The Ontario Ministry of Labour Safety Blitz is upon us

It’s coming up on that time of year again; where the government inspection blitzes from the Occupational Health and Safety Program come knocking. In 2015, it is set to run from September 12 – October 23. At Lucas Liftruck Services we like to get a head start on alerting potential customers who may be caught unaware by this blitz, and perform on-site inspections of forklift and lift truck fleets to be sure your company will not be penalized for faulty equipment. Workplace injuries and fatalities can usually be traced to a few root causes; and so the Occupational Health & Safety inspectors will probe your industrial equipment thoroughly. A competent Lucas forklift technician can sign off on your fleet’s safety and save you from suffering fines and down-time due to tagged equipment deemed unsafe. Being pro-active to avoid harsh fines is essential in keeping your business running efficiently. Whether you are due for another equipment inspection or not, having a trained technician inspect your fleet of forklifts and pallet trucks before the Occupational Health & Safety inspectors arrive at your door will ensure your compliance and express the importance your company places in safety at the workplace. Lucas Liftruck’s current customers enjoy a maintenance package which tracks their OSHA’s through fleet management and advanced record keeping, offering our clients worry-free operations through planned maintenance. Improve your safety processes and work with a Lucas Liftruck professional.

Avoid Costly Accidents and Employ a Planned Maintenance Service

Remember, your materials handling equipment requires maintenance. It’s got moving parts, just like your car. Each part plays a role in safely operating your forklift or lift truck on a daily basis. Consider this: a forklift rumbles down your aisles or yard carrying 3 to 5 times as much weight as your car, and you have your car serviced regularly. When machines breakdown due to neglect, it effects your business, but more importantly, it becomes an unsafe piece of equipment and could injure an employee causing much more than downtime, it could be the precursor for a devastating accident and even a lawsuit.

Your business and those responsible for keeping your business running efficiently are your priorities. The equipment you use to assist employees in their efforts need to be well maintained. Training is also a must, but maintaining the equipment goes a long way in the prevention of injuries due to faulty equipment. Forklifts should be inspected daily by the operator and serviced by a licensed technician up to four times a year.

A Stärke brand product is an excellent example of superior engineering, but even the very best material handling equipment requires regular maintenance to ensure the vehicle is operating at peak efficiency. This service is recommended by the manufacturer of every brand of machinery and should be followed to safeguard your employees and your business from unexpected downtime and accidents.

The cost of an accident will far exceed the cost of a planned maintenance program. Lucas liftruck is capable of servicing every make and model of forklift and lift truck, so if you have been on the fence about having a professional look at your materials handling equipment, Lucas Liftruck services can help.

Contact us today: 905-227-3291

Lucas - Stocking the Most Forklift Parts in the Niagara Region

Picking your Forklift and materials handling parts has never been easier than it is today. With the advent of the internet, countless online shops have sprung up claiming to be the next best thing. The trouble has always been that the vast majority of these parts shops didn’t keep an inventory! They still don’t!

It’s not only the convenience of accessing and ordering your forklift parts online that should lure you to the website, but whether they have a physical, brick and mortar store where they actually house the parts you’re looking for.  Too many of these fly-by-night online shops have made a bad name for the respectable ones by not stocking the parts they show online, thus leaving the customer with a late delivery and a bitter taste in their mouth.

Institutions like Lucas Liftruck, serving the Niagara region for over 75 years, is maintained by material handling industry professionals with one of the most substantial lists of oversea and domestic forklift brand parts stocked and ready to be shipped or picked-up from our Thorold location. You can count on Lucas to have the lowest prices on the parts equipment you need - when you need it.

Brands like EP, Stärke, Hyster, Heli, Hecha, Hangcha, Liftstar, Hytsu, xilin, JAC, Tailift, TEU and many more are represented and stocked for quick shipping throughout the Golden Horseshoe.

Whether you’re a local dealer or an end-user who requires the parts in a timely fashion to reduce or avoid downtime, Lucas Liftruck is your go-to source for the very best brand name forklift parts.

Call us or contact us today via email or online form for a professional quote. 905-227-3291

About Forklift and Lift Equipment Rentals. Why Renting Makes Sense.

The number one reason to rent your materials handling equipment is that it enables you to use forklifts and lift trucks without laying down the capital, which means upfront or loan costs with interest rates are not a consideration.

Budgeting for the future with fixed costs every month without any unexpected maintenance costs are also huge benefits to renting your forklifts; as all maintenance is covered by the dealer’s rental agreement.

Key Performance Indicators and fleet utilization reports are managed by the dealer, reducing your administration costs while freeing up staff to concentrate on your business.

Renting forklifts will ensure that you always have the most up-to-date equipment and technology. When your equipment ages or your renting terms end your old forklifts are replaced with new ones.

No down time is another big benefit to renting your equipment. If one of the units stops working, your dealer will be able to replace it, providing immediate relief.

Ready to rent? Consider these points before moving forward.

Research dealers to ensure all your applications are met by their equipment selection and that they offer to visit your facility and assess your needs before suggesting product.

Ensure that your dealer has a qualified trainer to offer the option of forklift training to your employees who will be operating the piece of rental equipment.

Lucas Liftruck offers the best forklifts in the Niagara Falls regions reaching Hamilton, Brantford, Oakville,St. Catharines and surrounding areas.

Do Your Lifting Devices Feature a Corrosion Inhibitor like Zinc Dichromate?

Over two and a half billion dollars a year - just in the United States - is spent to combat rust deterioration of fittings across multiple industries. Why expose your equipment to this kind of wear? Tube fittings are rarely replaced at the first sign of corrosion, and yet the longer they are left, adjacent parts like hoses and hydraulic components, can begin to corrode at accelerated rates. To some materials handling equipment manufacturers, the inclusion of Zinc Dichromate is cost-prohibitive, but companies like Stärke consider it a long-term investment rather than a short-term pricing decision.

Stärke forklifts and lift trucks come with Zinc Dichromate fittings as standard. This supports the Stärke Motto: Stärke is Strength. Regardless of the costly upgrades you will find on Stärke products, the price is always competitive.

For a List of the Devastating Effects Red Rust Deterioration of Fittings can cause, please see below:

• system contamination
• potential leaks
• fitting connection problems
• aesthetic quality concerns from end user
• maintenance difficulty
• improper function of adjacent components (valves, pumps, cylinders)
• accelerated corrosion of adjacent components

The cost implications of fitting corrosion with mobile equipment can become life-threatening if left ignored.

If you’re looking for strength in your materials handling equipment at a cost that will under-cut their competitors in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario, look no further than Lucas Liftrucks

Forklift Operator Training for the Niagara Region and the Golden Horseshoe

In recent years the Ministry of Labour has implemented more stringent regulations and safety requirements relating to forklift training and operation. Many companies are recognizing the significance of safety programs and appropriate training for their forklift operators. 

The Lucas Liftruck Forklift Operator Safety Awareness training courses are facilitated by certified trainers with over 20 years of experience. They strive to make each course an interactive experience for both new and experienced operators, drawing from experience to encourage open discussion. 

Forklifts are heavy pieces of equipment with many particulars in operating them safely; they should be treated with respect by the operator, and all others coming in close proximity.  

If driven by an untrained operator or in an unsafe manner a lift truck can cause extensive damage to buildings, racking, cargo, or worst of all - can cause injury or death to operators or other workers.

Forklift safety applies to ALL lift trucks from manual pallet operators to electric pallet trucks, stacker trucks, order pickers, reach trucks, counter-balance trucks, electric forklifts and heavy-duty forklifts. If you operate a lifting device, you need to understand the safety aspects, for your own safety, the safety of others and your company's peace of mind.

Course Content Includes:

All Forklift Training Requirements under Current Legislation - OHSA/CSA Standard B335-04

Principles of Counter-Balanced Lift Truck Operation

Identifying Vehicle and Operator Hazards in Your Workplace

Lift Truck Stability & the Stability Triangle

Safe Operation & Tip-Over Procedures

Battery & Propane Procedures & Hazards

Ministry Of Labor Guideline Overview

Knowledge Verification Quiz

If you're in the Niagara or Golden Horseshoe region, please call to inquire about our Forklift Safety courses in your area. 905-227-3291 Or visit http://www.lucasliftruck.com/training/Training-Corporate-Groups-Niagara.php

Lucas Liftruck Understands Materials Handling Equipment and Niagara Greenhouses.

Container bundles, Growing mix, construction materials, all of these are usually stacked on pallets. Save your greenhouse time and money by investing in the proper materials handling equipment to do the work. Forklifts, manual and electric pallet trucks, and electric utility vehicles can assist in making the loading and unloading process less of a chore and reduce employee injuries and product damage over the long and short term. Hand-bombing heavy bags of growing mix, boxed plants, nursery stock, plant carts and containers off or onto a trailer is a difficult job, employing an ergonomic alternative is a greenhouse grower’s best choice.

Base your selection of the equipment required on the size of your operation, delivery occurrences, and distance materials have to be moved. Also consider the environment you’re working in. An interior workplace should focus on environmentally sustainable products like manual or battery operated forklifts, pallet trucks and utility vehicles. An electric materials handling fleet will keep your maintenance costs down as well as sustain a higher level of environmental standards in your greenhouse. With zero emissions from your equipment, your employees and product will thrive.

Pallet trucks are the most common solution for loading and unloading trailers and moving product from one end of the greenhouse to another. The decision whether to buy manual or electric is up to you. Electric offers a more ergonomic solution, while manual pallet trucks are the most affordable. Hydraulic pump pallet trucks raise the product a few inches from the ground and require a level of physical strength to push or pull and steer the pallet. An electric pallet truck will offer the same action with much less effort on the part of the operator, allowing anyone to move product through the facility.

If you have a dock which is at truck floor level, pallet trucks make the loading/unloading a simple task. The distance in which you will need to travel with your loaded pallet should also be considered, as an electric option works best if you’re moving materials over 300 feet. Spring-loaded casters should be a major consideration when purchasing an electric pallet truck, offering better control and limiting tipping when taking corners. The control handle is designed to provide steering, speed, lift, horn and brake controls. Consider also a built-in battery charger  when shopping for your electric pallet truck.

Is your dock not at truck floor level? Consider a lift truck in this scenario. Also available in manual or electric models. When a dock is not available, the lift - or straddle truck - will raise its forks to the truck floor level to load or unload pallets. These units are also recommended in applications where you require stacking of nursery stock supplies and bulbs. Adjustable fork spacing and weight requirements are an important feature to consider as well.

Another option is an electric forklift. Forklifts come in a wide variety of sizes and load capacities. They can be relatively inexpensive and do the work of a pallet truck and lift truck. Electric is your best choice for an indoor application, but propane is also a good option. An electric Mini forklift has a tight turning radius and lifting capacities of up to 2,000 lbs. It is compact, yet operates just like any other forklift. Perfect for tight aisles and small spaces. If you’re sending and receiving product on a daily basis, a forklift is your best choice.

For your interior applications; electric utility vehicles are a great option. An electric puller can tow your plant carts and revolutionize your greenhouse’s efficiency in moving materials throughout the facility. A personnel carrier is also an added bonus in that it can move people while towing carts through the greenhouse. It also has the ability to carry cargo like grower mix or containers up to 660 lbs. These options reduce employee fatigue and improve moral. Wherever you can make your employee’s work physically less taxing, the more benefits you will realize.

Once you've reviewed your needs with a sales person and made your equipment choices, a service plan should be put in place to keep your trucks working effectively. Down-time in any facility due to equipment malfunction is a difficult hurdle. Make sure your

provider offers rental equipment and on-site service options with repair parts in-stock.

Forklifts and pallet trucks are not exclusive to large greenhouses, even small grower benefit from having materials handling equipment included into their greenhouse operation. Research your options and discover which service provider near you is the expert in your industry. They will plan a site visit, and discuss your application requirements, offering the most beneficial solution for your business.

In the Niagara Region, you're local material handling dealer is Lucas Liftruck, with over 75 years in business, serving the Golden Horseshoe.