Useful information

Lift trucks are an essential part of warehousing and supply chains all over the world. Unfortunately, they also represent a significant hazard to people working within the same space. Studies have shown that there are an average of 96,000 forklift accidents each year, and they can cost your business an average of $135,000 annually. Here are some safety products you need in your warehouse: four must have items.

Why you need warehouse safety products

Almost 80% of forklift accidents involve a pedestrian injury. These injuries can occur when forklifts strike a pedestrian or a load is unstable and falls. If that is not scary enough, these kinds of accidents cost workers in the manufacturing industry 85 lives every year. According to a recent study by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 70 percent of those accidents could have been avoided with simple precautionary measures.

Hopefully by now you have invested in quality safety supplies such as operator safety training materials, seat belts, vests, and harnesses (if you have put it off, click here to see our selection). Assuming that your employees know the rules and you follow OSHA specifications with all of your equipment, what else can you do to help keep your equipment, product, and employees safe from these kinds of accidents?

Products that protect your warehouse, employees and product

Fortunately, there are numerous technologies on the market today to help combat safety issues in an industrial application:

1. Retractable Belts - This type of barrier is completely portable and easy to manipulate when you need help to define the pedestrian walkway or restrict access to an unsafe area. These belts can also help direct heavy machinery away from your valuable merchandise and employees when necessary. This is a great low-cost option with a variety of feature options, such as color, and shape. We also offer multiple end piece options, such as magnetic, clip-on, and cone topper to accommodate your needs.

2. Steel Warehouse Bollards - In certain environments, a single permanent barrier is going to be your best choice. Warehouse bollards are both functional and sturdy. Also, they can be used in both indoor- and outdoor-based applications. They are manufactured in many different materials and sizes. Warehouse bollards are used to help direct traffic flow in your warehouse, and prevent potential collisions from heavy equipment. These bollards can absorb collisions, which heightens warehouse safety and security. They require very minimal upkeep, too.

3. Dock Safety - If you are one of the thousands of warehouses that have busy loading docks, you want to ensure you have the best product to protect your employees and equipment both day and night. Energy efficient LED dock lights come in multiple shapes, colors, and voltages to make sure you have the proper illumination to improve visibility, safety and efficiency around your loading dock during all shifts.

4. Collision Warning System - The Collision Sentry is a warning system that easily mounts to any right corner with its magnetic backing or the included z-clip. No wire installation required. Sentry utilizes infrared motion detectors for this system to “see” around blind corners. The Collision Sentry indicator lights flash to warn pedestrians and forklift operators of any movement that could cause a collision. It is an inexpensive and very mobile option that our customers like.

Where to purchase warehouse safety products

At the Materials Handling Store, we offer all of these options along with many other items. If you have any questions or would like to request more information about any of the above warehouse safety products, please contact us at store@raymondhandling.com or call us directly at 844-445-1119.

BLS - Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

OSHA - Workplace Injury, Illness and Fatality Statistics

by Danille Bettridge, Web Store Specialist

What is a lift table?

Lift tables are devices that allow objects to be raised and lowered on a platform to reach ergonomic and accessible heights for specific tasks or purposes. A lift table is typically made up of the following major components:

Platforms can have a variety of options such as conveyor tops, turntables, tilt tops, non-slip textures, mounted clamps, or special work fixtures.

How are lift tables used?

Lift tables can be used in almost any industry, indoors and outdoors. Industries that commonly use lift tables include woodworking, manufacturing, metalworking, paper, printing and publishing, warehousing and distribution, drafting, equipment and vehicle service, heavy machinery, and transportation. Common uses of lift tables include:

• Vehicle loading and docking operations

• Work positioning and ergonomic handling

• Load positioning (such as when integrated into conveyor systems)

• Work piece feeding/offloading

• Furniture upholstery

• Dog grooming

• Accessing high work

• Handling long and/or heavy work pieces

• Multilevel handling and assembling

• Loading and unloading pallets

• Working under or over equipment and vehicles

What are the most important considerations when deciding on a lift table?

• Capacity - This is the maximum weight the table is rated to handle. Tables capable of lifting five [short] tons or more are common.

• Size - This includes the physical dimension of the lift table including the base and platform that would be compatible with the objects that you plan to lift.

• Elevation - This is the elevation capability of lift table, from collapsed height to fully elevated height. Depending on how the lift table is to be used, it might also be important to consider how long the platform takes to move up and down.

• Power Source- Depending on the location you plan on using the lift table at, it may be necessary to consider to what type of power you will have access to in order to operate the lift table. See “Power Source” above for the different power source options.

• Special Features - Depending on how you plan to use the lift table, you might need it to do more than simply travel vertically. For instance, you might need a rotating platform, mobile base, tilting platform, and so on.

Lift tables are designed to fit your needs. There are infinite options you can choose from; making lift tables a great solution to improve various everyday tasks in many work places. Contact us at  store@raymondhandling.com or 1-844-445-1119 if you need assistance in selecting a customized lift table or have any questions .

You can view our featured lift table selection by clicking here> Warehouse Lift Tables

by Danille Bettridge, Web Store Specialist

A bollard is a short vertical post that serves as a system to direct traffic. What are bollards used for? They can be used to protect assets by creating a barrier for potential collisions. They are most commonly found in heights 24 to 84 inches and widths of 4 to 9 inches. However, bollards can be customized to fit your needs.

How are bollards used?

Bollards can be used to protect utilities, electronics, machinery, buildings, or pedestrians from accidental collisions by vehicles, including passenger vehicles, transport trucking, and forklifts.  Bollards are used in many different environments, including:

• Warehouses
• Playgrounds
• Sports fields
• Traffic medians
• Roadways
• Trails
• Store fronts
• Site perimeters
• Parks
• Malls
• Parking garages

Bollards come in several types, some more mobile than others:

• Anchored: Anchored bollards are secured to the floor and are not portable. They are usually bolted down using a base or secured to the floor with cement. Bollards that are mounted at the base are usually designed for lower speed traffic while embedded or cemented bollards are used for higher speed traffic.
• Collapsible: Collapsible bollards can be folded up or down using a tool or key.
• Removable: Removable bollards use locks, pipes, or a hole in the ground that is formed to the shape of the bollard, which holds it in place, and allows it to be picked up and removed when needed.
• Retractable: Retractable bollards use a manual key, hydraulics, or an alarm system to raise and lower the bollard to control traffic.

Following are some things to keep in mind when setting up bollards:

• Accessibility: Make sure that the bollard does not obstruct any pathway for pedestrian, wheel chair and first responder access.
  • Check with your local city representative to ensure you are following all regulated codes when placing the bollards.
• Aesthetics: Ensure that the chosen bollard style complements landscape design, and follows any visual, historic preservation, or city regulations established for that area.
  • Bollards come in a variety of styles including decorative, bright, and simple.
• Material: Make sure that the material you choose is approved by building, city, and fire codes.
  • Bollards are commonly made from plastic and steel. Some are coated with elastomer to help absorb the energy from a collision. Bollards also can be filled with cement.
  • Stronger materials, such as steel, provide a more durable safeguard, as opposed to weaker materials, such as plastics.
  • Most heavy duty bollards for warehouse use come in yellow or red powder coat finish to make them more visible.

Bollards have many options and uses, making them a versatile and dependable addition to any area needing protection from vehicles and forklifts. You can rest easier knowing that bollards are in place to prevent damage to your important assets and personnel.

Check out the many bollard options we have available at the Materials Handling Store by clicking here.

by Danille Bettridge, Web Store Specialist

Column protectors are guards that fit on posts, beams, pipes, columns, or any vertical surface. Column protectors serve as a buffer between the surface and possible collisions, absorbing the impact. What are benefits of column protectors?

• Helps prevent damage to the racking and/or column it is protecting
• Significantly reduces the chance of damage from a collision to the forklift, vehicle, or person
• Decreases repair expenses sustained by racking and forklifts during a collision
• Bright color options Increase their visibility to forklift operators and act as guides warning people approaching to keep a safe distance.
• Minimizes obstruction that might occur from a collision
• Ranges in pricing to fit any budget
• Easy Installation options are available
• Little to no maintenance is required once installed

• Size
  • Width: Choose a width that matches the amount of available space, the desired type of column protector material you would like, and the width of the vertical space you want to protect.
  • Height: Column protectors are available in customizable sizes, but standard sizes run from 12 inches to 12 feet, and some may be stacked one atop the other to provide additional height coverage.
  • Shape: Some column protectors come in molded shapes with cut outs in the center to fit tightly against I-shaped, square, and round verticals. Most are cylindrical to create an equal barrier around the column, but some are cube- or hexagon-shaped.
  • Pieces: Most column protectors are usually two-piece units that are fastened around the vertical. However, a few column protectors are single-piece, pliable units that wrap around the vertical.
• Color
  • Yellow (most common color)
  • Lime green
  • Orange
  • Multi-colored (usually striped with black and a bright color)
  • Reflective (usually added to a solid color)
• Material
  • Polyethylene protectors: Polyethylene protectors are made to have a cushion of air between the column and its outside wall to absorb any impact. This type of material is the most commonly used kind of column protector in material handling industries. Polyethylene protectors tend to be thicker than other kinds of protectors.
  • Steel protectors: Steel protectors employ heavy-duty strength and a bolt system to withstand a collision. While they are heavier than some other kinds of column protector materials, they tend to be thinner in overall diameter, taking up less space around the column.
  • Vinyl protectors: Vinyl protectors are also known as "bumper wraps." Vinyl protection material runs about ½ inch thick and comes in a roll that allows you to cut to a custom size. This kind of protection material is commonly used at car dealerships and shopping centers to protect light poles from minor collisions.
  • Foam Protectors: Foam protectors, also known as "padded column wraps," have a padded center with a nylon cover to help reduce collision damage. Foam protectors are commonly used in parking garages for minor impacts, such as those caused by car doors.
• Fastening
  • Velcro straps: Velcro straps are generally made of nylon, and wrap around the column protector to secure it to the surface. Velcro straps are easy to install and maintain. They are available in multiple colors including reflective finish.
  • Bolts: Bolts fasten pieces of the column protector together, and can also fasten it to the ground.
  • Snap fasteners: Snap fasteners use a four-rivet connection attached to the column protector that locks into an upright column.
  • Cable ties: Cable ties wrap around the column protector to fasten it in place.
  • Reflective tape: Reflective tape wraps around lighter duty column protectors in place. They come in a variety of colors.

• Each column protector can range in price from $15 to more than $1,000, depending on the type, as described earlier in this article.
• Column protectors that use non-standard options are more expensive since they require special customization.

While looking at Raymond Handling Concepts Corporation's (RHCC) materials handling web store, you might come across an item called a spill kit, but you might not know what they are or why they're important.

Battery spills can happen when replacing batteries with cracked cases, which allow the acid to leak. RHCC's battery spill kits meet the following OSHA and DOT requirements for packaging and transporting hazardous wastes:

• 1926.441(a)(5)- “Face shields, aprons, rubber gloves and quick drenching facilities shall be provided for workers handling acids or batteries”
• 1910.178(g)(2)- “Facilities shall be provided for neutralizing spilled electrolyte”
• OSHA Regulation 1910.132- “All employers must provide equipment for cleaning up hazardous materials such as battery acid”

What are the contents of a spill kit?

The kits include the following pieces of wearable gear to ensure that your workers are dressed protectively when cleaning up battery acid:

• Apron to cover body and clothing
• Acid resistant gloves to protect hands
• Safety goggles to shield eyes
• Disposable boot covers to protect shoes and feet
• Dust mask to cover mouth and nose
• Face shield for protection of the face

All of RHCC's spill kits found in our Materials Handling Store are designed to help you quickly respond to and clean up battery acid spills. Each item in our kits is strategically packed so you can quickly dress yourself in the safety gear, contain the spill, neutralize and absorb the acid, and DOT-approved containers for transporting and disposing of the acid and clean up supplies. The kit also includes all the necessary tools for a proper battery acid clean-up:

• Bucket or barrel with locking lid
• Brush and pan
• Disposable plastic bags
• Danger sign
• Six-foot barrier rope
• Absorb bags and containers
• pH test strips
• Large kits include neutralizing/absorb pillows

How to use a spill kit

• All employees that work in environments with batteries need to be trained on where to find and how to use a spill kit in the event of a battery acid spill.
• Employees should learn the procedures to follow during and after the clean-up of an acid spill, to ensure proper clean-up and disposal.
• It is important to remember the proper packing of a spill kit, in the case the kit is unpacked and then not re-packed in the proper order. It is to be packed in the order that you will need the materials to allow the acid spill to be cleaned up in the quickest and most thorough way possible. Refer to the information found in your kit, but the general packing order is as follows:

• Assuring that everyone is properly trained and that the kit is set-up in the most efficient way possible creates a more prepared environment in case of a battery acid spill.

On this page you can view and download the infographic we at Raymond Handling Concepts Corporation developed for you about the Taylor-Dunn Stockchaser. Product links are also below.

• View a hi-rez image of the Taylor-Dunn Stockchaser infographic: CLICK HERE
• To download your copy of the TD Stockchaser infographic, RIGHT CLICK this link
• To view Taylor-Dunn products in this online materials handling store, CLICK THIS LINK

When developing a warehouse, there are many different options that you can use to organize items. So, why choose storage bins to help? Let’s first address what exactly makes a bin a storage bin.

A storage bin is the smallest available unit of space in a warehouse that can be used to place items, stock, and product.

Ways to use storage bins

There are a number of ways storage bins can help you organize your warehouse:

• A storage bin can be used as a place holding device, which will help keep similar items in one area while keeping those items separate from other items, or preventing items from falling through your racking.
  
• You can use a number and/or letter system with storage bins to create an effective way of organizing items, making them easier to find and put away. For example, you could label a silver wires bin as A-02-03, meaning that you can find the silver wires in Row A, Stack 2, and Level 3. After you have come up with a system that works best for your warehouse, you can then label each bin to make sure that bins are returned to their designated spots, setting an expected sort and order to your warehouse organization. By using a system to organize the placement of each bin, a storage bin can be used as a navigational tool, helping you find an item's location in your warehouse through the number and/or letter system.
  
• Storage bins are useful when you want to pick a small amount of items or stock, as opposed to taking an entire box or pallet down, which might require more time and equipment.

Storage bins can help organize your warehouse

• The many different storage bin colors, options, and sizes can help you organize your warehouse based on your particular needs. Some storage bins are made out of special material, such as polypropylene, which is resistant to extreme cold and can withstand temperatures up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The different sizes allow you to choose the particular bin measurements that best fit the shelving. Also, a wide variety of available bin sizes allows you to choose bins to fit the items you want to store.
• Instead of using a number and/or letter system to label bins, you could also use color coordination. For example, you could place all Raymond-branded products in red bins or nuts and bolts in clear bins. An easy to remember, color-coded system allows employees to find what they need quickly, and also return items to their proper locations. This kind of system can also be more visually pleasing.

Storage bins allow workers to easily access items

• Some warehouses place bins containing a small number of items on the easily accessible lower shelves, while placing the remaining stock on the overhead racks. This helps you create a well-organized and efficient system that allows workers to easily access items without the need of a ladder or lift device every single time you need to pick something. Ladders and lift devices are only needed when it's time to restock the storage bins.

Overall, storage bins can be powerful tool to create an organizationally optimized warehouse, which will save you time and money in the long run.

To purchase storage bins for your warehouse, CLICK HERE