"Industrial trucks shall be examined before being placed in service." 29 CFR 1910.178 states, "Such examinations shall be made at least daily." 29 CFR 1910.179 states, "Prior to initial use, all new and altered cranes shall be inspected." Periodic Maintenance is the key to keeping your operation up and running. By implementing and properly administering a complete maintenance program, a business can and will achieve optimum economic life from its investment in capitol equipment.

In the year 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued 439 citations to firms who had failed to inspect their forklifts.

Dock levelers, dock plates and even conveyors must be inspected and maintained by law as well.

Common sense, economics and Federal law demand a safe and productive workplace. Managers demand equipment run and operate as designed.

The cost of acquiring industrial equipment is only about 20% of the total cost of owning and operating such equipment over its effective life. As the current business cycle slowed, Business Managers have tended to hold onto equipment longer than ever before, trying to capture every last dollar before the value of their aging equipment completely depreciates. Only by approaching equipment maintenance with a proactive instead of a reactive philosophy can a business achieve savings in maintenance costs, extended the useful life of the equipment and experience an increased uptime.

Without proper planning and training in controlling the remaining 80% of the costs of owing capital equipment, your business may be losing profit dollars through unscheduled downtime, higher operating costs, lower productivity and reduced equipment service life.

Lets look at one simple part of a forklift - the forks. Forks are just chunks of steel - what can go wrong? A fork breaks - a load goes crashing to the floor.

According to ASME/ANSI standard B561d-1992, inspection must be done at intervals of not more than 12 months (for single shift operations) or whenever a defect or permanent deformation is detected.

Severe use applications require more frequent inspections. Fork inspections shall be carried out carefully by trained personnel. If such trained personnel find wear or damage, the lift truck must not be used until the forks are replaced (not repaired). If a fork is worn more than 10% of its original thickness, it must be removed from service.

How about keeping the equipment and the workplace clean? Dirt and contaminants are probably the top culprits causing expensive capital equipment to degrade and fail. A disciplined approach to preventative maintenance and safety will help companies develop a public image of integrity and accountability. A workplace noted for smooth operations and safe working conditions builds both trust and faith. Not only with its employees but with its
customers as well.

Materials Handling Equipment Company offer its customers an appearance kit that along with a paint job will revive a well running but "tired" forklift.

Items such as warning labels, decals and slip resistant treads are replaced, seats and seat belts are often replaced as well!

Call Materials Handling Equipment Product Support Department for help.