Companies facing safety issues in hazardous material transport through trains
2005- A train carrying chlorine used for purifying water in cities crashed in Graniteville, S.C., releasing a poisonous cloud over the town and killing 9 people and injuring hundreds of others.
2008- There were about 21 train accidents where some hazardous material was released injuring many.
2009- Just 50 miles from a Chicago suburb, a derailed freight train car carrying ethanol burst into flames killing a motorist who tried to flee.
Barrington Mayor Karen Darch saw her worst fears realized and said, “This is exactly the kind of thing we’ve been afraid of. Any community could find themselves in that situation.”
The most scary issue to be faced by the Government is the handling of safety measures in order to prevent derailment disasters of hazardous cargo shipments along the 140,000-mile U.S. rail network. There is also the danger of terrorists finding these chemical-laden tankers as easy targets.
This has led the Government to issue new federal regulations requiring that companies reroute trains hauling the most toxic materials away from big cities. Those rules apply to substances that can vaporize, like chlorine. Some other new federal rules that have been partially implemented require that new tankers be better fortified to lessen chances of spills or explosions. However, given the current recessionary times, it is a remote possibility that the railways buy many new tankers.
Says U.S. Rep. Edward Markey in support of the rerouting rules that the tankers amount to “hell on wheels rolling through our communities. In a catastrophic event, the Massachusetts Democrat said, tankers contain enough chlorine to kill 100,000 people in 30 minutes.”
However, since trains are the safest way to move hazardous material, there is a federal mandate dating back at least 100 years requiring railroads carry such cargo, whether they like it or not. Now, this is an extra burden for the rail companies as a major accident could bankrupt them and companies are demanding that the laws are either canceled or eased.
“Isn’t it a little unfair to both require railroads to carry this stuff, and then say they are fully liable?” Tom White, spokesman for the Association of American Railroads, the industry trade group, asked.
On the issue of re-routing White commented, “Rerouting can also substantially increase the distance a material travels and the amount of handling it requires. That in itself can increase the safety risk.”
Among 27 criteria railways are required to consider as they draw up rerouting plans is whether tankers pass by landmarks terrorists might want to hit. Some rail companies already are steering more trains onto lines that cut through villages, towns and suburbs to bypass chronic train-track congestion in Chicago, the nation’s premier rail hub.
Subscribe to the comments for this postLaunch of Rotatruck Material Handling Equipment in New Zealand
There is always the risk of strain injuries when it comes to handling of heavy loads. Now,
Rotatruck material handling equipment, from Rotacaster Wheel Limited, targets at reducing this.
Auckland Safety and Materials Handling Show at New Zealand will feature the range from the Rotatruck material handling equipment. Earlier this year there was the U.S. launch of the Rotatruck self supporting hand truck at ProMat in Chicago.
In order to improve productivity and increase safety, Rotatruck material handling equipment combines Rotacaster multidirectional wheels with ergonomically designed equipment to provide a comprehensive solution. Users will be able to rotate on the spot or move directly sideways without the need for a swivel mount. This range can be used in various industries including hospitality and bottle shops, transport and logistics, removals and warehouses.
The material handling equipment range at the show will include
1. The Rotatruck self supporting hand truck, which is designed to support the entire load removing the need to balance or carry any weight.
2. The Rotatruck stair climbing hand truck which utilizes Rotacaster multidirectional wheels to allow users to get in and out of confined spaces.
3. The Rotatruck dollie designed to provide a stable load environment with steering control and direct tracking across inclines.
The multiple benefits of Warehouse Control Systems
These days Warehouse Control Systems are much in demand which avoids conflicts and increases warehouse efficiency by automating the operations. Some of the benefits which can be associated to WCS are:
Helps in expanding options for equipment: It gives the company the option to choose the best equipment from multiple suppliers rather than having to depend entirely on one supplier.
Real-time interaction and flow: WCS helps in maintaining an efficient product flow as it interacts with the MHE controllers in real-time, thus getting up-to-date information from the material handling equipment enabling prompt adjustments to maintain an efficient product flow.
Quality control and elimination of mistakes: As WCS provides real-time order verification, it checks the weight of each order based on the items picked. Therefore, errors and discrepancy in quality can be checked.
Centralized control and monitoring: WCS provides a single interface by acting as a connection between a firm’s WMS/ERP to the material handling equipment.
WCS increases productivity through dynamic pick allocation as it can make a “last minute” decision based on the current activity and operational status.
WCS reduces transport and dunnage cost by selecting the smallest possible size container depending on the order. It can also choose the best shipping method at the last moment depending on the order.
Conveyor belts form an integral part of material handling industry
Though a conveyor belt system is not used for bulk material handling, it forms a vital component of material handling industry and is used extensively in units for moving materials from one segment to other in a factory and also in grocery stores and other commercial applications. They are also used to carry and move industrial and agricultural materials such as grain, coal, ores, etc. generally in outdoor locations. They are also used in ski areas to carry the skiers up the hill. Given the variety of uses, these belts range from screw conveyors, vibrating conveyors, pneumatic conveyors, the moving floor system, which uses reciprocating slats to move cargo, to roller conveyor system, which uses a series of powered rollers to convey boxes or pallets.
A belt conveyor consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley is called the idler.
The belt consists of one or more layers of material made out of rubber. When the belt has two layers, the under layer of material is used to provide linear strength and shape called a carcass and the over layer is called the cover. The carcass is often a cotton or plastic web or mesh. The cover is often various rubber or plastic compounds specified by use of the belt. Covers can be made from more exotic materials for unusual applications such as silicone for heat or gum rubber when traction is essential.
A beltweigher may be used to weigh the materials in transit. Elevator belts, with regularly spaced partitions, are used for transporting loose materials up steep inclines. Belt Conveyors are used in self-unloading bulk freighters and in live bottom trucks. There are numerous uses to which these conveyor belts can be put to use and many variations can be added to them according to these uses.
Nuvera Fuel Cells to provide fuel cell systems to H-E-B
Nuvera Fuel Cells will be selling 14 PowerEdge fuel cell systems, along with a complete PowerTap Hydrogen Generator and Hydrogen Station, to H-E-B in San Antonio, Texas. These fuel cell units will be used by H-E-B to power Class II forklift trucks used at their distribution center operations. The H-E-B partnership comprises a total power solution for materials handling installation which includes fuel cell hybrid PowerEdge systems for reach trucks and a PowerTap Hydrogen Generator and Hydrogen Station.
Nuvera is headquartered in Billerica, Mass., and H-E-B, on the other hand, owns more than 300 stores throughout Texas and Mexico.
Bobby Greene who is the director of fleet maintenance commented, “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with Nuvera. H-E-B is committed to being a leader in the use of clean energy technologies, and we believe that hydrogen and fuel cells offer tremendous potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously improving our productivity.”
Roberto Cordaro, president and chief executive officer of Nuvera Fuel Cells expressed his pleasure with the deal saying, “This installation displays H-E-B’s confidence in fuel cells for forklifts and its commitment to the environment. Nuvera is delighted to be working with a company of this stature, and looks forward to moving ahead with H-E-B as it considers the adoption of fuel cells throughout its distribution network. We are also grateful for the support provided by the federal government, which helps to overcome the higher costs of emerging clean energy technologies in the early phase of market introduction.”
The Total Power Solution for material handling features PowerEdge, a fuel cell hybrid system that replaces standard lead acid batteries in forklift trucks, and PowerTap, a hydrogen generator and hydrogen station that provide cost effective on-site refueling.
The use of 3 R’s for material handling equipments
The economy is going through a recession now and with less capital in hand, it is not possible for companies to replace and opt for new equipments when they become obsolete or give in poorer performance due to wear and tear. At such difficult times it would be a better option to increase the service life of the equipments with the use of three R’s- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Reduce- You can reduce the repair costs of the equipments by regular maintenance checks of your material handling equipments so that any problem is discovered early and can be fixed before the equipment actually breaks down. Regular periodic preventative maintenance keeps the equipment fit, minimizing expensive downtime and high-cost emergency repairs.
Reuse- It is a better alternative to retrofit current equipment so and reuse it in new applications than go for replacement. One can retrofit the existing equipment by upgrading components, increasing speed, improving capacity, augmenting safety features or adding new technology which will help the equipment to be used in new settings or perform new tasks at considerable savings. Changing federal and state safety regulations can help retrofits to bring older equipment into compliance. Ergonomic retrofits can be performed to ensure better safety in the operation of existing equipment, thus reducing worker injuries and the expenses associated with it.
Recycle- Remanufacturing material handling equipment is definitely a better and cheaper alternative to buying new equipment for some. These equipments generally come with a warranty and in this case, used equipment is disassembled and cleaned and worn parts are replaced before the unit is refinished and reassembled.
Heating your space with infrared heaters
Be it strong roof mounted space heaters or smaller floor standing devices, there are numerous choices available for one who wants to install adequate heating throughout an industrial facility. However, this does not mean that it is simple enough to just go and pick up a heating system for your space without much study and homework.
One of such heating equipment which may prove to be the perfect choice for you is the infrared heater. This works by providing a narrow spectrum of energy that heats the area for the staff and material handling system alike.
With the advancement of science, infrared heaters have undergone numerous changes in their designs, but the basic format of this heater comprises of a high resistance coil surrounded by a reflective dish. A highly directional beam of heat is used to target the area to be heated.
The advantages of these heaters lie in the fact that they can be installed quickly with low installation costs. They are easy to use and come with a relatively low maintenance cost. But this, in any way, does not come with a compromise in its effectiveness as they have relatively high power, up to 13.5KW of heating when connected to a 480 V system. They also ensure that the materials used will be stored and worked with at a consistent temperature. This can reduce the incidence of buckling and any wastage that occurs as a result, making for a more efficient process and lower ongoing material costs.
Choosing the correct heating system for your space is an issue which requires much study, care and attention as it leads to the comfort of your staff and retaining the quality of your materials alike.
Hoppers for bulk pharmaceutical material handling
In the world of escalating labor costs, increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are opting for reusable plastic hoppers for collecting, storing and transporting tablets, granulations and powders manufactured so as to do away with manual handling and ensure the benefits of bulk material handling.
However, choosing the best pharmaceutical hopper for you involves a bit of introspection and also a bit of analysis by some qualified container consultant.
To start with, the hopper to be selected should be made of FDA-approved polyethylene. Additives such as pigments and anti-static agents, for example, must also meet FDA standards.
Plastic hoppers have an added advantage over stainless steel as they are lightweight and cost-effective and can also be stacked or racked to make efficient use of floor space. They are gentler and quieter on expensive floors compared to metal containers. Also, lightweight polyethylene hoppers that detach from their bases are easier to handle, clean and sanitize than heavy metal containers. Plastic hoppers with smooth, seamless interior surfaces are ideal for complete, rapid cleaning.
Determine the slope for the hopper’s interior cone on the basis of the size, weight, coating and shape of the tablet – or the consistency of the powder or granular ingredients that are being processed.
If tablets manufactured have a tendency to break or crumble easily, opt for a ‘shallow’ hopper so that the tablets will have a shorter distance to fall into the container and so that the tablets on the bottom will not be crushed by the weight of the tablets on top of them.
If the ingredients in the tablets and powders processed at your plant are sensitive to light, choose an opaque pigment for the hopper. Also the hopper openings should be designed to prevent moisture absorption.
You can also customize your hopper to suit your specific in-line manufacturing requirements based on the size, color, discharge valves, tamper-resistant lids, and compatibility with auxiliary equipment and so on.
In a nutshell, selecting the right hopper for you needs a lot of points to be identified and getting to know all the options available. You can also take help from knowledgeable container consultants who understand your bulk material handling concerns. This will ensure that you get the best option available to as to cut costs and benefit most for a longer period.
Ensure safety with palletizing robots
A worker was struck and killed by a palletising robotic arm when he entered the operating area of the machine in Worksafe Victoria. The worker was trying to fix a problem with the palletising machine, when he was struck and killed by a robotic arm. The interlock system installed to stop the arm moving when the gate is opened failed to work.
After this incedent, the company has now released a safety solution. According to WorkSafe Victoria, companies should consider enclosing palletising machines with a fence high enough to prevent workers from entering the area. They should also ensure the interlocking mechanism is failsafe. The interlocking system should have two switches to ensure one remains operational if the other fails.
As an alternative practice, one can turn off the palletising machine prior to entering the machine enclosure, ensuring the guarding enclosure is operational, regularly tested and maintained, regularly inspecting and testing the interlocking mechanism on the gate and proper training.
Toyota Material Handling to supply forklifts to Northline
Toyota Material Handling has been chosen by Freight and logistics company, Northline, for the supply of 150 forklifts and reach trucks for five years. Northline provides freight management, long haul road trains, rail container travel, high tech warehousing and distribution.
Northline says that it not only wanted to use its buying power to obtain the best price for the forklift equipment, but also ensure it received good service and support. So, it decided on Toyota Material Handling because of its fleet management system, and its operators like to use Toyota’s forklifts.
While Northline was looking to replace existing equipment with similar units, but Toyota’s in-depth site analysis means its forklift fleet make-up will change as it gains more experience with the new equipment. Northline will also make use of Toyota’s online fleet management system to get a complete picture of the state of the fleet at any time. Northline will be able to identify areas where savings can be made as every fleet is connected online.
Toyota Material Handling was able to offer Northline its BT and Raymond models for its electric reach truck needs. Northline also invested in Toyota 8 Series Deluxe forklifts fitted with an Operator Presence Sensing system to prevent accidental movement of the forklift and forks when the operator is not seated at the controls.
The forklifts are fitted with digital weight scales and travel and load handling controllers. Emissions are regulated by advanced Electronic Fuel Injection and a three-way catalytic converter system.