Utah Asphalt Paving Association Spotlights Mountain Regional Equipment Solutions

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CVSA Releases Results from Unannounced Brake Safety Day Enforcement Initiative

Although this article is focused towards the on-road vehicles it is a great reminder of the need of proper equipment maintenance and the safety value it adds.

On May 3, 2017, more than 9,500 commercial motor vehicles were inspected for an unannounced brake safety enforcement event, Brake Safety Day. Enforcement personnel throughout North America conducted inspections on large trucks and buses to identify out-of-adjustment brakes, and brake-system and antilock braking system (ABS) violations as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Airbrake Program.

The goal of Brake Safety Day is to conduct roadside inspections, and identify and remove vehicles with critical brake violations from our roadways in an effort to reduce the number of crashes caused by or made more severe by poorly maintained braking systems on commercial motor vehicles. The event also sought to evaluate how well ABS are maintained in accordance with federal regulations.

Inspection data from the unannounced one-day brake safety enforcement initiative featured the following notable results:

• A total of 43 jurisdictions participated – 33 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces/territories.
• The United States conducted 8,140 commercial motor vehicle inspections; Canada conducted 1,384.
• In all, 9,524 inspections were conducted as part of Brake Safety Day.
• 79 percent of the vehicles inspected did not have any critical item vehicle violations.
• 21 percent (1,989) of all inspections conducted resulted in a vehicle being placed out of service for vehicle violations of any kind.
• 12 percent (1,146) of all inspections conducted resulted in a vehicle being placed out of service for brake-related violations.

Many participating jurisdictions were able to survey ABS compliance, as follows:

• 4,635 air-braked trucks and tractors were identified as requiring ABS; 8 percent (391) had ABS violations.
• 3,222 trailers were identified as requiring ABS; 15 percent (487) had ABS violations.
• 723 hydraulic-braked trucks required ABS; 6 percent (41) had ABS violations.
• 57 buses required ABS; 11 percent (6) had ABS violations.

Brake Safety Day aims to improve commercial motor vehicle brake safety awareness throughout North America. Brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capability and increase stopping distances of trucks and buses, which pose a serious risk to driver and public safety.

CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program is holding one more brake safety enforcement event this year. The next Brake Safety Day event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, at participating jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Brake Safety Day is part of the Operation Airbrake Program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

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News: Building Supply Company Fined for Fatal Forklift Accidents

Some industries are more dangerous than others, and certain kinds of equipment pose higher risks. Recently, a San Francisco warehouse worker died in a tragic forklift accident. Such accidents aren’t uncommon, but they’re often preventable. In the wake of this man’s death, the company he worked for incurred $62,000 in safety violations.

To protect your employees and keep your company solvent, consider these forklift safety tips and ensure that your company follows compliance regulations related to heavy machinery.

Tips for Forklift Safety

Always ensure you’re in compliance with industry standards, and wear safety equipment. Some other tips to keep your team safe when using a forklift include:

• Check equipment and the area before use. It takes less than a minute to do a quick visual inspection of the equipment, and that minute can ensure there are no obvious impediments to using the equipment. Also look for hazards on the floor, like spills, bumps, or holes.

• Check loads after a bump. After driving over small hazards (such as wood shards), your load might have shifted. It only takes a moment to check that your load is in balance.

• Be cautious on ramps. When driving a forklift, drive forward when going up ramps, but use reverse to go downhill. Never load or unload on the ramp.

• Announce yourself. Whether by voice or horn, make sure others are alerted to your movements. If places where the voice gets drowned in other noise, ensure your horn is in working order.

• Pay attention to stops. Only stop when there’s enough space for you to do so safely.
  
  

Use Products Engineered for Safety

Due to the possibility of accidents, forklifts are now engineered for safety. Invest in forklifts and other heavy machinery that come with a pedestrian alert system and fall protection. A pedestrian alert system alerts forklift operators to the presence of people on the warehouse floor as far as 20 feet away. The fall protection system allows a forklift operator to work while secured to a retractable safety device that is anchored to a fixed part of the warehouse, such as a wall, to protect the worker from injury or death. MRES offers machinery that employs these and several other safety features, including blind spot and hazardous area alerts.

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4 Benefits of Implementing a Modern Pedestrian Alert System

We all have seen the caution signs in a warehouse or the flashing lights on top of a fork lift, but is that really enough? If that was the case, then the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wouldn’t release statistics as high as 85 forklift fatalities per year and over 34,900 serious forklift injuries per year. 

Pedestrians and Powered Industrial Trucks (PITs) that share their work space is an environmental hazard that can be a daily challenge for even the most skilled PIT operators. These operators continuously have to calculate for load capacity, stability, and operating limitations. Any sudden interferences from pedestrians can throw off those calculations and cause operators to lose control of the forklift. It is no wonder that OCHA reports that 42 percent of forklift fatalities are from a worker being crushed by a tipping vehicle. 

Training your staff and demanding safe work practices does not make up for providing your workers with the right safety tools. When it comes to forklift safety, there should always be some type of forklift proximity alarm or collision avoidance system to give the forklift driver and the pedestrian enough time to safely avoid any sudden encounters with one another. A Modern Pedestrian Alert System (PAS) by Claitec can simultaneously alert the pedestrian, the PIT driver, and the PIT itself, giving each ample warning time to reduce speed and avert any accidents. The right technology not only equips your worksite with the essential safety tools, it is an investment that will benefit you and your company in four key areas:

1. Productivity

Whether you have an indoor warehouse or an outdoor warehouse, the more effectively you manage your environmental risks, the easier it will be for PIT operators to focus all their attention on their task at hand. For example, the PAS solution uses state of the art RFID sensors to identify pedestrians wearing PAS tags that come within a distance of 3 to 20 feet of forklifts with PAS driver tags. Drivers and pedestrians are notified of the nearby pedestrians with clearly visible flashing lights and/or a buzzer. If speed limiting is available in your forklift model, the RFID sensor can trigger the forklift to slow down. 

Using technology like the PAS system improves worker productivity by automatically reducing environmental risks and helping workers feel more safe. In addition, relying on technology to manage the daily worksite risks to your employees, can help you improve overall operation productivity and give you more bandwidth to manage other aspects of your business.

2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

A modern pedestrian alert system show that you are doing your part to help reduce the overall number of forklift fatalities and accidents. It signals to the community you operate in that you are dedicated to ensuring the well-being of the people in the community that work for you. This also is an indicator to investors and clients that by trusting you with their business they can ensure that they are helping workers have healthier, happier lives. 

Many companies focus on spending their CSR dollars on initiatives in the surrounding communities, but forget to balance that with internal CSR initiatives. How can you build a good relationship with the local communities if you don’t protect workers that come from these communities? Investing in your workers’ safety improves your reputation and can boost company growth. 

3. Better Talent

When you invest in workers’ safety, you demonstrate that you are invested in them. That speaks greatly to the quality of the workplace, which tends to lead to higher job satisfaction. Happier employees tend to be more productive, loyal, and have fewer management issues. This also decreases employee turnover and the costs associated with hiring and training new employees. A company’s number one asset is their employees. When you hold this belief, and you operate your business with this mentality, you also attract a higher caliber of employee. This is a win for everybody…your employees, teams, and management. This makes you a stronger brand, which leads to higher quality service to your customers. At the end of the day, this even spell higher revenues for your business.

4. Financial Management

Reducing costs from potential employee injuries is not only practical and ethical, it is one of the best ways to protect your business from financial ruin. The Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety states that safety programs provide an average return of $4 for every $1 spent. Investing in the right safety tools is responsible financial management at its best.

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Hazardous Area (HA) Increases Safety by Preventing Occupational Hazards

With the Utah Safety Council Convention coming up, we wanted to take a minute to feature one of our up and coming products.  Hazardous Area (HA) allows you to monitor employee safety in areas that have been determined to be more “risky.”  Such areas include: compactors, balers, presses and crushers. 

The program functions through a series of electronic tags, carried by all operators within the vicinity of the potentially dangerous areas.  In addition to fitting people with the sensors, all machines and conveyors are also tagged with detector antennas to effectively detect people carrying tags in hazardous situations.  If someone were to, for example, fall on a belt, the machine would automatically turn itself off, preventing a potentially fatal accident.

Key features of HA include:

• Detection of personnel who have accidentally fallen into a machine and conveyor belt.
• Regular and consistent detection within 3 to 15 feet.
• Stops the machine upon detection of a person’s tag in the area of the antenna or the belt.
• Easy turnkey installation by MRES Imports.
• Durable and robust system components. 
• Function unaffected by engine vibration, interferences caused by antennas or by the metal structures of the machines.
• Tag detection in any position and even if covered.
• False alarms area prevented by regularly adjusting the antennas.

For optimal functionality, all operators, machines and their respective conveyors, must be fitted with, or must be carrying, a detectable tag or device.  HA has done wonders in some of the more treacherous working environments, and it’s just one of several Claitec products that has been engineered specifically for safety in the workplace. 

For more information on the Claitec suite of products, please click here.  For more information on getting your warehouse or environment fitted today, please contact one of our specialists today.

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Tragedy in the Warehouse: Forklift Accident in Mass.

As much as it hurts us to report news like this, we feel it’s important to recognize areas where we all can improve in an effort to achieve our goal of preventing fatal accidents in the workplace.

On Tuesday, January 24^th, a Stop & Shop Distribution employee was killed in Stoughton, Massachusetts.  As a tractor trailer pulled away from a loading dock, the man fell between a truck and the dock.  After the man fell, a forklift that was unloading merchandise from the trailer fell on top of the man, taking his life.

According to news sources, first responders arrived at the scene to provide first aid, but the man was pronounced dead at a local hospital.  Although no additional details have been provided, OSHA has confirmed that they have launched an investigation into the incident and we anticipate that they will be able to turn the tragedy into a learning lesson to prevent this type of accident from ever occurring again. 

MassCOSH has reported that this is the 21^st forklift death in the New England region since 2007.  In response to the accident, the National Safety Council has released the following recommendations to prevent future occurrences: 

• Employers should prohibit forklifts from loading dock locations that do not have protective edge barriers.
• Employers should consider installing barriers at loading dock edges to minimize the possibility of employees and equipment from falling off the dock.
• Forklift manufacturers should implement the concept of Prevention through Design, and redesign the operator area of standup counterbalanced forklifts to include restraint systems.

We are in business to help the effort to prevent these types of accidents.  That’s we we’ve spent so much time invested in finding quality products that can be integrated into the forklift and warehouse environments to prevent injuries.

Those products include the Pedestrian Alert System (PAS), a product that has been engineered to caution the forklift driver when a pedestrian is within a distance of 3 to 20 feet.  PAS utilizes RFID sensors to aid in the highest safety practices within areas where your forklifts roam.  Other products include the Low Speed Area (LSA), which properly adjusts the speed of the forklift in any given area, and Hazardous Areas (HA) that allows you to monitor the safety of your employees around certain areas that are deemed more risky, such as the compactor or baler.

No matter what your forklifts are loading and unloading, we have a product to help ensure safety in your warehouse.  Please help us remove these news stories from the press by preventing these accidents in the first place.  We are determined to make sure you have every resource available to help you keep your employees safe 

For more information about the MRES product line, please contact one of our specialists today.

http://ehstoday.com/forklift-crush-mass 

http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/15167-facevalue-operator-dies-when-forklift-falls-off-loading-dock

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Innovation and Evolution in the Warehouse: The Side Loader Forklift

As technology continues to evolve across multiple industries, the evolution of the forklift has brought us the side loader forklift, a product that has been engineered to load and unload from the side of the machine.  Although the side loader has been available for a few years now, its popularity is finally on the rise.

While the traditional forklift still has its place in the warehouse, many industries are poised to profit from the benefits, including the following:

-       Unlike traditional forklifts, side loaders can drive up alongside shelves and trucks, making it easier to load and unload.

-       With a sleek design, the side loaders are able to operate in tighter spaces like doorways and narrow aisles.

-       Along with the sleek design, longer loads (like pipes and timber) are easier to handle because the load moves in the same direction as the forklift.

-       With the flat bed available beside the forklift, stability is easier to maintain, creating a safer movement.

-       Visibility is enhanced with the driver being able to see clearly both in front of and behind the forklift, also enhancing safety.

Even with all of these benefits, the traditional forklift is still superior in movement and will still have their practical application.

The benefits of the side loader will surely increase productivity in the warehouses of the world, but safety should still be taken into account as a top priority.  The new forklifts still work well with existing safety products like Claitec’s Pedestrian Alert System and Low Speed Area.

No matter what types of innovations continue to take place with regards to forklifts, MRES Imports will remain dedicated to ensuring that all forklifts are outfitted with the most innovative safety products to keep workplace injuries to a minimum.

For more information on forklift safety products, please contact one of our specialists today.

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Cyber Monday: Dangers in the Warehouse

Many believe Black Friday to be the biggest shopping day of the year; however, Cyber Monday now holds that crown.  We’ve all seen the frightening madness that ensues when shoppers hit the retail scene with belly’s still full of turkey and gravy.  But, have you considered the madness that occurred in warehouses across the globe as $3.45 billion in sales were processed on cyber Monday?  No shoppers got hurt as they ordered products on their tablets from the comfort of their homes, but the madness surely ensued as forklifts and people scrambled to fill boxes and ship packages in absurdly large quantities.

The environment within warehouses can vary quite a bit; and, the differences range from organization and training to the amount of technology being utilized by the company running the show.  As automation continues to grow, we will continue to see decreases in workplace injuries and increased efficiency.  Products like Claitec’s Pedestrian Alert System (PAS) have revolutionized the way warehouses operate.  After installation, forklifts begin to communicate with pedestrians walking through the space.  Once a pedestrian gets within a predetermined distance of a forklift, a signal is transmitted to the forklift giving the driver a clear caution that he or she must be aware of a potentially dangerous situation.

In fact, Claitec has produced several products that have been engineered specifically to enhance safety measures with regard to forklifts.  The Low Speed Area (LSA) will literally slow down a forklift automatically when it enters a predetermined area where pedestrians frequently walk.  This system also transmits a signal; but, in this case, it happens when a forklift drives into the area where the sensors have been strategically placed.  Each of Claitec’s products is meant to solve vulnerabilities within the warehouse setting.  Hazardous Area (HA) cautions those operating within an area that has been deemed high-risk for an accident.  Fall Protection System (FPS) does the same in areas where a fall could be fatal, such as in areas where machines dispose of various waste.

Black Friday definitely causes dangers in the retail setting, but cyber Monday does the exact same thing in the warehouses of the world.  Interested in learning more about installing safety devices into your warehouse?  Please contact one of our specialists today.

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Identifying and Assessing Hazards in the Workplace

It is estimated that United States employers pay nearly $1 billion every week in direct costs for workers’ compensation alone. That does not include indirect costs, such as the training of replacement employees, repairing damaged property and equipment, lost productivity and costs to investigate accidents and implement corrective measures. And those indirect costs are estimated to be 2.7 times direct costs.[1]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released an update to its Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs. These recommended practices offer strategies for small to medium-sized businesses to enhance the safety and health of workers and reduce direct and indirect costs related to workplace injuries and illnesses.

The guidelines emphasize a proactive approach to identify and assess workplace hazards before injuries occur.

Gather existing information on workplace hazards: Meet with workers to assemble and review information to identify the types of potential hazards and who may be exposed. This information may be collected from records of previous injuries and illnesses, machinery and equipment operating manuals, and  inspection reports from insurance carriers and government agencies, to name a few.  

Examine the workplace for potential safety hazards: Regularly inspect all facilities, equipment and worksites, being sure to document with photos and/or videos for later review. Create checklists to highlight areas to look for, including fire protection, electrical hazards, equipment operation and maintenance, etc. Include workers on the inspection team, giving them an opportunity to report hazards they notice.

Identify hazards to health: Identify chemical, biological and physical hazards in addition to ergonomic risk factors associated with, for example, heavy lifting or repetitive motions.

Investigate Incidents: Incident investigations identify root causes in order to prevent future occurrences. Train investigative teams to implement clear plans for investigating incidents and report findings to management.

Identify hazards associated with emergency situations: Develop plans and procedures for a safe and appropriate response to hazards associated with potential emergency or non-routine situations, such as fires and explosions, workplace violence or structural collapse.

Classify identified hazards, specify interim control measures, and prioritize hazards: Characterize each hazard by analyzing the severity of foreseeable outcomes, the likelihood of an incident and the number of workers who might risk exposure. Prioritize the hazards by risk, and address the greatest risks first. Use interim controls until more permanent solutions are implemented.

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Never Stop Learning About Safety: The Importance of Continuing Education

Do you remember what happened at the Battle of Gettysburg?  Do you remember how to calculate the third side of a triangle, given the length of the other two sides?  The answers to both of those questions were surely in your brain at some point in your life, be it middle school, high school or a secondary education.  So, why can't you recall the answers off the top of your head now?  Simple: time passes, you forget old concepts and you learn new concepts.  However, the fact that you've learned new concepts does not denote the importance of retaining the old concepts, especially when it comes to safety.

More likely than not, your company has done some type of training to make sure all of the company's employees have been taught best safety practices on the job.  The question then becomes: how long ago was that training?  Do you still remember those concepts?  Unlike remembering the Battle of Gettysburg, remembering the fundamentals of safety at your job is essential in keeping your team out of harms way.  Thus, there is a significant value in implementing a continuing education program into your company's daily and weekly routines.  In addition to continuing education, the implementation of warehouse safety products will decrease on the job injuries as well.  

The first of those products is Claitec's Pedestrian Alert System (PAS), which uses RFID sensors to aid in the highest safety practices within areas where your forklifts roam.  Since both the operator and the pedestrian are wearing the sensors, the sensor coming from the pedestrian will trigger an alert to the forklift driver, indicating that he or she needs to be aware of a potentially dangerous situation.  The indication will come from clearly visible flashing lights that the driver won't be able to ignore.  

Another product, Claitec's Low Speed Area (LSA), can force the forklift to lower it's speed when it enters a predetermined area.  The system uses a panel of reflective coded bands, located on the roof of the doors or in areas where speed changes. When the forklift drives underneath the panel, the sensors decode the change in zone and proceed to activate the relay corresponding to that zone.  In addition to PAS and LSA, Claitec has several other products, each designed to increase safety in a warehouse environment.

At the end of the day, you may never become a Jeopardy champion; but, if your team completed another days work without any injuries, than your a winner in our book.  To get a quote on implementing any number of our warehouse safety products, please contact our team of specialists today.

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