Forklift Legislation in the UK

Like any vehicle, a forklift Platform is a dangerous weapon that can be deadly in the wrong hands. Due to the fact forklifts are used in confined spaces, in close proximity to workers, who in turn are working with stock, often stacked high up in the warehouse, it’s important that there’s strict legislation in place to ensure the health and safety of workers.

The main legislation which affects owners and also users of lift trucks is the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.

The 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act was first published in 1974 and then became law on April 1^st 1975. The act was introduced to place an onus on employers to take steps, which are reasonable, and practicable to look after the health and safety and welfare of their employees whilst at work.

Furthermore, many years later, in 2008 the government introduced a new law of Corporate Manslaughter, which was aimed at companies, and directors of companies where someone is killed due to an accident at work. This law made it possible to punish companies and directors who have failed to take reasonable care to ensure the health and safety of their employees at work.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations came about on 5^th December 1998. This was an update from the 1992 regulations. Under these provisions employers are required to:

• Ensure work equipment is constructed or adapted for the purpose it’s used for.
• Consider the working conditions and risks to health and safety
• Make sure the work equipment is used only for those operations and under conditions for which it is suitable.
• Make sure the work equipment is maintained in an efficient state.

There are more elements to this regulation which can be reviewed on the HSE website. The HSE have a diverse range of publications relating to legislation, which includes forklifts. These include:

• Safe use of work equipment provision and use of work equipment regulations 1998

• Safe use of lifting equipment, lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998

• Safety in working with lift trucks

• Rider-operated lift trucks: operator training approved code of practice and guidance
• Safety in the use of pallets

• Working platforms on fork lift trucks

• Health and safety in engineering workshops

• Warehousing and storage – A guide to health and safety

• Fire safety risk assessment – factories and warehouses

• Control of diesel engine exhaust emissions

As you can appreciate, there is a huge amount of legislation and regulation surrounding forklift trucks. Further detailed information can be acquired from the HSE who produce these publications.

There are also wide ranges of consultancy businesses that can also provide insight, advice and guidance on how to ensure you as a business are operating inside the law. Legislation may be a hassle, and cost time and money to ensure you are compliant. However, legislation is there for a very valid reason – to ensure the safety of your employees whilst at work.

What is a Drum Handler Attachment?

A Drum handler attachment is a specific type of forklift attachment which is designed for use on forklift trucks. They are used to turn your forklift truck into a piece of equipment which is used to handle and transport cylindrical containers (such as steel, fiber and plastic drums and barrels). Typically the attachment utilises spring-loaded metal arms to ensure a tight and very secure grip around the drum.

Drum handlers, when in the context of a forklift attachment, are typically used to efficiently (and safely) load and unload different sizes and different types of drums. They utilise clamps as well as spring-loaded arms to ensure a very secure grip to allow for safe transportation of the drums. They can also have various functions which only increase their variability and therefore overall usage potential.

These various functions include: carrier with a tilt function, carrier without a tilt function, waist type, rim type and multi-drum carrier. These all help to perform different functions with your attachment and can potentially help you with some more specific drum handling functions.

First of all, there’s the ‘tilt function’. This function helps by allowing for more maneuverability when transporting the drums, and also typically allows for easier positioning.

The ‘waist-type’ attachment is an attachment which lifts the drum by using a ‘clamp band’ which clamps down around the ‘waist’ of the drum and then can lift it. This can be a lot easier than the traditional spring-mounted arms method as it provides an alternative way of lifting the drum so it depends on how you’re looking to lift your drum; this clamp allows for more leeway and easier re-positioning than the spring-loaded arms, so it really just depends on how you want to setup your attachment with your forklift forthwith how you wish to transport the drum.

Therefore, when you end up choosing your drum handler attachment, be sure to choose the correct type with the correct function that you would like, as each function lends itself to a more specific role based upon your needs. This will save you money in the long run and will help you complete your job better with the use of a forklift truck.

Contact Ltd has manufactured various different kinds of drum handlers. We offer the peak in terms of quality forklift attachments, and our website http://www.forklift-attachments.co.uk provides details on what we can offer, but please call us for a quote.

Why Choose a Forklift Attachment?

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Many people think of Forklifts in a very one-dimensional manner; as vehicles which are used (and solely used) for picking up items and raising/lowering items. This was originally the intended design of the forklift truck, but the reality is that, with the help of creative minds, there have been numerous ‘attachments’ which fit snugly onto the forks of the truck and can give it a lot of variety in terms of the number of jobs they are capable of.

Forklift Attachments can vary, from turning the forklift into a mini-digger truck to turning it into a snow-plough and even more. The invention of forklift attachments have really allowed forklift trucks to come to the forefront of vehicles often used by a lot of companies and as such, forklift attachments have also become increasingly important to the forklift truck; a symbiotic relationship in the machine world.

So, why choose a forklift attachment over buying a new machine? Firstly, the cost is a major factor. Why buy a new machine for each little job you have to do when you can buy a forklift truck and various different forklift attachments for it? You save plenty of money and, assuming you buy from a manufacturer who is well known for the manufacturing of said forklift attachments, the quality doesn’t fade too much over time so you have a multi-tasking forklift truck at a fraction of the price that it would cost to gather all the other machines put together. You’ll also be able to get all the jobs done in the same timeframe!

The above factor alone should be enough to justify why forklift attachments are worth it; but as well as this there’s the mobility factor. Typically, purpose-built machines are slightly larger than a forklift truck, and therefore can be considered less mobile. If the just absolutely requires the larger machine, this is understandable, but more often than not a forklift truck with an attachment will suit the job at hand and the added mobility that is provided allows the job to be done just as quickly, if not even faster than it normally would be done. Overall, forklift attachments are a very good solution to your industry needs.

Contact Ltd has manufactured various different kinds of forklift attachments. We offer the

 peak in terms of quality forklift attachments, and our website http://www.forklift-

attachments.co.uk provides details on what we can offer, but please call us for a quote. 

 

What is a Drum Handler Attachment?

What is a Drum Handler Attachment?

A Drum handler attachment is a specific type of forklift attachment which is designed for use on forklift trucks. They are used to turn your forklift truck into a piece of equipment which is used to handle and transport cylindrical containers (such as steel, fiber and plastic drums and barrels). Typically the attachment utilises spring-loaded metal arms to ensure a tight and very secure grip around the drum.

Drum handlers, when in the context of a forklift attachment, are typically used to efficiently (and safely) load and unload different sizes and different types of drums. They utilise clamps as well as spring-loaded arms to ensure a very secure grip to allow for safe transportation of the drums. They can also have various functions which only increase their variability and therefore overall usage potential.

various functions include

carrier with a tilt function, carrier without a tilt function, waist type, rim type and multi-drum carrier.

The ‘tilt function’ allows for more maneuverability when transporting the drums, and also typically allows for easier positioning as they can use the tilt function to pick up (or put down) drums which are in awkward positions. Drum handler attachments which do not utilise this are limited in terms of the extra maneuverability but still perform the same overall function.

The ‘waist-type’ attachment is an attachment which lifts the drum by using a ‘clamp band’ which clamps down around the ‘waist’ of the drum and then can lift it. This can be a lot easier than the traditional spring-mounted arms method as it provides an alternative way of lifting the drum so it depends on how you’re looking to lift your drum; this clamp allows for more leeway and easier re-positioning than the spring-loaded arms, so it really just depends on how you want to setup your attachment with your forklift forthwith how you wish to transport the drum.

There are various different factors to consider when you’re choosing which drum handler to use as drum handlers come in different types, models and sizes. You should choose your drum handler based on the drum you’re trying to lift or move. You should consider the following: the weight of the drum, the size of the drum, the dimensions of the drum, the type of drum, the capacity of the forklift and the size of the area you have to work with.


Contact Ltd has manufactured various different kinds of drum handlers. We offer the peak in terms of quality forklift attachments, and our website http://www.forklift-attachments.co.uk provides details on what we can offer, but please call us for a quote.

Exporters of Forklift Attachments and How to Safely Export Forklift Attachments

The biggest risk which exporters of forklift attachments face today is that of injury. There is also the potential issue that during the journey the actual attachments themselves can be damaged and can therefore either suffer in quality or break completely, neither of which is a desirable outcome for the consumer.

The process of minimizing the risks to the exporters of forklift attachments has been improved in recent years with lots of health and safety regulations to ensure that all involved in the exporting process are as safe as possible and that, should an accident occur, the appropriate measures are taken in ensuring the safety of the exporters whilst maintaining the integrity of the product.

Exporting Forklift attachments is no easy task, and as such the fact that measures have been taken to improve the methods by which this is done, and to improve the safety of those involves in the process is indeed very encouraging. However, accidents are named such for a reason. Accidents are the abnormal occurrences, where the process doesn’t occur exactly as expected, and as such there’s no realistic way to fully prevent them from happening, all we can do is tighten up (which we currently are doing) up to the point where accidents are no longer a potential serious threat to lives or potential wasted money for the consumer and the manufacturer.

One step towards this goal has been taken, and it’s a very significant step considering the circumstances. Whilst this step only deals with one half of the problem at hand, it has taken a huge step towards ensuring that the safety of the works involved in the exporting of Forklift Attachments is as high as possible. This new development, made by a leading Forklift Truck Accessory provider in the UK, ensures that, if injured during the exportation process, the workers will still be easily accessible with the new crane-lifted platform that also has space for a stretcher, should one be deemed necessary in the circumstances. All in all, it’s a very positive step forward and certainly, if this can be built upon rather than be used as an excuse to relax, the safety of all those involved in the exporting of Forklift Attachments will be in a much better place.

Contact Ltd has helped various exporters of forklift attachments. We offer the peak in terms of quality forklift attachments, and our website http://www.forklift-attachments.co.uk provides details on what we can offer, but please call us for a quote.

The Advantages of Having Snow Ploughs and their attachments

Nothing will annoy business owners more than a lapse in productivity, regardless of reason. Sadly, one of the things out of our control as humans is the weather. We can’t control how hot or cold it will be, and the natural cycle can be ‘altered’ slightly through various processes but it doesn’t ever fully change. Therefore, it’s best to prepare for everything so that you’re able to be productive the full year round.

Using Snow Ploughs and their attachment for your Forklift truck helps you to be fully prepared in winter. While snow may not always be a guarantee, if it comes and you’re not prepared it can be disastrous for production. While it’s possible to remove snow with shovels and manpower, it’s inefficient and still delays production/movement of merchandise and more for longer than is needed.

Snow Plough attachments can come in various styles dependant on your needs, and thus this provides a very versatile and efficient way of clearing snow away from your warehouse or roads leading to/from your factory. All you have to do is use the ‘slip-on’ attachment and your forklift is instantly converted to a snow-ploughing machine, saving you plenty of money on having to buy an actual snow plough as well.

There are disadvantages of using snow plough attachments especially as they do suffer normal wear and tear like anything else, but there are specially-designed attachments to try and reduce this, and high-quality manufacturers will make their attachments very durable and long-lasting. There are also other measurements taken, such as rubber-edged blades, to ensure that the product that you receive lasts as long as possible.

When all things are taken into full consideration, the advantages of having a snow-plough attachment outweigh the disadvantages, and because you only need to buy the forklift attachment instead of a full-sized snow plough, you also save money and don’t lose usage during off-months as the attachment is very simple to attach and detach from your forklift truck. This means that you can easily store the attachment away when not in use and it’s still there in the same condition next time it’s required, and can be set up really fast ready for you to try and optimize your production during hard months.

Contact Ltd has manufactured various different kinds of snow plough attachments. We offer the peak in terms of quality forklift attachments, and our website http://www.forklift-attachments.co.uk provides details on what we can offer, but please call us for a quote.

Non-integrated forklift platforms are permissible for use within the UK providing they are used in conjunction with the guidelines laid out in WORKING PLATFORMS (NON-INTEGRATED) ON FORKLIFT TRUCKS Guidance Note PM28 [3rd edition] December 2005.

Designed to slip over the forks of a forklift truck, these forklift platforms can come in a variety of designs, some of which are as follows;
Standard design for fitment to counter balanced forklift, these forklift platforms generally are designed for either one person or two people. Method of entry into platform can be either a lift up bar at the front of the forklift platform, step through rails or access gates either at the front of the side (all gates should open inwards, self close and automatically lock as soon as the forklift platform is raised off the ground)

Raised height forklift platforms generally carry the same characteristics of the standard design of forklift platform, but the base is raised up on legs above the forks. The height that the forklift platform is raised above the forks can be anything from 500mm to 1000mm (generally ladders are an integral part of the design when the forklift platform is raised 1000mm above the forks). The raised height forklift platform are well suited for accessing high racking, roof lights, buzz bars etc when truck lift height is limited.

Pedestrian stacker forklift platforms differ from the above mentioned designs in that the fork pockets of these platforms are designed with a larger section to suit the ‘wrap over’ forks of the Pedestrian stackers. The stability legs of the Pedestrian Stackers are also taken into consideration with this design of forklift platform by the way of legs fitted to the underside of the platform. The legs allow the forklift platform to be raised off the ground just enough for the stability legs of the Pedestrian Stacker to travel underneath.

Fold Away forklift platforms are probably the most unique design of forklift platform. These platforms offer all the benefits of a standard forklift platform, but can be easily folded down into a ‘flat pack’ construction, ideally suited for transport or storage.

Contact Attachments based in Mid Wales (www.forklift-attachments.co.uk) have been manufacturing forklift truck attachments for over 30 years and have built up a solid reputation within the industry. They offer a wide range of forklift platforms to suit a variety of applications