 TMHA's Steve Takacs with Peter Davis from Coates Hire |
The start of the new financial year, safety month and new models were the highlights of the second half of 2019, as we show in this wrap-up of the year that was.
In July, we reported on the worsening skills shortage which was impacting a whole range of trades - including forklift drivers. We cited a spokesman for Southern Cross Workforce, who called for more government funding to cover the cost of apprentice wages which would allow more South Australians to be hired and ease the burden of the shortage.
Davos Crane Hire deployed a couple of Terex cranes for a demanding move of a Southern Ocean 55 catamaran racing boat from a holding yard at Stieglitz Wharf in Jacobs Wells, Queensland. Faced with obstacles high and low, selecting a pair of cranes that would be able to manoeuvre in a tight space with precise control was crucial for the Davos Crane Hire team. After inspecting the site, the team selected the Terex Demag AC 55 City crane with the support of a Terex MAC 25-4 pick and carry crane.
A teenage boy was run over and crushed by a forklift in a workplace accident north of Brisbane. Firefighters helped to free the teenager who was trapped under the forklift and he was rushed to the Queensland Children's Hospital in a serious condition with significant leg and pelvic injuries.
Leading Queensland forklift company Norlift received expert hydraulic engineering assistance from Hydraulink to actuate a new Rexroth joystick control for enhanced safety and efficiency of the Hyundai tyre-handling forklifts which it supplies to Rio Tinto. Norlift supplied Hyundai 160D-7 forklifts, fitted with Cascade tyre handlers, to Rio's Weipa and Gove operations.
Australian door and window manufacturer Wideline Windows & Doors vastly improved its labour efficiency and safety after introducing two Toyota towing tractors to its fleet. The electric-powered Toyota CTB6 sit-down type towing tractors were debuted at Wideline's main production site at Tuggerah on the New South Wales Central Coast as a means to streamline the carriage of stock from its assembly warehouse to its transport dock. The company had previously relied on manual trolleys to shift stock - a system of work identified for improvement.
 A tricky move for Davos Crane Hire |
Meanwhile, CTI Logistics moved to Linde forklifts. The nationwide transport and logistics company moved away from two other suppliers and opted for Linde as a single provider across the country to meet its challenges in each of the states.
US parts wholesaler Parts Express opened its first warehouse for distribution in Australia in Toowoomba, Queensland. Parts Express is a leading wholesale supplier of agricultural parts in the United States. It carries a wide range of new aftermarket parts for tractors, combines, skid steers and other equipment.
July ended with a Gold Coast man recovering in hospital after he was crushed by a forklift in a workplace incident. Emergency services were called to a business in Woongoolba following reports the machinery had fallen on him.
In August, Toll Group announced the start of construction on the new Wellington Freight Terminal in New Zealand. The 8,400 sqm purpose-built facility will double the size of the current premises and will encompass both a freight forwarding and rail terminal, providing operational growth along with safety improvements. It is expected to be completed by mid-2020.
Still in New Zealand, a person was taken to Dunedin Hospital with moderate injuries after an incident involving a forklift. Police said they were called to the scene in Carnforth Rd, Green Island. The incident was reported to WorkSafe.
Forklifts moving empty aerosol cans sparked an industrial fire at Kilburn that destroyed a heavy-duty vehicle and caused $300,000 damage. More than 30 firefighters responded to the blaze at Veolia Environmental Services. One forklift was reportedly destroyed in the blaze.
Adaptalift Group launched Combilift's new innovative container slip-sheet (CSS) loading system on the Australian market. The new CSS loading system has been designed and engineered for the fast and efficient loading of 20 ft. and 40 ft. containers with a maximum capacity of 30,000 kg.
Also in August, Arrow Transport and Logistics acquired Sydney Sideloaders, a top 10 container transport operator at the Port of Sydney. Part of Arrow's ongoing strategy to grow its business, this acquisition positions Arrow to commence its operations in Sydney.
 Elevated Access has signed an exclusive agreement with Sinoboom |
Elevated Access NZ signed an exclusive agreement with Sinoboom to distribute the Chinese company's MEWPs in New Zealand. Elevated Access NZ previously represented the company in 2014, but had difficulty securing inventory.
Dematic helped Asahi Beverages to successfully increase productivity by 250% with the installation of an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) in its new Heathwood distribution centre. The ASRS improves the efficiency of warehouse operations, reduces manual processes and enables Asahi to better service its customers. The high bay racking at Asahi Heathwood DC is 13 levels high, 34 bays deep, and the ASRS extends to six pallet positions deep on either side of the six cranes, accessed by satellite carts.
In total, there are approximately 31,500 pallet storage positions.
Konecranes won the 'Best Practice in Safety' award at the 2019 Bulk Handling Awards for its advanced planned maintenance technology, MAINMAN. Konecranes' MAINMAN technology is used in major infrastructure, industrial, logistics and materials handling projects where equipment must be cost-efficiently maintained in peak condition to optimise uptime and ensure critical work proceeds without breakdowns.
In a September accident, a truck crushed a man to death at the Port of Brisbane. The 66-year-old man, who was working at the port, was inflating a tyre when the truck collapsed on him at a cargo terminal on Wednesday.
 Jungheinrich's R U OK? truck |
Jungheinrich Australia supported R U OK? Day on September 12 with special livery on its trucks. The materials handling equipment importer urged customers to host morning teas as part of the awareness-raising initiative.
Equipment rental company Coates Hire adopted Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) forklifts as its majority brand, with over 600 being in its fleet, nationally. Coates executive general manager - fleet Peter Davis said TMHA's history with Coates Hire goes back nearly 20 years and has significantly ramped up in the last decade. "In the last 10 years, especially, Toyota has made up the majority of our industrial forklift fleet."
Forkwest Bunbury was appointed a Yale forklift dealer. Yale and Forkwest have the same values and customer focus, therefore they acknowledged the opportunity to intensify their collaboration and go to the next level, according to a Yale statement. Yale chose the Bunbury dealer to achieve its growth ambitions in the southern region of Western Australia, realising that it is vital to establish a local market presence.
A dock worker suffered crush injuries to his foot in a forklift incident at the Port of Napier. The accident victim was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital with serious injuries, according to a port official. WorkSafe was notified.
Also in September, Adaptalift Group backed the new Hyster UT and Yale UX Series forklifts "to satisfy a strong need in the Australian market for quality-engineered, cost-effective forklifts suited to lower frequency applications typically limited to 1,000 hours a year". The new Hyster UT Series and Yale UX Series diesel or dual-fuel counterbalance forklifts, pallet trucks and stackers, in six different capacities from 1.5-3.5 T, deliver an attractive, affordable and uncomplicated range for enhanced user choice across many industries.
A Melbourne market gardener won back the purchase price of a Toyota walkie stacker or electric pallet jack as part of a Toyota Material Handling promotion. Daniel Savage of Savage Gardens said the fourth-generation family business was seeking a new electric pallet jack and evaluated several brands before arriving at a Toyota BT LWE130 model. He had no idea his purchase qualified him for the draw. "I was pretty chuffed. It was quite unreal."
 Michelle Baxter |
October was National Safe Work Month, with calls for commitments to building safe and healthy workplaces for all Australians. "Each year in October, Safe Work Australia runs awareness-raising initiatives as part of National Safe Work Month," said Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter. "This year's theme is 'Be a Safety Champion' and we invite everyone to promote best practice work health and safety initiatives at their workplace."
A four-year-old child died after being hit by a forklift just south of Christchurch. New Zealand police said the child "died following an incident involving a forklift at a residential property on Robinsons Rd, Prebbleton". The accident occurred at Lincoln Grain and Produce, owned by the boy's father, Ian White.
Meanwhile, a man was injured by a falling pallet at a Seven Hills warehouse in Sydney's North West. The 26-year-old was unloading a shipping container when the pallet struck him, causing suspected spinal injuries. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the man on the scene as a Careflight helicopter with a specialist medical team aboard was dispatched to the job.
Just days later, a man who became trapped when the forklift he was driving flipped was flown to the Alfred Hospital in a critical condition. The man, aged in his 40s, was operating the forklift at a property on Wilsons Road in Kooroocheang - west of Daylesford.
In other safety developments, the Queensland government levelled its first industrial manslaughter charge after a worker had been hit and killed by a reversing forklift in May. Brisbane Auto Recycling directors Asadullah Hussaini and Mohammad Ali Jan Karimi face separate charges of engaging in reckless conduct. Individuals face a maximum of 20 years' imprisonment, with corporate offenders liable for a fine of up to $10 million.
In the wake of National Safe Work Month, Safe Work Australia released a report showing that in 2018, 144 people were fatally injured at work. The number and rate of worker fatalities have continued to decline in line with long-term trends. "While these trends are encouraging, they are not a cause for celebration. Every work-related fatality is a tragedy, and there's a lot more work to be done," said Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter. Along with a reduction in fatalities, the rate of serious workers' compensation claims continued to trend downwards, decreasing to 5.5 serious claims per million hours worked in 2017/8.
Forklift parts veteran Peter Milliken launched a new parts business based in Brisbane in November. Velox Parts is a family-owned and -operated business, supplying the trade with parts for Toyota, Nissan, TCM, UniCarriers, Mitsubishi, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hyster and Yale machines.
Crown Equipment extended the warranties of its hand pallet trucks in the Asia Pacific region. The Crown PTH 50 Series pallet trucks now come with a three-year warranty covering pump assembly, frame handle, lift linkage and pushrod assemblies. The boost in warranty coverage comes at no additional cost to customers.
 StarTrack's Dematic logistics equipment |
Dematic completed the successful rebuild of StarTrack Minchinbury distribution centre's Dematic Sliding-Shoe Linear Sorter system. Dematic had 15 people onsite working 12-hour shifts, with the rebuild operating 24 hours a day due to the time restraints to get the rebuild finished and ready for live operations. The sorter rebuild was successfully delivered to StarTrack on time.
In late November, we reported that Australian mines are still hiring, and forklift skills are among the qualifications in demand. The Minerals Council of Australia's latest
More to Mining careers guide highlighted career progression, varied roles largely thanks to technology, diversity of workers (including women and Indigenous Australians), flexible arrangements and earning potential.
In December, Komatsu expanded the range of parts that can be ordered through its online customer portal to include parts that are readily available - but may not be in stock in its local distribution centre facilities. Previously, parts that were not stocked in local Komatsu distribution centres had been listed as "out of stock", and required customers to call the Komatsu Customer Support Centre (KCSC) to order and process them offline.
Read part one of this report, where we examine the first half of the year here.