News from MLA Holding Australia's Largest Forklift Supplier

Reduce Manual Handling Injuries with Mitsubishi

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back injury news breaking

Power pallet movers, part of MLA's extensive warehouse forklifts range, can reduce back injuries!

One in three injuries to Australian workers is caused by manual handling. Manual handling injuries are not limited to those sustained by lifting or carrying heavy loads. A person can be injured when handling objects in a variety of ways, including pulling, pushing, holding or restraining.

 

According to the Australian Workers Compensation Statistics 2011-12, the most common of these work related injuries are sprains and strains, accounting for 43% of all serious compensations claims. Between 2000 and 2012, 20% of these serious compensations claims were a direct result of back strains and injuries. In this same time period, 21% of all weeks lost from work were as a result of back injuries.

Safe Work Australia suggests that back injuries are most common in the transport and storage, and manufacturing industries. An effective way to reduce the high rates of back injuries in these industries is to minimise or stop the use of manual hand pallet jacks when moving heavy loads.

Manual pallet jacks can make significant physical demands on operators in confined areas, particularly when heavy loads have to be pulled or pushed using muscle power alone. If moving loads greater then 500kg, then trading in a hand pallet truck for a Mitsubishi battery powered version should strongly be considered.

It is the effort involved in starting and stopping a load that results in most back injuries. Mitsubishi's Forklift Briefing website states that the maximum figure for safely starting or stopping a load is an effort of 20kg for men and 15 kg for women. Testing of hand pallet jacks shows that starting a 500kg load from a stationary position takes an effort of 23.3kg. Increase the load to 2000kg, and the force required is 49.6kg, much greater than the official guidelines recommend. This is why many back injuries occur and many hours of work are lost at great cost to Australian businesses.

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While initially more costly than hand pallet jacks electric power pallet movers are a much safer and a more cost effective solution in the long run. With the right equipment specification and operator training, electric power pallet movers will significantly reduce the risk of operator injury, reduce fatigue, improve operator performance and increase the efficiency of the operation.

Workers and machine operators are important assets to an organisation, so why not ensure their safety when handling heavy loads. Mitsubishi PREMIA power pallet movers offer a comprehensive solution to safe horizontal movement of heavy loads, while minimising the risk of back injury prevalent with the use of manual hand pallet jacks.

Acceleration, top speed and braking characteristics are fully programmable to suit each individual's needs. When the control handle is pulled all the way down or up, the truck automatically stops. Furthermore, when the emergency button is activated the truck immediately stops. For tight turning in confined spaces the Mitsubishi PREMIA power pallet movershave a unique "handle-up" operation feature making it ideal for use in containers and the back of trucks.

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Avoid back injury and time lost from work. Mitsubishi power pallet movers are sure to make light work of transporting loads, in a safe and easy manner, and help your business avoid contributing to workplace injury statistics.

This article was also published by safetysolutions.net.au.

December 2014 Safety Bulletin

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extension slippersDec saf 2014

Forklift extension slippers are one of many forklift parts that can compromise safety.

Safety in the workplace is often compromised when forklifts are used to load and unload larger and awkward loads on and off vehicles. Many serious injuries to employees have occurred during the loading and unloading of vehicles as a result of falling pallets. This is particularly common when trying to reach the width of a truck with a forklift. When used correctly, fully certified, load-tested and guaranteed forklift extension slippers can be an effective solution to this problem.

Forklift extension slippers are used as an economic means of extending the effective blade length of forks on a forklift truck. To be considered safe, extension slippers must be designed, manufactured and used in accordance with Australian Standard 2359. It is important to note that the purpose of forklift extension slippers is to temporarily lengthen the fork arms, for load stabilization only. Great care must be taken to ensure that the load is supported by the parent fork arms and not solely by the extension slippers.

According to Australian Standards, extension slippers shall be designed to prevent accidental disengagement from the parent fork and the yield strength of the extensions shall be tested using a safety factor as specified in ISO 2330:2002. Slippers for general usage should be no longer than 167% of the supporting forklift arms (i.e. 60% of the slipper length must be on fork arm). If the slippers are longer than 167%, then the usage of those slippers shall be restricted to their specified application.

In accordance with AS2359.15, manufacturers must supply the following information with each set of extension slippers:

  • Mounting instructions
  • Capacity rating and limitations of use
  • Periodic examination for wear and damage

AS2359.15 states that the following information shall be marked durably and legibly on each set of extension slippers:

  • Manufacturer's mark
  • Serial number with year of manufacture
  • The rated capacity and load centre distance for the fork-arm extension
  • The required blade cross-section and minimum blade length for the parent fork arm

AS2359.1 states that the following information shall be marked durably and legibly on the forklift:

  • The rated capacity of the forklift when fitted with the slippers is included on the forklift load rating plate

All attachments supplied by MLA Holdings, including extension slippers, are compliant with Australian Standards. MLA can help you understand the class, length, weight and carrying capacity of both the forklift and the extension slippers that you require. Information for this article was sourced from Australian Standard 2359.15.

Download the pdf here.

November/December 2014 Newsletter

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Reliable forklifts, reach stackers, and WA's grand opening all feature in the November/December issue of the MLA Newsletter:
 

Ken's Korner

At our recent Annual General Meeting, Mr. Jiro Kanamori, our Chairman for the last 34 years announced his retirement. Some of our more recent employees maybe unaware that Mr. Kanamori, when General Manager of T. Chatani & Co. Ltd was the one who in 1980 had the vision to create MLA Holdings Pty Ltd and appoint it as the Distributor of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks in Australia...

For the full article please download the pdf here.

Bibra Lake's Grand Opening

MLA Holdings' new premises in Bibra Lake, Western Australia, have officially been opened. To acknowledge this important milestone for MLA a grand opening dinner was held on the 29th of August, 2014, at the new Bibra Lake premises, attended by MLA's owner, Directors, WA staff and key MLA customers. Ross Mackenzie, MLA's Western Australia State Manager was very pleased with the over-whelming success of the opening and stated; "The evening was enjoyed by all and it provided an opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with key customers and celebrate the growth of our WA branch..."

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For the full article please download the pdf here.

 

MLA Partners with Chalmers Industries Pty Ltd

The delivery of a new SANY SRSC45C2 Reach Stacker to Chalmers' Yarraville site in Melbourne continues an already successful partnership between MLA and Chalmers Industries. MLA's relationship with Chalmers commenced in 2012 following the delivery of two Vulcan Reach Stackers and one Vulcan Empty Container Handler, all manufactured by Linde Heavy Truck Division. MLA Holdings is pleased to assist Chalmers Industries in achieving their goals as they seek to build on their proud reputation of being a reliable and consistent transportation organisation. With MLA's unrivalled after-sales service and impressive new range of heavy equipment, MLA is perfectly positioned to serve as Chalmers' long-term materials handling supplier in both their Victorian and Queensland operations...

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For the full article please download the pdf here.

 

Famous for Reliability

Extraordinary equipment reliability is not common in the materials handling industry. The equipment must be well built at the start, and then maintained to ensure that it behaves exactly as it should. This is where MLA Holdings and Mitsubishi Forklifts excel. Here, extraordinary forklift reliability is not rare at all, it's actually assured. Reliability is built into every Mitsubishi forklift truck that rolls off the assembly line. In the showroom at MLA's NSW Head Office sits an original yellow 1972 Mitsubishi FG20. It's in perfect condition, however deservedly retired from its working duties some time ago...

For the full Article please download the pdf here.

 

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November 2014 Safety Bulletin

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Nov 2014 safety  novsaf14

 

It is a truth acknowledged in the materials handling industry that people have done and will continue to do dumb and unsafe things when operating forklifts. Some of these things are intentional while some are accidental; some are the result of laziness and others the result of pure ignorance or poor decision making. In a disturbing trend, there is an increasing number of videos posted online detailing these incidents, most with the intent to shock and entertain. It is a worrying aspect of a larger problem, the general unsafe use of forklifts.

Some of the common unsafe practices employed during forklift use include but are not limited to:

• Allowing untrained, uncertified, unauthorised, or unskilled workers to operate a forklift. Proper training and certification is a requirement.

• Operating a forklift that requires repair. Forklift operators should avoid driving and using a malfunctioning forklift.

• Leaving forklifts running while they are not in use. This is usually a result of laziness and should be avoided at all times.

• Driving a forklift under the influence. Operators should never attempt to operate a forklift while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medications that may affect their ability to operate the forklift safely.

• Forklift racing and forklift jousting have become popular occurrences with bored and unsupervised employees. This is just plain dangerous and shows complete disregard for safety.

A forklift should not be used for anything other than its intended purpose. As many of these online videos show, engaging in these unsafe practices whilst operating a forklift has led to many serious and fatal accidents. Not only does it put people in danger it also tarnishes reputations, including those of employers and industries alike.

There are many tools and practices that you can implement at your workplace to eliminate the unsafe use of forklifts. Effective operator training, reporting near misses, setting up codes of conduct and effective site planning are a good nucleus to a broader safety strategy.

Inbuilt safety features on a forklift will restrict operators to an extent in what they can and can't do when operating a forklift. MLA's Mitsubishi Grendia series are all fitted with a speed limiter, an Integrated Presence System, optional password authentication to prevent unauthorised use of the forklift, and a sequential seat belt interlock, which is a requirement based on the Australian Standard for forklifts, AS2359.

Information for this article was sourced from; www.forkliftbriefing.com.

Download the pdf here.

October 2014 Safety Bulletin

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Load Rating Plate4 octsaf

 All new forklifts and used forklifts are required to have a load capacity plate, this plate displays important safety information for the operator of the forklift.

A forklift's load capacity is defined as the maximum load in kilograms that a forklift is able to safely transport and stack, when operating on a hard level surface, the mast in the vertical position, with maximum lift height at a specified load center distance in millimeters. The load capacity data plate specifies the load each forklift can safely transport and stack at different mast angles or when it is fitted with an attachment and must be located within direct view from the operator's position.


Section 14 of the Australian Standard 2359.1-1995 states that; 'Trucks and attachments shall bear the information specified in Clause 14.4 by the use of legible, permanent and accessible nameplates and markings. Nameplates shall be durable, corrosion-resistant and mechanically attached to a permanent part of the truck or attachment. Information shall be valid for the truck or attachment on which it is displayed.'

The information that needs to be displayed for load capacities is outlined by Clause 14.4 of AS2359.1-1995 and reads as follows;

      a) For each powered industrial truck fitted with forks dimensioned to handle Australian Standard pallets, the rated capacity in kilograms at the 600 mm load centre.

      b) For counterbalanced powered industrial trucks, the rated capacity in kilograms at the standard load centre, in millimetres.

      c) For each industrial truck, the alternative capacity in kilograms.

      d) For each attachment other than forks, the model number or catalogue number of the attachment.

      e) For high-lift trucks, maximum lift height, in metres or millimetres.

      f) For trucks with tilting mast, forward and reverse tilt angles when unladen, in degrees.

      g) The height at which any travel speed changes are automatically imposed.

Workers with insufficient awareness of a forklift's load capacity are placing themselves and those around them at serious risk. The use of clearly marked load capacity plates is therefore of paramount importance. All workers also need to be aware of the risks associated with exceeding a forklift's load rating capacity.

All forklift trucks delivered by MLA Holdings are fitted with legible and valid load rating capacity plates that comply with the Australian Standard. Information for this article was sourced from Australian Standard 2359.1-1995.

 

Download the pdf here.

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September Newsletter

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Forklift service, reach stackers, and new staff feature in the September issue of the MLA Newsletter:

Ken's Korner

I am sure many of our employees often wonder where MLA stands in the Forklift Truck Industry in Australia. MLA is, and has always been, a profitable company and whilst it is not in the first two or three in the market share category we like to think we are, never the less, the market leader...

For the full article please download the pdf here.

 

New Fleet of Service Vans for MLA

MLA Holdings is proud to announce the delivery of a new fleet of company service vans. Fourteen brand new vehicles will be introduced nationally, with the roll out starting in Victoria in August. The new vans provide superior safety features, an improved interior layout that maximises available space and carrying capacities as well as delivering improved fuel efficiency, and lower running costs...

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For the full article please download the pdf here.

 

MLA Partners with Hutchison Ports Australia

MLA Holdings Pty Ltd is pleased to announce a new partnership with Hutchison Ports Australia, who are backed by the considerable technical, operational and financial muscle of the world's leading port investor, developer and operator, Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH). MLA has successfully delivered and commissioned a total of four new SANY Reach Stackers and one new SANY Empty Container Handler during August at Sydney International ContainerTerminals - Port Botany and the new intermodal freight terminal at Enfield. This compliments the existing 8 SANY port machines delivered to Brisbane Container Terminals and Sydney Container Terminals during 2013 in the initial phase of terminal development...

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For the full article please download the pdf here.

 

New Blood, Same Quality

MLA is pleased to introduce 6 new employees that have recently joined the team. The new starters bring with them a wide variety of expertise and knowledge and are sure to be an asset to the company. The large number of fresh faces in recent times emphasises MLA's continual growth and high status within the materials handling industry...

To meet all our new faces please download the pdf here.

 

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