Penny's Load Lift Fitted In Tomra Service Vehicles

Tomra Systems, a manufacturer of recycling equipment, has installed a bespoke version of the Penny Hydraulics Load Lift inside its latest Volkswagen (VW) Transporter service vehicles. The Load Lift enables the vehicles to transport palletised specialist components without the need for manual handling. In addition to simplifying the handling of heavy and valuable equipment, the Load Lift allows a single engineer to carry out maintenance tasks where two or more people were previously required.

Tomra designs and manufactures automated waste sortation and processing equipment that is installed at retail sites throughout the UK. Its service engineers visit these installations regularly to inspect the equipment and carry out routine-maintenance work. The replacement of cutting heads is a task that must be completed from time to time. These heads are precision instruments designed to rotate at thousands of revolutions per minute deep inside Tomra's machinery to cut and shred items such as aluminium cans and plastic bottles so that they occupy less space and are easier to store, transport and reprocess.

Cutting heads and other large components are crated and palletised for transportation. Each load weighs many tens of kilograms and is too heavy to be lifted safely and within existing manual-handling guidelines by a single person. For this reason, two or more engineers had to visit each site to lift the crates in and out of the service vehicles by hand and then handled to the recycling machines using a hand pallet truck. Tomra recognised that this was inefficient and unproductive. When the company was preparing the preliminary specifications for its new service vehicles, it considered installing a small crane or hoist to handle the heavy components.

Its vehicle conversion partner recommended Penny Hydraulics, which designs and manufactures a range of load-handling equipment for light commercial vehicles. Although it supplies cranes, Penny Hydraulics said that a small platform lift would offer a more versatile solution. The Load Lift is a light and compact platform lift for loads up to 300kg, which offers a safe, reliable and economical way of handling loads, according to Penny Hydraulics. Its design allows it to be installed inside the rear doors of the van without restricting access to the load area or affecting alternative carrying solutions. Self-contained hydraulic systems ensure smooth, precise and assured operation, while simple pushbutton controls, automatic battery isolation and overload protection promote safety.

Tomra had already chosen the VW Transporter T28/130 as its new service engineer vehicle because it offered a good combination of load space and performance. This is probably the smallest vehicle in which a Load Lift has been installed and early on in the design process it was clear that the standard model would not offer the optimum performance for this particular application. The concept was to lift the pallet truck and crate into the vehicle; however, when these were mounted centrally on the conventional platform, the load was likely to catch on the rear bumper and door frame of the vehicle as the combination was loaded.

The solution devised by Penny Hydraulics was to develop a longer platform to allow the hand pallet truck and the Europallet to be positioned at its rear for the initial part of the lift and then pushed forward slightly before the load enters the vehicle to avoid any potential overhang problems. Small recesses towards the rear and centre of the platform engage the back wheels of the pallet truck safely in the correct position for each stage of the lifting process. Once the load is inside the vehicle, it can be secured in position on the platform with conventional stowing straps. The platform's rear section is then folded up to create an additional barrier between the load and vehicle doors for extra safety during transportation.

Penny Hydraulics checked the loadings for the modified units during the design and manufacture stage. It then completed the installation at its factory and provided user training to Tomra's engineering team. The first unit was field tested by Tomra before it decided to specify another for a second identical service vehicle. The way the unit has been designed and installed ensures that the load is placed in front of the rear axle; this promotes better weight distribution, which, in turn, helps with vehicle handling. The entire project was completed to tight deadlines to ensure that both vehicles were operational within a couple of weeks. The primary reason for specifying mechanical load handling was the safety of service engineers.

Another advantage of the Load Lift is that it allows heavy and often bulky equipment to be loaded in and out of the vehicle by a single person without any manual handling. This means that Tomra has been able to reorganise its service team and deploy workers alone, rather than in pairs. The company claims that it has been able to widen its service capability without taking on additional engineers and that the entire operation is more productive and efficient.

Penny Services Lifting And Load Handling Equipment

Richard Short, sales director at Penny Hydraulics, outlines the importance of the thorough examination and testing of load handling equipment. Most companies are aware of the health and safety regulations that require all items of lifting equipment to be inspected regularly. The regulations are a legal requirement and cover all types of lifting equipment, broadly defined as any device used to handle loads in a workplace. This can include, but is not limited to, cranes and tail lifts installed on commercial vehicles as well as similar equipment used in other mobile and static applications.

Goods lifts and hoists are included. The more stringent regulations have been brought in because accidents related to lifting continue to represent one of the biggest causes of deaths, injuries and time off work in the workplace. Official HSE figures show a small but steady decline in these accidents in recent years but there is still much to do. Imposing a more rigorous regime of testing and inspection on lifting and load handling equipment is designed to reduce the risk of mechanical failures that no doubt contribute to workplace accidents.

But this is about more than simply complying with the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). Businesses that take health and safety seriously are also more aware of their corporate social responsibilities and duty of care obligations. They understand the need to provide employees with equipment that is properly maintained and fit for purpose. Even without the regulatory pressure there are sound financial reasons to ensure equipment is reliable and well maintained.

Minor problems are sorted out before they lead to something more serious and unscheduled outages are less likely. The consequential costs of accidents and injuries caused by faulty or defective lifting equipment can have obvious and even more severe implications for the business. Good safety and best practice starts with specifying the right load handling equipment and making sure it is installed to the manufacturer's recommendations. The equipment and vehicle manufacturers will normally work together, or with an approved body builder, to ensure this happens. Incorrect installation can be dangerous and make the vehicle and the load handling equipment unsafe.

LOLER proscribes the testing and inspection regime that must be adopted. The main legal requirement is that all equipment should be subjected to what is known as a regular Statutory Thorough Examination (STE). This is similar to an MOT and is designed to ensure that the structural components and mechanical operation of the equipment meet acceptable standards. All equipment must be thoroughly examined before first use. After that, the frequency of an STE varies for different devices but all must be thoroughly examined at least once a year. Lifting accessories (slings, chains, grabs, buckets and so on) and equipment designed to carry people must be thoroughly examined every six months.

Equipment should also have an STE following the repair or replacement of a structural component, when a change of chassis takes place and when the device is removed and refitted to the original chassis. BS7121 Part 2 complements the LOLER recommendations and goes further in some respects, for example, by stipulating additional full tests four and eight years after first use and an annual 'load plus 10 per cent' test. Thorough examinations must be carried out by someone who is competent and impartial, although this can include an employee, the original equipment manufacturer or an independent service engineer as long as they have the relevant accreditation.

The examiner will have appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge as well as experience of the lifting equipment being examined. They should be able to recognise potential defects that might be a safety risk to people if the equipment remains in use. Load testing is no longer required during every STE although it may be a sensible precaution to include this as routine. A competent tester will always consider whether a load test is necessary after they have inspected the equipment and this would then be carried out to complement the STE. Choosing a competent person to carry out the STE can sometimes be a problem for larger as well as smaller companies.

Original equipment manufacturers and their service organisations are likely to offer this as part of their overall service. Those who supply CE-marked equipment will also meet the recommended standards in terms of design and construction. Look for organisations that belong to relevant industry bodies (such as ALLMI or the SMMT for commercial vehicles) because these will probably have a better understanding of the market and work to official codes of practice designed to promote better safety and best practice. One significant area where the current legislation differs from its predecessors is the way in which attachments are treated. In general terms, and there are a few exceptions, an attachment such as a hook or grab is now considered part of the lifting equipment even if it can be easily removed.

Similarly, the mounting or fixing points are also considered part of the equipment and should be covered by any inspection. Of course, any STE can only check the condition of the equipment on the day of the test. Although the STE is a legal requirement, any responsible owner or operator of lifting equipment will want to carry out basic checks more frequently, for their own peace of mind and to instil a safety-first culture among their employees. The objective should be to maintain the equipment so it is always safe to use. Following the manufacturer's maintenance instructions is an absolute minimum requirement. Daily checks need not be onerous and can often be completed in a couple of minutes.

With hydraulic cranes, for example, this might include looking for oil leaks, damage to steel sections or frays on wire ropes. Although potentially serious in themselves they might indicate a bigger underlying problem. There are other maintenance tasks that should be part of a regular routine. These can include, for example, checking the level of hydraulic reservoirs and topping up as necessary, lubricating components in line with manufacturers' recommendations and giving equipment a general clean or simple wipe over from time to time. It is surprising how many companies continue to ignore even the most basic tasks. Load handling equipment operators are also responsible for ensuring proper records are kept for a minimum of two years about a device's test, inspection and maintenance history.

This does not necessarily mean they must keep this information themselves because the records can be held by a third party, such as an inspection agent or service provider, as long as they can be accessed whenever required. The best service providers will offer this facility as part of their overall contract. The penalties for non-compliance can be severe. Companies that do not complete their STE and maintain records properly can be subjected to enforcement action or fined in a court of law. Penny Hydraulics designs, manufactures and services lifting and load handling equipment for use in a wide range of applications.

Products include the Swing Lift range of medium duty cranes for use on pick-ups, drop-sides and flat-beds and the Step Lift, Load Lift and Tail Lift lifting platform ranges for use on pick-ups, drop-sides and vans. The company also manufactures the Mezz Lift for handling loads between ground floor and mezzanines and specialist equipment for handling wheels, tyres and barrels in vehicles and at customers' premises.