Logistics

Scissor lifts are frequently used as work platforms — and anytime you’re asking workers to use heavy equipment, you need to think about compliance with relevant standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Typical loading docks have a 4-foot drop-off, which can be dangerous to workers and equipment. This is not hypothetical: Forklift operators have been fatally injured by falls from loading docks, and it’s difficult to overstate the hazard posed by an open dock door.

When you mix forklift traffic with unguarded, elevated surfaces, you face a serious risk of injury or worse. You can’t operate a busy loading dock without forklifts, but you can design docks to reduce the risk for forklift operators — and the industry could always improve its safety record.

A dock ramp may not be the most exciting purchase, but in order to build a productive facility, you’ll need to load products and materials — and if your ramp isn’t appropriate for your operation, you’ll lose time (and money) with each load.

The key piece of material handling equipment that runs the global supply chain isn’t a forklift, an automated guided vehicle, or even the mighty pallet itself. It’s the cart. Automation is spreading slowly, and most distribution centers, warehouses, and retail outlets can’t function without a workforce of order pickers and a fleet of sturdy, reliable carts.

Supply chain disruption wasn’t just a pandemic phenomenon, as it turns out. As the world transitions to its new, post(ish)-pandemic normal, grocery leaders continue to worry about keeping food on the shelves. In fact, the industry’s concern has only grown as the pandemic has receded.

Vertical material handling is always a challenge. Raising a loaded pallet to mezzanine-level with a forklift can be risky and time-consuming. Freight elevators require costly inspections and frequent, expensive maintenance. It’s not always possible—and it’s rarely safe—to have employees carry heavy loads up and down stairs.

There are many ways to move materials and equipment from one elevation to another: scissor lifts, lift trucks, spiral conveyors, and more. For many warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and other industrial facilities, however, vertical reciprocating conveyors (VRCs) provide the greatest combination of benefits. These include improved safety, higher throughput, and an overall boost in productivity.

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