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Tilt and Bulk Trucks Offer Solution to Trash and Other Potentially Messy Problems

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If you want to improve your trash or product handling at your business or workplace, you should consider utilizing a tilt or bulk truck. These are two-, three- and four-wheeled vehicles that are big enough to handle bulk materials, refuse, recyclables or whatever it is you need to move from place to place. Clean, Safe and Efficient Removing … Read more

Forklift and Crane Used to Transport Obese Man to Hospital

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Workers in Saudi Arabia used a forklift to transport a man weighing more than 1,000 lbs. to a local hospital for treatment, according to news reports. Khaled Mohsin Shaeri, who authorities said weighed 610 kg — or  1,345 lbs. — was transported from his hometown of Jizan to the Saudi capital city of Riyadh via a special-equipped military airplane and then off-loaded using a forklift, which then brought him to a hospital.

Because of his enormous weight, Shaeri, 20, had been unable to leave his bedroom for the past two and a half years, but thanks to Saudi King Abdullah, who personally financed the transport operation, he was able to get medical care for his condition. A cousin told Reuters that Shaeri had contracted an unspecified disease when he was a child that caused him to rapidly put on weight, and he soon became bedridden.

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Rough Terrain Stacker, Once Reserved for Military, Now Available to Public

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military grade heavy equiipment
RT240 Rough Terrain Reach Stacker

Kalmar RT, a manufacturer of rough terrain lift stacker trucks that have been reserved exclusively for the United States military, announced that it now is offering some its vehicles to civilians as well.

The Kalmar RT240 is designed to be operated under practically any terrain conditions, including grades of up to 27 percent. It has the capability to stack 20- and 40-foot containers and can work in unimproved ground conditions, including marshy terrain, and any type of environment. The versatility of its applications is enhanced by available fork and sling lift attachments.

Four Purchased for Oil Field Project

Four of the vehicles already have been sold to Toll Group, an Asian integrated logistic services provider, and will be used on the Gorgon Project, a remote natural gas project in Australia’s Gorgon gas fields, considered to be one of the biggest in the world. The vehicle was selected because of its capacity and  efficiency and will be used both at the dock and at the construction site. Previous vehicles proved ineffective and the project fell behind schedule.

So far, Toll Group is the first to buy the vehicles, but Kalmar RT, based in Cibolo, Texas, is poised to market the rough terrain reach stackers to customers who are looking for equipment that already has been quite literally battle-tested.

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Inexpensive Ways to Improve Employee Morale

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happy employees are productive employeesFor most companies, employees spend nearly as much time on the job as they do in their own homes. So providing a work environment in which your employees feel welcome and appreciated is an important part of maintaining employee morale.

Nobody wants to work someplace in which they aren’t made to feel welcome. Here are a few simple and inexpensive ways you can make your employees feel more at home while they are on the job:

1. Make Them Feel As Though Their Opinion Counts — One of the easiest things you can do to engage your employees is to install a suggestion box or find another way to gather their input. Studies have shown that workers who feel they have some say on how things are run in the workplace are happier and more satisfied in their work.

2. Provide a Clean and Comfortable Break Area — Your workers are most likely to be chatting with their co-workers during their breaks. To keep their conversations positive, provide a clean and comfortable break area. Some new cafeteria tables or break furniture is an excellent way to make your employees feel as if you genuinely care about their well-being.

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Make a Good First Impression with a Clean and Organized Reception Area

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desk and chairsWhen clients and visitors enter your business, what do they see?

If you aren’t sure how to answer that question, try this experiment: Pretend that you are a first time visitor to your business. Drive into your parking lot and act as if you have never been there before. Is your entrance easy to find? Are there signs to direct visitors where to go?

Walk into your reception area and look around. Does it look friendly and inviting? Is there a live person there to greet you? If so, what do they say? Are they personable and helpful?

Next, look at your waiting area, if you have one. Is the furniture clean and in good repair? Is there something to keep your visitors occupied while they are waiting, such as a television or some magazines?

Like anything else in life, first impressions mean a lot when it comes to your company’s visitors. So the way they perceive your business during their first visit can set the tone to how they feel about interacting with your company in the future. A few simple improvements to your visitor’s experience can determine whether or not they will become a lifelong customer.

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10 Tips to Make Moving Day Easier

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moving suppliesWhether you are moving into a new house or apartment, taking your son or daughter to college, or moving your business to a new location, moving day can be a stressful experience.

If you are doing the moving yourself, the most important thing is to get all of your possessions to where they are going safely and with as little breakage as possible. Here are the Top 10 Tips to help make your moving day go more smoothly:

1. Protect your furniture from nicks and scratches by wrapping it in a stretch wrap. A single large roll usually is enough to cover every major piece of furniture you own.

2. If you can get into your new space before your possessions arrive, pre-clean your bathrooms and kitchen first. Put up a new shower curtain and bring some bath towels so you can enjoy a hot shower after the hard work of moving is over.

3. Pack the essentials — such as soap, dishwashing liquid, shampoo and toilet paper — into an overnight bag and carry it with you. That way you won’t have to search through boxes for the items you need right away.

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What to Look for in a Pair of Work Gloves

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Work gloves are one of those things that many people take for granted, but when it comes time to buy a new pair, what sort of qualities differentiate a good, durable pair from a bad pair of work gloves?

various types of work glovesPrice is not always the best indicator of quality. There are many expensive work gloves that offer poor protection, aren’t made of the best quality materials, and won’t last as long as many more affordable work gloves. So don’t expect to get the best just because you paid the most.

How Will the Work Gloves Be Used?

When considering which work gloves to buy, it’s important to think about how you will be using them:

  • What sort of substances will you be handling?
  • Are there any specialized hazards you may be facing (such as open wiring, wet conditions, etc.)
  • What will be the contact duration and how will it occur?
  • Are there any physical details of the wearer that need to be considered (such as hand size, allergies, deformities and so on)?

Work gloves, such as those offered by Bahrns, are available in both natural and synthetic materials. While some work gloves are designed to prevent the wearer from coming into contact with harmful substances, in some cases the gloves themselves may be harmful to the wearer, such as when they are the incorrect size or are made of a material to which the wearer is allergic.

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Avoiding Back Injuries in the Workplace, Part 3

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Editor’s Note: This is the third and final installment of a special report on avoiding back injuries, the most common workplace injury.

Avoiding workplace injuriesThe best way to avoid injuring your back while lifting is to avoid lifting whenever possible. Using carts and dollies, rather than your legs and back, is the best way to transport heavy objects without lifting them. Pushing a cart is always easier than pulling it. And using cranes, hoists and lift tables to get the heavy objects onto the transport vehicles will also reduce excess back stress.

Proper Lifting Procedures Explained

While you probably can’t always avoid any lifting in the workplace, you can improve your chances of avoiding a back injury if you follow the proper lifting procedures in order to minimize the amount of pressure you place on your lower back.

The first thing to remember is to always bend at the knees. This allows your spine to maintain its natural “S” shape, so you essentially eliminate the fulcrum/lever principle that occurs when your back acts as a crane, rather than allowing your legs to do the work.

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Avoiding Back Injuries in the Workplace, Part 2

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How to Avoid Back InjuriesEditor’s Note: This is the second of three special reports on avoiding back injuries, the most common workplace injury.

Improperly lifting a heavy object or accidentally twisting while carrying a heavy load aren’t the only ways to suffer a back injury while at work. Painful back injuries also can be caused by slips and falls, tripping over obstacles, and improperly using moving equipment such as manual jacks and dollies.

Besides the physical environment of the workplace, there are other factors that also can contribute to back injuries, including:

  • Being Out of Shape — Back muscles require strong stomach muscles to provide proper support. If your stomach muscles are weak or flabby, you may be more likely to suffer a back injury.
  • Poor Posture — Your spine has a natural “S” shape that is optimal for support weight while lifting. When you lean forward when you sit, hunch over when you  are standing or otherwise have poor posture, this can weaken the spine over time.
  • Being Overweight — Carrying additional weight on your body can add to the weight-to-force fulcrum proportion when you lift heavy objects because your body weight is also being supported by your back.
  • Stress and Anxiety — Being stressed out causes muscle tension, making them more susceptible to injury.

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Avoiding Back Injuries in the Workplace, Part 1

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Avoiding back injuries in the workplaceEditor’s Note: This is the first of a special three-part special report on avoiding back injuries, the most common workplace injury.

Anyone who has suffered back injury can tell you how painful and debilitating they can be. They tend to take a long time to heal and often can lead to further back problems months or even years later.

They also account for one out of every five workplace injury, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Back injuries can cause an employee to miss work and lose wages, but they also can cost an employer in lost productivity and in workman’s compensation claims. In fact, approximately 20% of all workmen’s comp claims are due to workers suffering back injuries.

So there is a benefit to both employees and management to avoiding back injuries whenever possible.

Under Pressure

Most people know that you should always lift with your legs, bending your knees when picking up a heavy object, but have you ever considered why this is the case? The amount of force you put on your back when you don’t bend your knees can be tremendous.

Think of your back as a fulcrum in a lever system. Because it isn’t centered, bending at the waist causes you to have a 10:1 weight-to-force ratio. In other words, lifting an object that weighs only 10 lbs. actually puts about 100 lbs. of pressure on your lower back. So any type of repetitive lifting and bending from the waist can quickly result in a back injury.

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