On this day three years ago, we launched Claitec.

We didn’t know what the future held for us but we had a vision, and we had the push to implement it.

That day, Claitec’s founders met and toasted with champagne for this new path that was opening before us.

Three years later, we are once again enjoying a good bottle of sparkly, but this time, we do it in the company of the many Claitec team members that have joined our project since day one.

Without them, Claitec would not be today one of the most respected suppliers of work safety solutions in both the national and international stage.

Plus this year there’s also double cause for celebration – we have been granted the ISO 9001 i 14001, cementing the levels of quality assurance that the whole Claitec team strives for.

What a gift for those who play a part on this effort every single day!

They definitely deserve this and many other celebrations!

Thanks to you, Claitec is continually innovating to improve the safety of workers worldwide

That jovial atmosphere we all felt on the launched day and again today on our third anniversary, is part of Claitec’s DNA.

We are a big family that comes to the office every day wanting to innovate and make a difference for businesses, entrepreneurs and workers worldwide.

And according to our clients, it seems we are doing a good job of it.

But without them, without our customers, the willingness to improve constantly of the Claitec team will not go very far.

That’s why we’d like to take this opportunity to thank each of the clients who trusts the safety of their workers in our hands.

Our great partners are also part of the Claitec machinery.

Thanks to them, our ideas become quality products and reach our clientes always on time, wherever they are.

And, of course, thanks to our families.

Thanks for the coffee that wakes us up in the morning after a long night of meetings.

Thanks for supporting us in our projects, journeys and visions.

Without all of you, there would not be a party at Claitec today.

And without all of you, the future would not be so promising.

So, we thank you once again for walking with us, and we invite you to do it for many more years so that, together, we can create a safer environment for companies and workers around the world.

And now yes, go ahead and open that bottle of bubbly and celebrate with us!

The ASSE SAFETY 2016 Professional Development Conference & Exposition for OSH professionals, will be celebrated from 26 to 29 June

MRes Imports LLC, Claitec’s importer for the United States of America, will exhibit its PAS (Pedestrian Alert System) product ranges and latest developments.

MRES Imports LLC ´s presence at the conference represents an excellent opportunity to promote the CLAITEC brand and products on the American market.

The National Safety Council of the United States of America has published a safety guide on the implementation and operation of mobilised vehicles, including forklifts, pallet trucks, rider trucks, fork trucks or lift trucks.

The document explains that pedestrian safety is often overlooked in lift trucks safety programs and yet, the number one cause of lift truck related work fatalities is pedestrians being struck by the vehicle.

In this document we analyse the main points dealt with in the above mentioned safety guide, highlighting the responsibilities of the different persons involved:

Employers:

• Ensure that aisles are wide enough.
• Mark aisle ways for equipment and pedestrian walkways.
• Keep walkways free from obstructions such as hand trucks and carts.
• Mark slow-down locations: intersections, aisle ways, blind corners where doors open to an aisle, loading docks and where lighting is impaired.
• Install and instruct operators on how to use convex mirrors where appropriate.
• Ensure that only authorised and trained operators operate a forklift. Employers must certify that operators have been trained and evaluated in accordance with the OSHA standard.
• Educate workers about the dangers associated with mobile phone distraction while driving and establish a policy for the use of wireless devices and mobile phones in the workplace.
• Solutions such as Pedestrian Alert Systems (PAS) and Pedestrian Crossing Safety (PCS) are ideal to ensure total safety in plants where workers coexist with machines.

Forklift operators:

• Use warning devices, such as lights, horns and backup alarms. The NAS solution is an example of device that minimises the risk of forklift collision in tight areas.
• Slow down, stop and sound the horn at intersections, corners, and where vision is obstructed. The Blind Spot Solution (BS) is ideal for this type of situations while the Low Speed Area Solution is ideally suited to reduce speed.
• Do not move the truck if there is no clear view of travel. Use a spotter for blind spots.
• When possible, make eye contact with pedestrians.
• Do not talk or text on a mobile phone while operating a forklift.

Pedestrians:

• Never stop in front of a forklift or a piece of powered equipment.
• Never stop in front of a loaded truck to attempt to swerve to avoid being struck. A load being carried could easily tip over or slide off of the lift truck and strike the pedestrian.
• Stop and look when approaching a corner before proceeding – look both ways.
• Walk on the right side of aisles.
• Keep well away from the lift truck and other motorised machine to avoid being pinned by the swing.
• Never ride as a passenger on a piece of powered equipment.
• Stay away off the tilt mechanism.
• Keep hands away from the mast and pulleys on a forklift.
• Never walk or stand under the mast or load of a lift truck.
• Be aware that the forks of a parked forklift pose a tripping hazard. Raised forks pose a strike-against or spearing hazard.
• If on a ramp, be cautious of the hoisting machine. You could be pinned or hit by a load.
• Be aware of the stacking procedures. You could be struck by falling loads-on both sides of the racking.
• Be aware that a backing lift poses a hazard.

CeMAT 2016, the world’s main trade fair in Intralogistics[1] and Supply Chain[2], was held a few days ago in Germany. Claitec is delighted with the reception our stand had amongst visitors.

All four days were extremely intense – Hall 26, where Claitec’s stand was located, witnessed a stream of visitors from 36 different countries speaking in a variety of languages and accents. Many of those came to the stand and talked to us about our solutions and the potential benefits for their companies. Most of them gifted us with their business cards with the intention of keeping in contact in the near future.

Staying on the fascinating topic of international visitors, we had the pleasure of welcoming to the Claitec stand representatives from the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, France and the Czech Republic. Every one of them helped us significantly in understanding the problems our customers face worldwide. Among those who approached us, we had the pleasure of talking to leading forklift manufacturers worldwide, including Linde, Still, Junghenreich, Toyota, Nissan and Clark.

CeMAT was a great opportunity to display our new solutions and show these live. There was special interest during our demonstrations of TCS Traffic Control System, the demonstration briefcases of the PAS and LSA solutions[3], and the new Tag T10R with rechargeable battery. Witnessing the LSA life also helped visitors understand the true value of the product.

However, one of the most positive outcomes of the fair were the conversations we held with our visitors. Their comments, questions and contributions allowed us to gain insight into their needs in relations to our products. It was particularly positive to learn from the potential users themselves, what are the potential improvements they’ll be interested to see in our solutions as this opened the door for many new opportunities.

But this did not end in Germany!

We are currently swamped with a flood of queries, information requests and greetings exchanges that emerged from CeMAT. And the messages keep on coming!

We’d like to share a video about our presence at the event. We take this opportunity to thank all those who joined us before, during and after the event.

We hope to see you in the forthcoming edition of CeMAT 2018!

[1] The concept of internal logistics refers to the movement of goods in manufacturing facilities, distribution centres or warehouses. In practice, it is the flow of reception, storage and shipment of goods from the time they arrive until the moment they leave the premises.

[2] A supply chain consists of all processes involved directly or indirectly in meeting the customer’s needs.

[3]    Briefcases with all items required to implement each of the solutions.