Tag Archives: forklift fork extensions

Pallet Trucks UK has applauded 2 Sisters Food Group for its latest enhancement to its Flixton site, which will create 100 more jobs on top of its current workforce which processes around 1 million birds per week.

Roles in engineering, finance, training and health and safety have been created as part of the expansion, which has been done to keep up with orders during the busy Christmas period and beyond.

Phil Chesworth, Pallet Trucks UK Managing Director, said: “It’s great to see so many new jobs being created in the area. We’re always happy to see new manufacturing positions on the market, but it’s interesting to see that there’s a diverse array of roles in areas that you might not usually expect in a factory environment.”

2 Sisters was blighted earlier in the year after a food hygiene scandal engulfed its West Bromwich plant. An undercover investigation by ITV and The Guardian showed 2 Sisters workers displaying a blatant disregard for food hygiene practice by labeling food incorrectly, picking food up after it had been on the floor and mixing batches of meat.

A huge media frenzy ensued after the footage was made public, causing 2 Sisters to close the plant whilst an investigation took place. 2 Sisters officials were also called into a parliamentary inquiry as a result of the expose.

Phil added: “After the scandal that happened earlier in the year it’s fantastic to hear some good news from 2 Sisters. The company employs a lot of people and hopefully this expansion can go towards rebuilding their reputation.”

Pallet Trucks UK supplies a multitude of manual handling equipment to food factories across the country, with its vast product catalogue including pallet trucks, moving skates, aerial work platforms, forklift fork extensions and more.

Pallet Trucks UK has urged businesses to prioritise worker safety after a dreadful accident caused a pallet to fall on a freight worker, leaving him with devastating spinal injuries and robbing him of his ability to walk.

Andrew Potts, 53, was working as a freight checker for United Pallet Network in Lichfield when the pallet holding glass fell off a curtain-sided lorry and crushed him. This came after Andrew had previously attempted to stabilize the pallets using a forklift truck a few moments earlier.

Previously a fully able man, Mr Potts has now been reduced to having to use a mobility scooter to travel more than a few feet and is completely reliant on his wife for household activities such as cooking and cleaning.

Phil Chesworth, Pallet Trucks UK Managing Director, said: “This is a really catastrophic injury which has robbed an unfortunate worker of his freedom. Going from being a fully able-bodied person to having to use a mobility scooter is devastating for both the victim and his family.

“The worst part about this injury is that it could’ve been avoided; it sounds like the pallet was in a precarious position to start with which is unacceptable in any case, but made even worse by the fact that a lack of attention to safety has cost a man his independence.”

As well as causing excruciating spinal fractures, Mr Potts suffered multiple broken bones and damaged teeth from the accident. He is now suing the owners of the lorry, Lescost Transport Ltd, for damages in excess of £200,000.

Mr Pott’s lawyers state that’s he’s been badly psychologically affected by the accident, and suffers from depression and anxiety as a result of being unable to look after himself and perform simple actions such as climbing stairs.

Phil added: “Some pallets are extremely heavy and it isn’t surprising how severe Mr Pott’s injuries are if the pallet fell on him from height, especially if it was holding a product on top of it as well.”

Pallet Trucks UK stocks a huge array of manual handling equipment used by freight workers and other materials handling professionals, including pallet trucks, moving skates, lift tables, forklift fork extensions, drum loaders and more.

Pallet Trucks UK has urged materials handling professionals not to be alarmed by a futuristic new project that could see them sharing their workplaces with autonomous robotic workers in the future.

The new ILIAD (Intra-Logistics with Integrated Automatic Deployment) project has been devised by scientists to create entire new fleets of robots called AGVs (automatic guidance vehicles) which will perform tasks such as transporting goods on forklift trucks and pallet jacks as well palletising duties.

Phil Chesworth, Pallet Trucks UK Managing Director, said: “News such as this naturally causes alarm amongst people who may work with forklifts or pallet jacks on a daily basis; who wants their job to be taken by a robot?

“It’s for this reason we’d like to remind workers in our field the focus of the ILIAD project is to create fleets of robots to work alongside humans, not replace them. Secondly, the project is still very much in its research phase at the moment, so don’t expect to be turning up to work and meeting a new robotic colleague anytime soon.”

A key requirement of the ILIAD project is that the robots will be ‘self-aware’ and able to detect, track and predict the behaviour of their human counterparts, and work with them to speed up processes and increase efficiency. Each AGV will also be self-optimizing and able to learn from its own collected data, making fleets of the new AI workers fully scaleable with the option of adding new ones to the fleet at any time.

ILIAD has been developed by robotics specialists from the UK, Sweden, Italy and Germany as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 fund, and includes the collaboration of experts from universities across the continent.

Phil added: “The emergence of a new robotic workforce could actually be beneficial to us as it may create less strenuous work for humans and mean fewer injuries for forklift drivers and materials handling professionals.

“The rise of AI will also create new jobs in itself as there will need to be a whole new wave of repair specialists to fix the robots when faults and malfunctions occur, so it’s certainly nothing to be worried about in the foreseeable future.”

Although the aim of ILIAD is to create robots able to work in a multitude of industries, the AGVs are to be initially trialled in the food sector due to its challenging requirements including short shelf-life products, high wastage costs and traceability needs.

Pallet Trucks UK currently supplies a vast variety of manual handling equipment to the food sector such as forklift fork extensions and hand pallet trucks, as well as a wide range of other materials handling goods such as moving skates, sack trucks and lift tables.

Last year the UK produced more start-up companies than ever before. And this year is set to break records just the same. With such stiff competition, how can UK start-ups ensure they stand out and cement their future?

PalletTrucksUK, one of the largest suppliers of pallet trucks, forklift fork extensions and lift tables to businesses, has offered start-ups and small businesses tips on which units are best to invest in for small companies who need a bit of oomph behind their small workforce.

Lift tables are indispensable for businesses where the lifting and lowering of goods is imperative. They provide a safe, secure and robust platform, ensuring safety at all times. Depending on the size and weight capacity needed, these start at just over £1000 ex. VAT, which although may seem like a large outlay to new companies, the production benefits offered by these far outweighs the initial price tag.

Manual stackers are another key ingredient in the start-up menu. They easily solve any lifting conundrum thanks to their strong and reliable build. Depending on what these stackers will be used for entirely depends on what businesses need to look for. Some businesses need them to tilt, while others needs vary much more so will need a stacker with adjustable legs. However for the entry-level stacker, businesses are looking at under £450 ex. VAT for a quality assured platform stacker.

“For equipment that brings so many benefits, these really do offer excellent value for money,” said Phil Chesworth, Managing Director at PalletTrucksUK. “When companies first start, the attentions are very much focussed on the purse strings, and it can sometimes be hard to see the wood for the trees. But sitting down and going through what needs to be done daily will help make things clearer. Then it is up to business owners to look at ways they can improve production and streamline processes going forward. And often, that includes investing in equipment.”

Moving skates are the last piece of the puzzle according to the experts. Incredibly cost-effective, they start at around £40 ex. VAT for a one tonne capacity skate, and offer incredible safety credentials. Used for gliding heavy and large objects from one area to another they cut down on injury and make the process inherently faster.

All businesses want to streamline the efficiency of both staff and processes, but sometimes that is easier said than done. However for businesses that rely on the movement of goods, efficiency can be easily upped by focusing on logistical processes.

PalletTrucksUK, one of the largest suppliers of pallet trucks, forklift fork extensions and lift tables to businesses all over the UK, has reiterated exactly how efficient logistics can positively impact a business.

As the business world becomes increasingly more competitive, keeping customers happy is one of the most important parts of running a company in order to guarantee customer loyalty. It has been stated that it costs, on average, five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain one, so keeping existing customers happy will help to ensure repeat custom and cut down on the marketing and lead generation aimed at new customers. And proficient logistics are at the heart of this. Reliable logistics helps to cut down on the amount of time wasted getting products to customers, while potentially even minimising the costs of doing so. These savings can then be passed on to the customer.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of PalletTrucksUK, said, “By investing in the everyday logistics, businesses can reap a myriad of rewards. From financial benefits to staff and customer satisfaction, the pluses efficient logistic operations can bring within a business really are unparalleled.”

Labour costs can also be reduced by using logistics correctly by cutting down on the number of people needed to undertake tasks. This will free up the time of the other employees and allow them to concentrate on other areas of the business which can help it to grow, develop and change, as needed, to stay ahead of competitors

Forklift trucks have become a mainstay of the warehouse industry for many years. They help to make the industry more productive, safer and altogether more pleasant for workers by fulfilling a number of duties effortlessly. But despite them offering a plethora of benefits, there are some instances when forklifts just don’t quite cut it due to their restricted fork length. But thankfully PalletTrucksUK has the answer.

The company, which is one of the longest-standing suppliers of warehouse and manual handling equipment in the UK, stocks a comprehensive range of forklift fork extensions, all designed to improve forklift trucks’ functionality. Coming in a range of sizes and types, they are ideal for all models and allow for a more effective and efficient working environment.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of PalletTrucksUK, said, “Forklift trucks have been at the forefront of the warehousing industry for as long as many can remember. Inherently useful they are used daily by specialist drivers who are trained to operate them in order to aid other workers. However despite bringing a number of benefits, there are some instances where forklifts do not cut it due to the restricted length of forks.”

All of PalletTrucksUK’s forklift extensions are manufactured to the highest quality, but do not command large price tags. Whether businesses simply need to add a few inches to their forklift’s existing forks, or need to completely overhaul the capabilities of a fleet with a number of extensions, they can breathe a new lease of life into the traditional forklift truck.

Forklift trucks allow warehouses to operate efficiently. Generally used for moving heavy goods and supplies from one place to another quickly and with less effort than doing so manually, they are able to reach high-up objects, lift and load heavy items, are relatively ease to take care of and help to keep workers safe by reducing strain.

“Instead of investing a lot of money into new types of equipment, businesses can simply make the most of their existing fleet by making a few simple and cost-effective adjustments – such as forklift fork extensions,” added Phil.