Tag: used forklifts Colorado

You will not need sophisticated technologies or a huge investment to improve warehouse efficiency, but it is still essential to consider a few things. Here are some useful tips and mistakes that you should avoid:

The reception space is too small

One of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make, with the desire to have more space in their warehouse for shelves or storage areas, is not to allocate an area large enough for the receptions of goods. The reception space must be large enough to facilitate inventory operations, quality control, labeling, division by category and inspection of products.

You do not take into account the space needed for warehouse equipment

In any warehouse you will need special equipment for transporting the goods that will ease your work and streamline processes. However, these equipments need space to be operated properly, which must be taken into account right from the start. Reducing costs is always important, so look for the best reliable used forklifts Colorado businesses offer online.

Choose the right type of storage shelves

Most warehouses, whether they serve production, assembly, packaging or storage operations, need special spaces for storing goods. The size and type of storage shelves depend, first of all, on the nature of the products you will store on them, but you also have to take into account the weight they can bear without risking accidents.

Forklifts come in many different types and sizes – here are the most common used forklifts Colorado classes:

• 4-wheel counterbalance forklifts – these are the most common forklift types, offering lifting capacity that ranges between 1.5-25 tons and with a lifting range of up to 7 m;
• 3-wheel counterbalance forklifts – these forklifts are smaller than the ones in the previous class, therefore more suitable for narrow aisles;
• Reach trucks – these machines are the best choice for very narrow and very tall shelf rows. The lifting capacity of these forklifts is usually in the 1.4-2.0 tons range (though 3-ton units are also available) and many of them can reach heights up to 13 m;
• Power pallet trucks – these units are smaller and used for maneuvering pallets;
• Rough terrain forklifts – these sturdy and strong machines are equipped with suspension, which makes them suitable for operating outside the warehouse, on gravel, sand, even in mud;
• Articulated forklifts – these units have been developed for moving in very narrow aisles, these machines are easy to maneuver and they can reach to heights over 12 m.

Most of these lifting machines are available in electric, LP gas and diesel versions, each fuel version offering specific features and benefits.

Warehouses, even the ones that feature the best layout and are used with the right equipment, are places where large batches of products and pallets are moved all the time and where high-capacity material handling vehicles are being operated all the time. This also means that observing safety regulation strictly is essential for warehouse safety – here are some important aspects to bear in mind at all time while performing duties in warehouses:

• Observing weight limits – each forklift and material handling machine comes with limitations in terms of the weight that they can transport. Disregarding these limits can lead to very severe accidents as well as to the damage of the machine and to other material damage, so operating these machines with the weight limit in mind is essential; Make sure when you purchase used forklifts in Colorado, you also schedule specific safety training for that piece of equipment.
• Always perform lifts safely – observing the regulations regarding the safe lifting techniques is also essential for warehouse safety;
• Always check the technical condition of the material handling equipment – machines that are not fully functional and that lack the auditive and visual warning systems should never be used in warehouses;
• Danger zones must be clearly delimited and marked;
• Any cracks, pots and spills on the warehouse floor must be remedied in a timely manner to prevent slips and other accidents.

Safety training is an important part of any job, especially if you work in a factory or a warehouse. Being around heavy equipment and large boxes can be intimidating, and a real danger does exist that, if you don’t use your training properly, you could be injured or even worse. This is why, if you own a large company, warehouse or factory, you have to make sure your workers always stay up to date with their safety training, whenever they are tasked to use heavy equipment.

The thing about heavy equipment is that you always have to be aware of what it does. Since there are upgrades, and some of the equipment your workers use might get an upgrade every now and then, the work instruction for using it might also change. When that happens, you have to make sure that your training team can re-train your workers about the safe and proper use of heavy machines, before allowing any of your employees to access the upgraded versions.

While staying up to date with heavy equipment used forklifts Colorado training can be a bother, it is essential to your workers’ safety, and it’s also a mandatory requirement that you are legally bound to follow. Your insurance and the contracts you sign with all your workers will demand this fact, and the reputation of your company will also rely on it.