Monday, December 3, 2018

December 2018 Safety Topic of the Month: Maintaining Equipment Operating Areas

This month let's look beyond the equipment and identify the potentially numerous hazards to equipment, operators, pedestrians, etc.

A short list of factors to consider, the list for your facility may have more:

1. Clutter in designated driveways - from solid objects to garbage.

2. Water on concrete/pavement

3. Pedestrians in driveways

4. Customers driving through driveways/parking lots.

5. Uneven driveways - broken or cracked concrete, potholes in pavement and/or dirt, etc.

Clutter - Between breakdown calls and issues found on maintenance,one of the most consistent causes of repair calls that I have known. One call involved a forklift fire - in a second hand store warehouse, the operator had driven the forklift over a pile of clothes on the floor, causing the clothes to "ride" up the rear tires and wedge in next to the exhaust pipe and muffler. Very fortunately for the employees there, the forklift had a fire extinguisher on board and they were able to put out the fire before it grew, and potentially reached the nearby propane tank. And I have lost count of all the times I have found shrink wrap or banding material wrapped in an axle! I'm sure it seems innocent enough to run over the top of these items - until that breakdown call has to be made! Everything from wheels, wheel bearings, steering, to brakes and brake lines are affected by garbage from the floor! Obviously, there is a hint here that operator training comes into play - I plan on covering this soon!

Water - Standing water on a driveway surface is a real issue with off highway equipment! Forklifts, tractors, etc. weigh at least twice as much as a car or "light truck", and react differently to driving situations. You may have experienced "hydroplaning" in a car - where the tires "are driving ON the water", causing a lack of steering control and a feeling of driving on ice. As the weight is doubled in this off highway equipment, so is the effect of hydroplaning! It is far more difficult to regain control in this situation, and usually less room to maneuver. I had a call in a warehouse for a post accident safety inspection a riding pallet jack. the operator lost control of the jack in standing water, and ran into the nearby pallet racking. The operator had his foot off of the standing deck next to the jacks "bumper" when contact with the rack happened, causing a severe injury. I found the jack to be in working order, which pointed the finger at the operator for the accident cause. It was a sad case for everyone involved. Out of doors, puddles in either dirt or pavement have caused their fair share of breakdown calls. The common misnomer that a puddle "is not that deep" causes many problems: equipment getting "high centered" in the puddle, and issues caused by the impact of "hitting" the pothole. On forklifts, lift chains, and over mast hoses and cables stretch rapidly, and OSHA has requirements in regard to lift chain stretch! (I will cover lift chains soon!) Lastly, splashing dirt/water into modern equipment jeopardizes electric components and wire connections (in every repair manual I have seen, "check connectors for water/dirt" is the first step in diagnostics).

Pedestrians - As mush as operators are trained to operate equipment, pedestrians should be trained to look out for equipment! Maintain an "ever vigilant" environment between operators and pedestrians, promote eye contact and NEVER ASSUME your surroundings. Properly mark pedestrian walkways with guard rails, barricades, and safety marking tape. Also mark designated equipment operating areas to keep pedestrians out of walkways. If your customers will be in areas where equipment is operating, it is imperative to temporarily close off isles! I am not sure if this is a requirement (OSHA or otherwise) at this time, I will update after I research this.

Customers - The greatest variable to your safety program! Signage is key to short term education on your particular safe practises. Consider customer traffic flow in your facility, and if updates are needed to make everyone safer. Beyond that, train your staff to be VERY cautious and aware when working around customers. A video recently posted on Facebook by our friends at Toyota Lift of Minnesota captures the reality of this issue:
Be Aware and Wary When Working Around Forklift Trucks

Uneven driveways - Uneven driveways cause the same damage as potholes and more. One puddle can usually be avoided, an entire driveway cannot! Uneven driveways cause "all day, every day" wear and tear on your equipment, and OPERATORS! Frequent breakdown calls to L&I claims should be weighed in the cost analysis of paving/repaving driveways!

Thank you all for your time and patronage this year!
If you have any comments about this topic or suggestions for future topics, please feel free to contact us!
Looking for solutions for your facility? Contact us! (509) 939-0926 Our online catalog has safety items as well as material handling options!
You can find our catalog on mobilemachineryservice.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thursday, November 1, 2018

November 2018 Safety Topic of the Month: Factory Service Intervals - Keeping Your Fleet Safe

This month, I want to focus on factory recommended service intervals as this pertains to every kind of equipment, on or off road.

Typically, the interval chart is located in the operator's manual that should have come with the equipment when first purchased. If yours is missing, any dealer for the specific brand should be able to provide a hard copy for you, and I have found that most are readily available online and easily found with a quick search. Some older model machines have a decal "under the hood" or inside an access panel with the basic intervals listed.

And how does this tie into safety and not just become a cheap maintenance sales ploy?
I will try my best to keep the sales pitch to a dull roar!

Simply stated, maintenance and factory maintenance intervals SHOULD be utilized to keep things in check so there is a clear communication of what is functioning correctly, and what needs to be addressed. I believe in doing what is best for the equipment while factoring in actual usage and keeping a customers budget in mind - planning repairs in the future when possible to buffer costs, coordinate with downtime, etc.

Now I have mentioned two different types of maintenance practices, so I will break those down:

1. Maintenance: AKA preventative maintenance, scheduled maintenance, etc.
    This is the basic, meat and potatoes service that should include oil change, filter replacement,         chassis lube, a basic safety and operational inspection, etc. This type of maintenance is performed on a schedule based on equipment hours/miles and/or an agreed upon time table with respect to operational demand. This type of maintenance can be used to set the time frame for factory service interval work and other repairs.

2. Factory Service Interval Maintenance: These standards are set by the equipment manufacture to achieve the optimum overall life and efficiency. The intervals set a time frame (hours/miles and/or time) for inspection and/or replacement of crucial systems, wearable parts, oils & fluids. By nature, this helps to prevent "over maintaining" by setting time frames for items to be serviced. Also to note, these interval charts do include the oil change (maintenance #1) time frames as well.

I have found that using these types of maintenance practices together is a good way to maintain equipment, with the benefits of scheduling simultaneously to maximize downtime and budgeting (both monetarily and time) interval maintenance together.

And the safety angle in all of this...

With a preventative maintenance program in place, monitoring and planning interval maintenance before a breakdown occurs, will prevent unsafe conditions before they can happen - which will always be when you need that piece of equipment the most!!!

We would love to help you with your preventative maintenance and Interval maintenance needs!
Please contact us to schedule your next service! (509) 939-0926

Thank you for your time!
As always, I welcome a discussion about this or any other safety topic!

Tom Kassen   

Monday, October 1, 2018

October 2018 Safety Topic of the Month: Winterizing

With winter rapidly approaching, I want to focus on preparing equipment for colder and wetter conditions.

Starting with the basics, the maintenance end of things:

1. Check the engine antifreeze. Check the level in both the radiator and the reserve bottle (where possible), check the freeze protection temperature (simple squeeze bulb testers are available at automotive parts stores) and make adjustments as necessary. Before the weather turns is a good time to have the cooling system inspected: hoses, antifreeze life, thermostat function etc. are items that will usually not manifest issues until you absolutely do not want them to! Another consideration, in propane systems the coolant is used to heat the fuel going into the (engine). If the coolant level is low, this system will not work, causing the regulator to "ice up", this in effect causes the engine to stall and not start (like "vapor lock" in a car). Then it is a matter of defrosting the regulator, with fuel in it, a potentially dangerous situation.

2. Load test battery. What seems like a fully operational battery may fail the instant the weather turns cold. Performing a load test if the age of the battery is questionable will help determine the remaining lifespan of the battery. While your at it, checking the charging system will only take another couple of minutes, and may spare a battery!

3. Tires: Check tires for proper inflation and tread life. In regard to forklift tires,consider switching to traction tires for the season. On a related note, as best as possible try to remove excessive water or puddles from floor - traction tires are no match for 8,000 to 10,000lbs. in motion! Pull out the tire chains, lay them out and inspect for issues. Check chain tensioners and make sure they can handle another season.

4. Viscosity of Oils. In more extreme climates and when there appears to be a benefit in doing so, a change in engine oil and/or hydraulic fluid weight may be in order. Sticking with manufacturer's guidelines, changing viscosity can help overcome excessive wear and tear as well as increase function in lifting operation. Contact your service provider or your local oil and fluid provider for more information.

5. Take care of your operators! Fatigue increases in cold weather, so do what you can to keep your operators warm and dry. I recommend ClearCap overhead guard covers to keep the rain and snow off. https://clearcap.com/

Call now to schedule any of the above mentioned services or to order a ClearCap for your forklift(s).

Thank you for your time, please feel free to comment on this discussion!

Tom Kassen, Owner/Field Technician
(509) 939-0926
https://mobilemachineryservice.com/

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

September 2018 Safety Topic of the Month: Tire Wear

Starting here and now, I am going to post safety topics on a monthly basis. Not reinventing the wheel, as just about every forklift dealer has their own blog, the main difference here is relating my personal experiences found in my travels which (I hope) will have some unique insights and information useful to all who read these posts.

Tire Wear:

This particular topic will skew toward forklifts, with a little bit of general application - you have been warned.

Tire wear in forklifts is an ongoing topic of discussion, with a variety of variables involved for what on the surface would seem to be a open and closed, cut and dried, singular aspect of any machine, in truth tires are one of (if not) the most important part of any vehicle. Of course, all of the factors play a significant role in maximizing tire wear. I will attempt to cover as many of these factors in this post - without getting too carried away!

Let's start with a new set of tires - after receiving the bill, you want to do everything in your power to maximize your return on investment! Starting with the forklift operators, cultivate an awareness of safety at the beginning of each shift with the forklift inspection: visually inspect for damage to tire "tread", wheels etc. Look for foreign objects stuck in tires (though a cushion tire will not "go flat", there is a possibility of "chunking" (large chunks of rubber missing from tire) and "delaminating" (rubber separating from the metal rim) if the object is left in a tire.) Also check for uneven wear, front drive tires can wear unevenly due to rapid acceleration ("burnouts") and aggressive accelerating when the drive tire is wet. The typical forklift drive axle acts like a standard differential in an automobile, where only one wheel has power full time. This kind of wear is dangerous on a forklift because it offsets the stability triangle - creating a tipping hazard. Also regarding the drive tires, the standard wear point maximum is at the top of the lettering of the tire size on the side (applicable to steer tires as well), or the "safety line". However, consideration for forward tilt of the mast must be observed as there is only a few inches of clearance from the floor to the bottom of the mast (majority of 2,000 to 5,000lb. forklifts). The ratio of tire wear to the point where the mast will contact the ground is very little, and less on uneven surfaces. Uneven wear of the steer (rear) tires: if the steer tires appear to be tapering to one side, specifically to the inner side, could indicate a wheel bearing or king pin issue and should be addressed immediately. On an electric forklift with solid polyurethane tires, look carefully for flat spots on the face of the tread. Flat spotted tires will cause the forklift to shake and bounce during operation, causing a load to shift and/or fall off of forks, possibly cause internal damage to the forklift, and very unpleasant for the operator, of course!

Next, we want to focus on driving surfaces. Keeping forklift paths free of objects and debris, avoiding potholes and uneven pavement etc. are all good practises for tire health. Make sure to keep shrink wrap and banding materials picked up and away from forklift tires - I have seen many tires, wheel bearings and brakes damaged by just a little of either of these ran over and tangled around a wheel.

Majority of all new forklifts have programmable acceleration, speed restrictions, and other customizable options to help add to forklift tire life. If you are considering purchasing a new or newer forklift, ask your sales representative about these options to see if they are right for you.

A word about pneumatic tires. The basic visual inspection stated above applies to pneumatic tires, with close attention to objects that could cause a puncture of the tire/inner tube and cause a leak. Routine air pressure checks should be performed to extend the life of these tires, and is crucial to the lift/tilt functions in respect to ground clearance and maintaining the stability triangle.


I welcome a dialog on this topic and any other topics of safety that are of concern or interest to you. Thank you for your time!

Tom Kassen, Owner/Field Technician

(509) 939-0926
https://mobilemachineryservice.com/

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Happy (New Year) 2nd Quarter 2018!

Originally this post was titled just Happy New Year, and intended to be published in the right time!
It has been a wild roller coaster of a year already - both personally and professionally, and in all ways very busy.

Through the course of the beginning of the year, I made a decision to expand the business and set the stage for the future of Mobile Machinery Service - I am actively looking into becoming an equipment dealer for a few different brands of product to cover the variety of customers I currently serve. On the personal side, this is not a decision I take lightly or strictly monetary, I believe the more that can be done "in house" will provide a better overall customer experience. In addition to equipment, I will be adding material handling accessories and farm implements to further take care of our customers "under one roof".

Currently, I have updated the company website to be "tighter and brighter" and far easier to navigate for the end user, as well as easier for me to provide updated content. I have recently added an online catalog feature that has numerous material handling and industrial products, with room to add products:     http://mobilemachineryservice.theonlinecatalog.com/  I am learning how to navigate this site, and hope to have several new items up in the next few weeks.

So, belated Happy New Year! I hope all is going well with you and your are having an incredible year!

Tom Kassen

Owner/Field Technician