Upfront: Your January 2008 News
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/2008
New dock leveler standard available
A new American National Standard for the safety, performance and testing of dock levelers is now available. If you're buying new dock levelers, the standard can help you determine whether the equipment you're considering meets industry standards for safety and reliability. The standard also includes a section outlining the responsibilities of dock leveler owners for maintenance and proper use of their equipment. Copies of the standard (MH30.1 – 2007) are available for $15 at the Material Handling Industry of America online bookstore.
Materials Handling: You do what for a living?
Do you ever have trouble explaining your job to your neighbors or in-laws? A new online video from the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) might be able to help.
The 12-minute video, “Introducing the Material Handling and Logistics Industry,” is posted at MHIA's home page, www.mhia.org. The narrated video explains the role of materials handling processes and equipment in making products and getting them into the hands of consumers. MHIA developed the video as a recruitment tool for companies who make and sell materials handling equipment—but we think you'll find it helpful, too.
Fuel cell contest energizes students
High school students from the United States, India, Germany and Japan gathered in Texas this fall to compete in the 2007 International Youth Fuel Cell Competition (IYFCC, www.iyfcc.com). As part of the contest, the students constructed miniature fuel-cell-powered lift trucks.
The competition is good for the lift truck industry, says contest judge Wayne Mabry of Cat Lift Trucks (www.cat-lift.com). “This is a fascinating, interesting industry to be in, but nobody sees that,” Mabry says. Introducing students to the challenge of designing lift trucks, he says, may persuade them to consider jobs in the industry.
Adjustment to automation: days not weeks
With today's technology and the right management, employees can adjust to new automated materials handling equipment within days. That's according to John Seidl, a consultant with retailing specialists Kurt Salmon Associates and a recent participant in a Modern Webcast.
“We're seeing world-class retailers starting to build their productivity improvement within 72 hours of when they turn the application on,” he says. This kind of success, he adds, is usually the result of good management and preparation.
For more details, watch the webcast How Retailers Cope with Forces Beyond their Control.
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