Don't Get Stuck With Equipment Issues: 4 Steps To Avoid Issues With Your Material Handling Equipment

When it comes to making your work easier, perhaps nothing is more important than your material handling equipment. Without properly functioning material handling products, you'll experience a loss of productivity and increase the occurrence of on-the-job injuries. To keep your equipment functioning properly and prevent injuries associated with equipment issues, you should follow these four steps.

Ensure Proper Training on the Equipment

If your employees are going to be working with material handling equipment, you've got to ensure that they have proper training. Not only will your employees need training on how to operate the equipment, but they'll also need training on how to identify potential problems. It's not enough for your employees to know how to operate the equipment if they're not aware of impending problems. In addition to the training your employees receive on operating the equipment and identifying problems, they should also receive training each time a new update is installed. This will ensure that your employees remain up to date on changes that take place.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

In addition to training your employees on how to identify potential issues, you should also take a proactive approach to communication. If your employees don't feel that you're approachable, they may not feel comfortable relating potential issues to you. A good way to catch minor problems quickly is to keep the lines of communication open with your employees. Walk the floor and ask your employees about problems they may have noticed with their equipment. This will give your employees the opportunity to relay minor problems they may have noticed.

Make Routine Maintenance a Priority

When it comes to keeping your material handling equipment working properly, it's important that you make routine maintenance a priority. To prevent unexpected breakdowns that can lead to costly work stoppages, it's a good idea to implement a schedule for routine maintenance. That way, your employees will know when their equipment won't be in use due to maintenance. It will also ensure that routine maintenance such as fluid changes, belt replacements, and other necessary maintenance needs are taken care of in a timely manner.

Utilize Automated Monitoring Systems

If you don't have automated monitoring systems installed on your equipment, you're missing the opportunity to avoid serious problems with your equipment. With an automated monitoring system, you'll receive immediate notification when there's something wrong with your equipment. This immediate notification will allow you to take care of repairs before you're faced with a catastrophic breakdown of your equipment.