Welcome to the first issue of 2021. Our cover story sees Goplasticpallets.com MD Jim Hardisty reflect on the company’s performance over the last year. Strong sectors for the firm this past year have remained food and drink, pharmaceutical and retail, especially e-commerce, where increased investment in automated systems continues to drive the shift away from traditional wooden pallets to durable, consistent and sustainable plastic ones. During the spring Goplasticpallets.com saw a big uplift from the pharmaceutical sector in particular, where the company is currently working on several large-scale automation projects. Last summer the company launched a magic folding box as a cost-effective multi-trip alternative to one-trip cardboard boxes.
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Congratulations to B&B Attachments which is celebrating 40 years of providing quality forklift truck attachments, masts and ancillary systems to the UK and Ireland. In December 1980, George and Irene Bell founded a forklift truck attachment company. Initially, their plan was just to make a living and pay the mortgage. However, when all signs indicated that the industry was accepting B&B Attachments as a serious contender to the other attachment companies, George and Irene decided B&B was going to be number one, and planned to employ the best in the business to achieve this. Today, B&B also designs and manufactures bespoke, specialist attachments in-house for its global customers with unique requirements.
Well done to AR Racking, which has fitted out the cold storage warehouse of the industrial services supplier AUTAA, which has a 5,000 square metre warehouse in Artix, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. The new warehouse, mainly designed for cold storage and fitted with AR Racking storage solutions, will help improve AUTAA’s performance as a goods management and logistics warehousing specialist.
Our warehouse I.T. feature reports that the impact of COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus the need for agile solutions to meet sudden changes to business operations. Traditional business models are being turned upside down and facility rentals are soaring as brands try to capitalise on the e-commerce trend with a direct to consumer offering, so it’s more critical than ever to consider the warehousing and logistics part of the supply chain. The solution sits with advanced, digital technology, which is central to tackling new challenges and optimising premium fulfilment centre space.
According to our lifting gears and cranes feature, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 requires almost all lifting, rigging and height safety equipment to be tested and tagged by a “competent person”. This equipment needs to be visually inspected by a competent person at least every six months. Lifting equipment is defined as any work equipment for lifting and lowering loads, and includes any accessories used in doing so, such as attachments to support, fix or anchor the equipment. Examples of lifting equipment include overhead cranes and their supporting runways, hoists and motor vehicle lifts. Complying with the law helps avoid the increased risk of injury to workers and the public which would result from equipment failure.
Enjoy reading the issue.
James Surridge
Publishing Editor
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