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Monthly Archives: September 2017

Blog, Electrical, Warehouse Equipment

Year-End Budget Planning: Invest in Electrical Equipment

As the year draws to a close, growing companies may find that they still have the budget for a capital investment or two. The end of the year is a great time to invest in new equipment to make the coming year more productive. Any operation that depends on electrical work, whether that’s in the construction industry, the electrical supply business, or for-hire electrical contracting, has a unique end-of-year opportunity to build an “electrical equipment wish list.” You might already have the tools you need to work to get by, but who couldn’t use a productivity boost? Here are a few pieces of electrical equipment that can make the job much easier for contractors as well as supply houses: Conduit…more

Industry Knowledge Base

Improving Safety at Electrical Prefabrication Shops

These days, it’s rare to meet an electrical contractor who doesn’t do at least some prefabrication before heading to the jobsite. Many larger outfits run their own prefabrication shops. There are distinct advantages for contractors who operate in-house prefab teams, but there are also challenges, especially in terms of safety. Hazards in the shop environment can be quite distinct from those of an installation job site. But when did prefab get to be such a big part of the industry? Is dependence on a prefabrication shop really more efficient than completing pulls, cuts, and bends at the job site, as they arise? Most importantly, how can contractors reduce the risk of injury while prefabricating components? In this piece, we set…more

Batteries, Blog, Efficiency, Extractors, Forklifts, Safety

Forklift Battery Handling Equipment for the Coming Year’s Budget

Improved battery room configurations and new equipment can yield big gains in productivity and profitability. As the end of the year draws closer, managers of large forklift fleets consider placing an investment in this type of infrastructure in the coming year’s budget. BHS custom designs its battery handling equipment for safety, efficiency, and lifetime cost savings. A complete system can make battery change-outs, charging, and washing a seamless process that keeps lift trucks running with less downtime.  Even a single piece of well-chosen equipment can make a big difference in a battery room. Carts and carriages are fine for operations that only require one or two battery change-outs per day. A BHS Automatic Transfer Carriage accommodates up to 20 change-outs.…more

News

BHS, Inc. Donates Custom Material Handling Equipment to Book-Loving Charity

September 14, 2017 — St. Louis, Missouri — BHS, Inc., a leading manufacturer of material handling and battery changing equipment, has donated steel workstations and custom carts to Ready To Learn, a non-profit dedicated to providing free books for kids. The equipment will allow the St. Louis-based non-profit organization to instill area children with a lifelong love of reading. Ready To Learn donates new and gently used books to children in need. Since 2011, the charity has collected books from a variety of sources and given them to children in low-income neighborhoods. A 2006 study found that middle-income neighborhoods have 13 books per child while low-income neighborhoods have just one book per 300 children. Ready To Learn aims to narrow…more

Blog, Electrical, OSHA, Safety, Warehouse Equipment

Electrician Safety in Cold Outdoor Environments

Electrical contractors can’t simply pack up and wait out the winter weather; eventually, electricians just have to work in the cold. Extreme temperatures create special hazards, especially for electricians, and staying safe in the depths of winter requires special efforts on the part of employers and employees alike. The Occupational Safety and Health Association breaks down their safety rules for working in cold and snow into three categories: plan, equip, and train. Here’s what that means for electricians working outside on a freezing Midwestern or Northern day: Employers should invest in engineering controls to help limit the risk. As you know if you’ve read any of our previous entries on ergonomics, “engineering controls” are the most powerful way to keep…more

Blog, Efficiency, Safety, Warehouse Equipment

Handling and Storing Construction Tools at High-Rise Building Sites

The hazards of working on high-rise construction projects have been well-documented. While self-climbing perimeter protection systems, or “cocoons,” protect workers from falls, there’s another safety risk that cocoons can’t eliminate: injuries involving construction tools. A safety guide from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health offers a few rules to keep construction tools safe: Cal/OSHA requires employees to keep tools “clean and in good repair.” Staff must be trained and experienced in the use of a tool before using it. All powder-actuated tools must be kept in a lockable container, which must remain locked unless authorized personnel retrieve or replace a piece of equipment. Power-operated tools must be kept away from moisture and wetness. While some of these rules…more