SAFETY POINTS NEWSLETTER
FORKLIFT SAFETY AND MORE FREE STUFF

For 50 years Materials Handling Equipment Company has been a leader in both equipment sales and customer service. Denver's boom cycles have seen many firms come and go, but certain names have remained. The firms that have survived the lean time over the last 50 years have all proven that they will go the extra mile for their customer. That extra mile often includes free services.

We do not know of another firm of our type who has the commitment to both their customers bottom line and the safety of their customers employee's as well. For 50 years MHECO has helped with such questions as "How Many Forklifts Should You Have?" and "Do I repair or replace equipment?"

On average, over the life of a forklift, only20% of it cost is ownership. Approximately 80% of total forklift costs are operating costs. In order to add to our customers bottom line, MHECO will provide the following services at no cost:
Fork Survey: A fork breaks, a load goes crashing to the floor, good are damaged, people are hurt. According to ASME/ANSI standard B56d-1992, inspections must be done at intervals of not more than 12 months or whenever a defect or permanent deformation is detected.
Battery Survey: Adequate inspection and maintenance of batteries is important in extending battery service life and performance.
Tire Survey: Improper usage and care of tires is the primary cause of industrial tire failure. As a tire wears down, so does its ability to absorb shocks. Excessive shock can loosen parts, cause premature ware on parts, damage delicate electrical components, cause leaks in fluid lines and cause tip over and lost loads.
Chain Survey: If chains are not carefully inspected for wear and properly maintained, they will fail. Most people know that forklift chains must be inspected before every shift. But what about the requirement of every 100 operating hours or more in heavy duty applications?
MORE FREE STUFF & INFO
WILL NEAR MISSES OR INJURIES BE REPORTED?
Thomas E. Baldauf, Manager of Safety & Health at PPG Industries recently stated that the following factors influence an employees decision to report an injury:

Discipline
Supervisors behavior
Relationship with supervisor
Incident investigation practices
Company recognition program
Stigma attached with being injured
Profit sharing plans with accidents included in the calculations

Tracking near misses helps prevent future accidents.

LOCK OUT AND TAG OUT DANGER
Employers by law (1910.147) must have a written Control of Hazardous Energy program in place. The key elements of a written lock out/ tag out program are:

List and identify all energy sources that require Lock-out/ Tag-out
Set procedures to service or maintain powered equipment
Set procedures to prevent machines from being turned on accidentally
Assign lock out responsibilities to specific employees
Have written plans to test lock out/ tag out procedures annually and correct any problems discovered.

DELIVER POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Some managers feel that too much recognition will give an employee a "big head".

Well - so what! This can be a good thing because often the more recognition a person received, the better they will feel about themselves.

It's a fact that the better a person feels about themselves, the more they will care for the safety of other people. If you see someone going the extra mile to be safe and productive - stop and give them quality one-on-one recognition.
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