December 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Happy Holidays

I do not have a specific topic for this month, just a suggestion: this may be a good time for you to perform a safety audit for your workplace. Take a little time to review the safety plan from this previous year and note what worked and what did not. Review changes and additions from the year, noting effectiveness, and in no time, you will have a fresh plan of attack for the new year! If this is your busy season, I encourage you to find the right time of year that works for you and your facility's schedule. Don't forget to look for new and innovative ways to improve your safety program!

 It will be a short month for me, as I will be closing for the whole two weeks surrounding the holidays (12/21/19 to 1/5/20), and hopefully finishing the bulk of our move in that time, Lord willing!!! If not, at least I'll have some time for packing, HaHa!!

Thank you all for your support and looking in on these little commentaries, I hope you are able to take some things away from these!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Tom Kassen  

November 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Lock Out Tag Out

This Month, I want to briefly cover lock out tag out - briefly because most companies extensively cover this topic, with their own set of procedures and protocols.

For those who have not been so lucky to receive training in this area, I will outline the function and importance of lock out tag out in any situation to promote safety. Simply stated, lock out tag out is used to communicate hazardous and unsafe equipment by disabling said equipment and placing an obvious notice in the place where the equipment would be started/operated. There are several devices used to lock out equipment, for example:

• Hooks with provisions for padlocks - to prevent panels from being opened
• Breaker covers - lock electric circuit breakers into the off position
• Cord plug "boots" - lock into place to prevent damaged cords from being used

Typically, these are used in conjunction with warning tags. These tags have red stripes to be easily identified, they also have a portion for writing in the issue, the name of the person who placed the tag and the department they work in. Some of these tags have a tear away section to relay the same information to the maintenance department (if applicable), both portions have a matching number for identification.

Used together with procedures in place to do so, this system is very effective in keeping personnel safe. One thing that does seem to be understated - FILL OUT THE TAG CLEARLY AND COMPLETELY! AND COMMUNICATE VERBALLY WITH A SUPERVISOR AND THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT THE ISSUE! This is where another safety issue arises - when a technician is assigned to perform repairs on a piece of equipment, all the technician has to go on is what is written on the tag out tag. Case in point, I had a forklift tagged out first thing in the morning. The tag was placed by a worker from the graveyard shift, with nothing written on the tag! The only clue was that the propane tank valve was turned off, which never happened unless there was a leak. Sure enough, carefully opened the valve slightly, and nearly missed getting sprayed by the leak in the hose!

For those of us who have had these procedures drilled into them over the years, it is easier to apply them at home. For those who have not, and those who do not apply them to the homefront - I would invite you (speaking to myself, also!) to apply the same procedures for safety, lock out tag out and all other safety procedures for that matter. Your employer does not expect you to do your job with unsafe equipment - why treat yourself any different?

October 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Cold Weather Preparation

As my housing transition is still in transition and consuming all of my "spare time" this will be brief, but I do want to post a friendly reminder about winter preparation, since we have skipped fall here!

The forecast is predicting a long winter season this year, and definitely seems to be holding true! There is no time to lose in making preparations this year, so I am throwing out pointers off the top of my head. Hopefully, you have a plan of action already in place for the season, if so, I would like to know what your plan is. Feel free to comment or contact me directly!

A few points to consider:

Personal/Personnel:

• Thermal underwear
• Thermal outerwear/thermal PPE
• Traction shoes or boots/or "traction cleats"
• knowledge of hypothermia symptoms and first aid procedures 

Workplace:

• Check snow/ice removal tools for proper working order
• Stock/restock ice melting chemicals
• Update/add "slick area" signage
• Establish and apply winter facility maintenance preparation plan, i.e. sprinkler system or irrigation hose blow out, clear snow pile areas/widen isles, etc., identify building repair projects and reorder if necessary.

Equipment:

• Check coolant level/mixture
• Check batteries: cable connections for corrosion/tightness, charging system and battery load test
• If equipped, clean cab heaters as best as possible for dirt and loose debris
• Check tire wear, check tire chains, check brake/park brake operation
• Check safety equipment: strobe lights, work lights, back up alarms etc.

Thank you,

Tom Kassen

tomkassen@mobilemachineryservice.com

September 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Be Safe Out There

As I am currently in the process of moving both home and home office, I do not have a topic this month. That stated, I will say always be alert and safety conscious!

Thank you for your support, and reading these blog posts. As always, I welcome a discussion on safety, or equipment related topics. I hope to have a new safety blog for October, and news on new developments with the business - stay tuned!

Thank you!

Tom Kassen

August 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Safe Work Environment for Personnel & Machinery

This month, I want to focus on the importance of defining spaces for equipment and personnel in any workplace situation. (In my opinion), the majority of pedestrian/equipment accidents, and countless "near miss" situations occur due to lack of proper pedestrian only areas and equipment only areas - and lack of enforcement/discipline. And that is discipline of an individual to adhere to the rules of safety - not reprimand. The common items that I have seen overlooked:

• Lack of floor markings, signage, guard rails, mirrors, etc. to mark where pedestrian and equipment traffic are allowed.
• Lack of / defective safety equipment: horns, lights, reflectors, etc. and/or lack of use of these safety items.  

With the above in place, the most common overlooked issue is having a consistent traffic safety plan in place, reinforced with safety training meetings regularly, and establishing an environment where personnel work together to keep each other safe. If a change has to occur to an established zone - communicate it  immediately to all affected staff, and make sure to have them pass the information on to absent coworkers and post notices in places where all employees can see.

For those workplaces that are less than conventional: outside, close spaces, and those where customers, vendors, or even regular local traffic drive through the middle of the work area, extra care and planning will be necessary. A heightened level of awareness should be encouraged throughout your team. Also consider adding personal protective equipment (PPE) such as high visibility uniforms, coveralls, or vests. The addition of temporary to permanent traffic redirection devices - cones to "K-rails" may be necessary to facilitate traffic around the workflow. Weekly or even daily team safety meetings would go a long way to keep up the safety mindset.

All of this has funneled down to safety training, and the primary topic to teach is awareness. Constant surveillance of surroundings is imperative. Achieving eye contact with equipment operators before proceeding at an intersection, as well as the equipment operator keeping a vigilant eye out for pedestrians and potential hazards - and from here we scratch at the topic of operator training, which I will cover soon.

Proper signage and safety implements will create an atmosphere where safe practices will thrive - vigilant communication of the safety policy and procedures will help your team come together to keep the workplace as safe as possible-
so everyone goes home at the end of the day!

Tom Kassen

Note: As I wrote this, I realized that I may have made a vague reference to construction environments. As construction environments are not my area of experience, I did not intentionally cover specifics for construction in particular. My experience has been that construction crews have a very high standard and a zero tolerance for any lack of safety practices. I would really like to hear some insight into construction safety from anybody who has experience, thank you! 

July 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Overheating - Man & Machine

With Summer upon us once again, it's time to talk about heat related stress. While considering this topic, I found myself thinking more about people than machines (as anyone truly should) and realized how they truly do go hand in hand. Simply put - if one is overheating, the other is probably overheating (or prone to overheating) given the work environment.

1. WATCH OUT FOR YOUR FELLOW WORKERS/EMPLOYEES!

Familiarize yourself and your employees with the sign of heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Perform an evaluation of your facility - identify areas of increased heat stress, and if possible restrict personnel and equipment from the area, or at least restrict time spent by any one person, rotate employees in quick intervals to further limit time in a high heat area. Identify areas where employees can cool down if exposed to heat - provide drinking water in these areas and keep water close to employees throughout the facility.

 Photo courtesy of Stevens County Fire District No.1's Facebook page.

There are several products available that help beat the heat, evaporative cooling caps, for example are very effective in high heat environments. Keeping up electrolyte intake is important as well, non-caffeinated sports drinks will help with this. There are electrolyte tablets that are effective - but consult your doctor before taking as they are basically sodium tablets. Communication and alertness of changing situation are the constant to avoid heat related injuries and accidents.

2. KEEPING MACHINERY FROM OVERHEATING

The short and simple here is constant monitoring of equipments' gages and alarms. That "usually ignored" temperature gage will need a little more attention in the heat. And close monitoring of coolant levels during pre shift inspections, as well as overall condition of the visible cooling system will be the best guard against an overheating issue. If ANY issues are revealed at that time - TAG OUT the machine immediately and DO NOT OPERATE! Have a full inspection completed by an appropriate repair technician. If the machine begins to overheat, SHUT IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY! - not just for the machine, but for your own safety. Also to consider, if you see a fluid leak - it may not be the fluid you think it is. Case in point, while working onsite at a facility where excessive heat is a constant year round (and worst in summer),  a forklift operator brought over a Toyota forklift "that was leaking transmission fluid". He left the truck running, I hopped into the seat, looked at the instrument panel, and the temperature gage was pegged in the red. Toyota forklifts (like Toyota cars and trucks) use a specific coolant - pink in color, and the forklift operator had mistaken the engine coolant for transmission fluid! (Dexron 3, if your curious). The good news was no permanent damage, the bad news the truck was down for two days for parts, and was only one of three forklifts of that capacity for the whole facility.

To sum it all up - always be aware of your surroundings and be on the lookout for the signs of overheating, in both man and machine!

Tom Kassen  

(Added 7/17/2019) Here is a link to OSHA's page on Occupational Heat Exposure:
 https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/?fbclid=IwAR0ilbGgpjDZYxBMh1YRJhVN2dJGQtkc5Fzwl3fR77tQezPUaFESIG0jMSU

June 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Attachments

This month, I will focus on attachments for all kinds of equipment.

As all attachments are unique, each one has specific safety and maintenance points that should be considered before each use. Always consult your owners manual for proper operating practices, pre use checks, etc. or consult your dealer for more information and resources for your specific equipment.

Keeping the above in mind, I will cover the basics for any given piece of equipment:

• Visual inspection - always the starting point for a safety/maintenance program. Give a thorough check over the entire unit - this is where most issues are found. Make sure any fluid reservoirs are topped off with the correct fluid. 
•  If the unit is propelled by hydraulic power, check for leaks. Check quick-disconnect fittings for proper connection (with pressure relieved). Check cylinder connecting pins for play and lubrication.
• Belt driven - check belt tension and wear. Make sure the belt travel path is clear at all points.
• Shaft driven - check shaft for excess play and lubrication. Make sure there are no obstructions in the travel path of the drive shaft.
• Electronic controls - check the primary connection plugs for a tight and dry fit. If there is excess water (rain) buildup, create a drain path or move the connector if possible and resecure out of the way. Visually inspect attachment electrical components (that are visible)  for moisture and signs of overheating.
• Check all pivots, joints, pulleys, etc. for wear, lubrication, etc.
• Check stops, set bolts, etc. for tightness and proper adjustment.
• Finally, start the machine and check the attachment functions - all should be in proper working order before use!

I saved the most important for last - make sure all guards are in place and functioning properly!!!

Feeling overwhelmed with everything that needs to be taken into consideration for attachments AND equipment? - never be afraid to reach out to a service provider (Hi!) - even for a one-time-show-me-how session!

(509) 381-2148

service@mobilemachineryservice.com

Thank you!

Tom Kassen

May 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Forks

This month I will focus on another "under appreciated" part of a forklift: the forks!

Forklift forks are available in a wide variety of styles, lengths, and "specific to application" types.
The basic inspection is pretty much the same across the board, you should be looking for:

• Cracks, bends, dents, etc. specifically at the weldments, the bend of the fork and the beginning of the taper - which in my experience is the usual point where breakage occurs.

• Gouges and bent tips - it takes surprisingly little to cause pallet loading/unloading issues with damaged fork tips.

• Check the adjustment pins, make sure the handles or knobs are in place and the pin securely locks the fork into place.

• On forklifts with fork positioners, check the mounting to the cylinder for tightness, check the carriage track and the fork hooks for smooth operation, alignment, etc.

• Check the underside of the forks for signs of dragging on the ground.

The number one cause of fork wear I have encountered is from dragging forks on the ground. This causes the forks to grind and loose thickness. OSHA standards only allow for 10% wear of the fork, measured against the thickness of the carriage side thickness (#1 measured against #2 in picture below, typical Industrial Truck Association "hook" style forks). Two ways to prevent this: Train operators to keep the forks up (4" - 6" off the floor) while operating the lift truck. In some cases, it is possible to adjust the carriage to ride higher at the full lower position, also check your drive (front) tires for wear vs. ride height.

A few other things to consider:

Forks come in many sizes and tapers, also custom sizes are available from several manufacturers, so if your loading situation is not working an adjustment in length may help.
Remember the truck rating for load center applies regardless of fork length, also true for fork extensions - which I will cover next month with other attachments.

Thank you, as always I welcome any input on this topic!

Tom Kassen

April 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Forklift Lift Chains

 Over the next few months, I will focus on specific components of equipment and my experiences with them. This month, I will discuss forklift lift chains.

Lift chains on vertical mast and some boom mast (telehandler) forklifts are the actual components that do all of the lifting, so maintaining chains is absolutely critical! Typical forklift lift chain is the multiple leaf style, which varies in size and individual leaf count with every forklift make and model (the larger the lift capacity, the larger the chain, usually). I have come across older (50's & 60's era) forklifts that used roller chain - units less than 3,000lb. capacity - just "putting that out there".

The basic inspection of any lift chain I would recommend, coinciding with the daily checklist:

• Visual inspection: note any excessive rust, corrosion, etc.
• Check for visible wear: over the sheaves/rollers, pins, and especially the master pins/links, and anchors. 
• With the forks fully lowered and mast positioned to create slack in the chains: grab the chain and push/pull - check for play in the pins, there should not be detectable play, move the chain side to side, looking for the same kind of play.
• Check for seized/ stiff links - depending on the amount of slack when you check, there should be proportionally a full range of play.

Be sure to document any of the conditions above.

Now to look at things in operation, forklift chains are always under tension when operating. They carry the full weight of the empty carriage: 500lb. or more and more as load increases, so we are fighting an uphill battle from the start in regard to chain preservation. Additional issues to consider, and prevent if possible:

• Bumpy paths: potholes and material in pathways should be avoided as much as possible, the bounce to the carriage will cause chain stretch, and increases under load.
• When unloading a pallet into a space above ground, racking for example, make sure the chain is holding tension on the carriage. The scenario: a pallet is unloaded onto a rack position above the operators line of sight, the operator lowers the carriage to place the pallet and continues to hold the lever in the down position. At this point, there is no detectable movement from the carriage, but the lift cylinder is still retracting. The operator pulls away from the rack, just as the forks clear the pallet/rack, the carriage slams down inches or a couple of feet causing stress on the chains and also the hoses.
• Overloading: do not exceed the lift rating, also make sure the load conforms to the load center rating of the truck. Even if the load is under the weight specification, exceeding the load center creates an unsafe situation and excess strain on the chains.
• Correct attachments: there are several types of attachments for specific jobs to be done, each has its own set of specifications to follow. Attachments can provide a safer way to complete tasks and prevent excessive wear, in chains as well as the rest of the machine.

Also to be considered, OSHA has set limits to chain stretch per chain pitch (the distance between pins in a single link of chain). If you handle your maintenance in house, make sure your mechanics are measuring chain stretch on a regular basis. Simple chain wear testers can be ordered from your parts provider or local dealership. If you outsource your maintenance, the chains should be measured and inspected every service.

Here is an example of chain and master pin wear. The master pin was located on the top part of the mast, 16 feet up! This was not visible from the ground, or standing on the step to the cab and engine (Hyster H350B) The pin was still in place, just about to give out completely. Notice the rust and pitting, several links had become stiff and would not bend by hand.

Thanks for reading!

Tom Kassen

March 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Seats (and other operator comforts)

The often overlooked area of any "on-board driven" equipment, and understandably so given the cost of a "non-essential" component. Seats, arm rests, grips, and on down to the ergo mat on the floorboard serve to keep operators safe and comfortable.

Consider that an operator who is comfortable on their assigned equipment is not preoccupied with feeling discomfort and attempting to adapt, possibly unsafely so, the cause of discomfort with what is available in the workplace - is able to focus on the task at hand, and the safety required to do so.

The operator is not without responsibility in the maintaining of these particular items, along with the overall equipment. Creating an environment where owner/manager/operator feel equally invested in the care of the "assets" is key to cost reduction in this matter.

We also need to consider the fatigue that comes from these items when they wear out - excessive vibration, more compacting bounces over bumps/rough terrain, or even missing floor mats that cause engine vibration to travel to the operators legs. Not long into this situation, you could see L&I claims and missed work, etc.!

My 2 cents worth of personal advice: This is a group effort, as mentioned above and also with your equipment service or parts provider. Identify the items that wear out frequently and negotiate a "bulk deal". If you currently are playing catch up on one or several items, negotiate a one time deal to control costs. Also possible, an agreement to buy items in bulk at one time annually, most vendors are more than happy to perpetuate business in this way! If you find a unique method to facilitate this kind of situation, I would love to know about it!

Tom Kassen

February 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Cleanliness and Safety

With Spring fast approaching, it feels like the right time to focus on cleaning!

Cleanliness should take priority in a safety program right along side of training and awareness! The obvious prevention of accidents of the personal nature: slip/fall prevention, injury prevention, etc., are the first and obvious benefits of a clean and organized facility, along with an increase in productivity with "everything in it's place" ready to go.

Now how about the material handling equipment?
I have previously mentioned issues with running over items (pallet banding/shrinkwrap, for instance) that are in the path of this equipment. Now I will point out the benefits of keeping your equipment as clean as possible - with the understanding that some working environments are opposite of "clean", it is to your benefit to do the best you can and find better ways when possible.

Starting from the top of a forklift, for example, the view through the overhead guard to the extended mast should be clear (OSHA 1917.43 (e) (1) (ii)), no makeshift covers that block the view are allowed. (ClearCaps' meet the requirement and are easy to clean 😉) Moving downward, I have seen many operators who "customize" their assigned lifts with makeshift pen/knife holders and other accoutrements to make their job easier. I do sympathies with the operators, who spend significantly more time with their lift than I do, inevitably though, I end up having to completely undo and remove these items just to gain access to the machine for maintenance and/or repair. I have also been on calls where items (tin snips, for example) had fallen into the machine and caused issues: one on a riding pallet jack that could not turn left because the tin snips had fallen in and wedged in such a way to block turning, and the second: on a reach truck, the snips fell down behind the mast. When the mast was raised into the second stage (when the mast segments start to extend) the snips fell into the place where the inner mast rails nested, causing a sensor at the top of the mast to slow the truck down to creep speed. Two takeaways here: the accident potential was increased dramatically, and both calls were dollars spent that could easily been avoided!

This brings me to the next point, things loosely laying on a horizontal surface of equipment: odds are highly likely that they will end up inside, one way or another. The most dangerous possibility is to forget that something is under the seat and open the hood, as the typical forklift configuration will have the object slide right into the engine cooling fan! Running or not, this is extremely dangerous - to operators, equipment mechanics and the equipment itself!! Bottom line - I highly recommend NEVER LEAVING ANYTHING LOOSE SITTING IN A FORKLIFT OR ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT!

The lower end: check for loose hanging hoses, wires, cables, foreign objects and etc., and have repairs made immediately. Another reason to remove garbage from the floor diligently, a forklift engine cooling fan pulls air from the engine and pushes out through the radiator, out the rear end of the lift. In contrast, an automobile pulls air from the front, through the radiator and into the engine bay. The forklift configuration, being lower to the ground in most indoor applications, creates a vacuum cleaner effect, where loose paper and shrink wrap WILL be sucked into the forklift engine bay. Typically, the result is the material wrapping around the fan - damaging the fan blades, belt, and possibly the water pump, or plastering across the radiator - causing overheating, a lot of down time and costly repairs on all accounts!

Washing a forklift, etc. an integral part of the maintenance cycle, washing with water, or blowing out with compressed air, can help to preserve hydraulic seals, note new leaks, see mechanical failures before they happen as well as many other possibilities! In conclusion, forklift maintenance is a "all hands on" endeavor, making safety easier to achieve.

Thank you for your time!

Tom Kassen

January 2019 Safety Topic: The Real Cost of In House Maintenance

Happy New Year!!! I hope your holiday season has been wonderful!!!

While making sales calls, I have noted a several companies prefer to handle their forklifts and other highway equipment in house. I absolutely understand the move to control costs, and in some cases the flexibility to have work done immediately and/or during slower shifts will always outweigh an "outsider" setting their own schedule.

If you are trying to decide to go "in house", or have already made the move, I would like to point out a couple of things. In my travels, it is very rare to come across an in house mechanic who is specifically trained on all of the issues pertaining to forklift safety. OHSA has several specific points of concern regarding forklift operation and safety, and fines levied from OSHA for violations seem to start at $10,000.00!!! (my own personal observation). In house mechanics need to be flexible enough to work on anything, and in some cases forklift/ equipment maintenance/repair is one of multiple maintenance department assigned. The unfortunate truth is a general mentality that forklift/equipment maintenance is no different than an oil change for a car. As it is possible to incur a fine for a missed "maintenance" item on a forklift and not on a car - there is a HUGE difference! Now when you look at the cost savings of in house work, is it worth the risk?

Some possible solutions and reasons why to consider calling in reinforcements:

Even if you only call in an outside company to perform an annual safety inspection, not only do you gain a professional point of view, now you have a partner to protect your interests. One service call once or twice a year can save cost in downtime and accidents caused by mechanical failure, not to mention those pesky fines!

The bottom line is, make sure you have all of your bases covered to protect ALL of your investments!!

We would love to talk to you about your equipment maintenance needs! We want to work with you to provide the program that is right for your unique situation - if that is an annual inspection, or enrolling in our Scheduled Preventative Maintenance program (fully tailored to you AND your budget's needs!)

Thank you for your time, looking forward to providing you service (and more!) in 2019!!!

Tom Kassen
(509) 939-0926
tomkassen@mobilemachineryservice.com