Safety First
By: Craig French
Mark Twain once said, “Experience teaches us only one thing at a time --and hardly that, in my case.” I take comfort in those words every time I do something boneheaded.
Case in point: Several years ago I was helping move a new, crated watercraft from one flat deck trailer to another. A bunch of us were pushing the crate across a gap of several feet between the trailers. As was to be expected, a cross board on the bottom of the crate jammed on the deck of the truck that was receiving the crate. Being a brainy young fellow, I volunteered to step under the crate and pry the offending board upwards with a pry bar while my co-workers kept on pushing the crate. The idea was that as soon as I freed up the board, the crate would slide merrily onto the truck deck. It worked like a charm.
Unfortunately I failed to consider the fact that my head was up inside the bottom of the crate at the time, and that as the crate suddenly lurched across the gap between the trailers, the next cross board on the crate and the metal edge of the trailer tried to do their best imitation of a guillotine on my noggin. I instinctively became aware of my peril, and managed to duck just as the board brushed by the hairs that had suddenly snapped to attention on the back of my neck.
I’m not exactly sure how the subconscious mind works, but I’m thankful that it was functioning well that day, even if the rest of my brain was apparently on holidays.
A lot of things can go wrong when we handle crated machines. I’ve seen blown out knees, sliced hands, wooden splinters from hell, crates dropped on new units, bent motorcycle frames (from dropping one end of the crate onto the ground when unloading crates off a truck by hand) and employees pinned between rows of crates. Here are a few helpful hints on crate handling, gleaned from my years in the trade:
Store crated units indoors, rather than outdoors, if possible. I know that’s not always a financially viable option as many shops simply aren’t set up for indoor storage. However, storing crates indoors has several advantages over outdoor storage: the machines in the crates don’t get exposed to the elements, the crates sit on a stable surface, the forklift operates more smoothly on a shop floor rather than on a dirt lot and there’s less of a chance of having units stolen.
Train the forklift operator properly, even if that means simply having and experienced forklift operator in your shop spend a few hours with a new employee going through the basics of forklift operation. Better yet, enroll the new operator in a forklift safety course. Make sure your forklift is up to code with a reverse beeper, dead-man foot pedal and other required safety features.
Wear protective gear when working around crates. Steel toed shoes and safety glasses are a good idea. Leather gloves are pretty much mandatory when handling steel framed crates. Use the proper lifting technique. A motorcycle kidney belt helps protect the back when handling crates. I keep one in my toolbox.
Don’t be a hero. Don’t try and lift more than one crate at a time with a forklift. I once saw someone try and unload three ATV crates off a flat deck trailer in one shot. For some reason our boss didn’t see the humour in having to repair one badly damaged new unit, the chain link fence of our storage compound and the customer’s motorcycle that was residing behind the fence. We mechanics thought it was funny though, considering it was our boss who was operating the forklift at the time.
Get someone to spot for you if you can’t see well around the crate. Watch out for people standing behind you. Move slowly.
Consult the directions on the side of the crate as to how many crates you can stack on top of each other.
Last, but not least, try and listen to that little voice inside your head when working around heavy objects like crates. If something doesn’t feel right, pause for a moment and think about it. Even experienced workers are susceptible to errors in judgment now and then.
Case in point: Several years ago I was helping move a new, crated watercraft from one flat deck trailer to another. A bunch of us were pushing the crate across a gap of several feet between the trailers. As was to be expected, a cross board on the bottom of the crate jammed on the deck of the truck that was receiving the crate. Being a brainy young fellow, I volunteered to step under the crate and pry the offending board upwards with a pry bar while my co-workers kept on pushing the crate. The idea was that as soon as I freed up the board, the crate would slide merrily onto the truck deck. It worked like a charm.
Unfortunately I failed to consider the fact that my head was up inside the bottom of the crate at the time, and that as the crate suddenly lurched across the gap between the trailers, the next cross board on the crate and the metal edge of the trailer tried to do their best imitation of a guillotine on my noggin. I instinctively became aware of my peril, and managed to duck just as the board brushed by the hairs that had suddenly snapped to attention on the back of my neck.
I’m not exactly sure how the subconscious mind works, but I’m thankful that it was functioning well that day, even if the rest of my brain was apparently on holidays.
A lot of things can go wrong when we handle crated machines. I’ve seen blown out knees, sliced hands, wooden splinters from hell, crates dropped on new units, bent motorcycle frames (from dropping one end of the crate onto the ground when unloading crates off a truck by hand) and employees pinned between rows of crates. Here are a few helpful hints on crate handling, gleaned from my years in the trade:
Store crated units indoors, rather than outdoors, if possible. I know that’s not always a financially viable option as many shops simply aren’t set up for indoor storage. However, storing crates indoors has several advantages over outdoor storage: the machines in the crates don’t get exposed to the elements, the crates sit on a stable surface, the forklift operates more smoothly on a shop floor rather than on a dirt lot and there’s less of a chance of having units stolen.
Train the forklift operator properly, even if that means simply having and experienced forklift operator in your shop spend a few hours with a new employee going through the basics of forklift operation. Better yet, enroll the new operator in a forklift safety course. Make sure your forklift is up to code with a reverse beeper, dead-man foot pedal and other required safety features.
Wear protective gear when working around crates. Steel toed shoes and safety glasses are a good idea. Leather gloves are pretty much mandatory when handling steel framed crates. Use the proper lifting technique. A motorcycle kidney belt helps protect the back when handling crates. I keep one in my toolbox.
Don’t be a hero. Don’t try and lift more than one crate at a time with a forklift. I once saw someone try and unload three ATV crates off a flat deck trailer in one shot. For some reason our boss didn’t see the humour in having to repair one badly damaged new unit, the chain link fence of our storage compound and the customer’s motorcycle that was residing behind the fence. We mechanics thought it was funny though, considering it was our boss who was operating the forklift at the time.
Get someone to spot for you if you can’t see well around the crate. Watch out for people standing behind you. Move slowly.
Consult the directions on the side of the crate as to how many crates you can stack on top of each other.
Last, but not least, try and listen to that little voice inside your head when working around heavy objects like crates. If something doesn’t feel right, pause for a moment and think about it. Even experienced workers are susceptible to errors in judgment now and then.
