Hire and Rental News - November 2017

MATERIALS HANDLING, STORAGE & SAFETY 44 HIRE AND RENTAL NEWS • NOVEMBER 2017 In addition to warehousing and despatch, DBA’s Crown fleet, including RR Series reach trucks, a CG Series LPG counterbalance forklift,Wave Work Assist Vehicles and WP Series power pallet trucks, help transport large quantities of product around its workshop through different stages of manufacturing. The company has been using Crown products for over 16 years in Sydney and other locations around Australia because of their functionality, durability and reliability in difficult conditions, and a strong relationship with Crown’s sales and service staff. DBA managing director Phillip Joseph said: “Disc Brakes Australia started in the early ’70s when we used to make just one disc for the HD/HR Holden. From that time on we’ve been manufacturing in excess of 30,000 disc rotors a month. “During that time we’ve been very happy to have Crown supply us with material handling equipment. Our operations start at six in the morning and run until 10 at night. Every day we have raw castings Crown in for the long haul with Disc Brakes Australia Disc Brakes Australia (DBA), which distributes its patented design disc rotors globally from its Sydney factory and warehouse, is using a range of Crown lift trucks material handling equipment to help it keep up with the strong global demand for its products. coming in and finished product going out. “We’re located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Townsville and at all locations we are using Crown forklifts. “Price is not what determines the purchase of a product at Disc Brakes Australia. We want service and we get service with Crown equipment.” DBAWarehouse Manager Mark Sutch said Crown equipment measures up to the demands of warehousing and manufacturing at DBA and has added capacity to the operation. “Each day we have roughly 10 to 15 pallets coming in and anything from 10 to 30 pallets going out, which is around 2000 rotors,” Mark said. “The biggest challenges we have are the available space and the weight of our product; everything here is quite heavy. We have everything from your basic pallet jack to electric pallet jacks,Wave pickers and high-reach lift trucks, and we’ve also got a counterbalance forklift. “Our high-reach is used to make the most out of the space above us so we go five bays high and in some places in the warehouse it’s double deep. The Wave has enabled us to grow the warehouse capacity. We’re able to use some high- pick locations whereas in the past we haven’t been able to do that. We can now pick around twice as high as what we used to be able to." Contact: 1300 323 272 or visit website: www.crown.com.au The safety alert was for hire companies to apply due diligence processes to ensure hirers are made aware of their electrical safety obligations when working near powerlines. During the incident, damage was also sustained to the boom lift. Initial investigations identified: • The boom lift was hired by a home owner to clear the gutters and down pipe on his property; • The operator was not licenced for the piece of high risk mobile plant; • The operator was not aware of the requirements of the ‘No Go Zone’ rules when working near powerlines; • No electrical spotter was used to manage the distance between the Safety Alert: Uninsulated boom contacts mains conductors After an uninsulated boom lift 11m+ made contact with and caused a live Low Voltage (LV) cable to fall to the ground in July, Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) issued a safety alert to the hire industry. boom and the powerlines; and • Both the operator of the boom lift and the person assisting on the ground were lucky not to be injured or killed. ESV reminded hire organisations to ensure hirers are provided appropriate information to allow them to plan and undertake the work safely. As best practice ESV requested hire companies consider the use of a checklist that ensures: • Only licenced operators will be utilised when operating plant that requires a specific licence; • Information has been provided to manage electrical powerline hazards in accordance with the ‘No Go Zone’ rules. ESV recommended hire companies develop a list of questions to ask prior to hire contracts such as: 1. Do you have a licence or a licenced person to operate this equipment? (for high risk plant items) 2. Are there powerlines near where the plant will be operated? 3. Are you aware of the ‘No Go Zone’ rules? 4. Are you aware of the controls that need to be used when the working envelope of the mobile plant is closer than 6.4m to overhead powerlines? For more on No Go Zone rules and working around powerlines call the Safety Outcomes Assurance team on 03 9203 9700 or visit: www.esv.vic.gov.au Crown lift trucks measure up to the demands of warehousing and manufacturing at DBA