment UK
Briggs Equipment UK Ltd is a leading materials handling service provider and sole distributor of Yale Materials Handling products in Great Britain. Providing a wide range of equipment for a broad customer base, Briggs provides innovative, tailored and cost effective solutions on a nationwide basis. With its headquarters and national support centre in Cannock, Briggs people assist and advise in the delivery of long term solutions that enable customers to develop more efficient and results driven businesses.
Media contact:
Tiffany Clowes
Changeworks Communications
T. + 44 (0) 1785 247588
E.
Company Contact:
Scott Bullock
Briggs Equipment
Orbital Way
Cannock
WS11 8XW
T: 01543 430 455
W: www.briggsequipment.co.uk
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