Archive for November, 2019
Can Forklift Ergonomics Help You Save Money?
Products made with the latest state-of-the-art forklift ergonomics are great for your employees. However, you might not realize they can also be great for your finances. Read on to learn how certain ergonomic features can help your forklift operators stay healthy and how healthy workers can positively impact your bottom line.
Operators are more productive, less tired, and less likely to be injured
Driving a forklift is a hard job. Every forklift operator’s movement causes fatigue, and a tired worker is less productive.
An injured employee is even worse. Repetitive strain injuries take a long time to develop and a long time to treat. How long? According to the Insurance Journal, on average, strains and sprains resulted in 57 missed workdays.
If you don’t want your skilled employees fatigued or, even worse, out for an extended time due to a repetitive strain injury, help them stay healthy by purchasing a forklift with ergonomic features.
- Fingertip controls to reduce un-needed movements to reach controls
- Lower front cowls to reduce leaning to view a load
- Integrated scales to alleviate having to exit the truck to weigh a load
- Smaller steering wheels to minimize shoulder strain
- Suspension seats to relieve lower back pain
- Lower step height for easy exit and entry
- Swivel seats to reduce feet movement when driving backward
- Rear safety handles with an integrated horn button to reduce twisting motions
Financial benefits over time
When your operators are healthy, it helps your finances stay healthy. Here are several ways ergonomics can help your bottom line.
- Reduced workers’ compensation claims
- Reduced accidents and OSHA fines
- Employees take less sick time
- Higher quality of work
- Higher rate of employee retention
Forklift operators spend hours driving every day. Keep these ergonomic features and benefits in mind to protect the health of your drivers’ and your bottom line. Need help finding the right forklift for your operators and application? Let us help. Click here to contact us today.
How to Tell If You Need a New Forklift
Forklifts are the workhorses of the material handling industry. A quality forklift lasts long, but unfortunately, they don’t last forever. Most business owners want to get the most out of their equipment, so how do you find the sweet spot between retiring a forklift too soon or waiting too long to buy a new forklift?
Gather the data
Consider several things before you decide to replace a piece of expensive equipment. To make sure you make a well-informed decision, gather the following information:
- The age of the forklift
- The forklift brand’s estimated life expectancy/hours of operation
- The current hours of use
- The current and past types of application
- Maintenance logs to determine the frequency and type of repairs
Ask your forklift operator
Your forklift operator will most likely be the first person to notice signs of wear and tear. Ask them to be on the lookout for any of these issues:
- Signs of cracks and other distortions anywhere on the forklift
- Wear and tear on the fork blades
- Wires that are worn, broken, or exposed
- A sluggish engine or transmission
General questions to keep in mind
As a forklift owner, here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine if it’s time to replace your equipment:
- Is your forklift out for repairs more than usual? Unless it’s planned downtime, you’re probably losing time and money if your forklift is out for repairs.
- Have you exceeded the recommended hours of operation? Well-built forklifts have a lifespan between 10,000 and 20,000 work hours. You’re playing roulette with unplanned downtime if you’re past the limit.
- Is your forklift used in extreme applications or temperatures? Understanding anything beyond regular use will cause a forklift to age faster is essential.
- Is your engine or transmission going bad? It can cost thousands of dollars to repair a failing engine or transmission. Do the math before you spend the money on repairs -you might want to spend your budget on a new lift truck with the latest technology.
Our best advice is to start this process before needing a new forklift. A planned purchase where you budget and research before you buy is ideal. A surprise last-minute purchase when your forklift breaks down during your busiest season is not.
Need help figuring out if it’s the right time to replace your forklift or fleet? Let us help. Click here to contact us today.