Pallets, Pallet Jacks & Trucks

Pallet Jacks - What You Need To Know.

Whenever an industry has made pallets available to its employees, then it has taken steps to reduce the chances that a supervisor might hear a complaint. Such a complaint is likely to concern development of a back strain, or a more serious back injury. Pallet jacks facilitate the task of raising crates, bins or skids. However, at those times when maneuverability takes on added importance, lifting trucks become a necessity.

Some high lift pallet jacks feature a hydraulic system. Some have winchstackers. Sometimes a hand crank winch features a reversible handle. Floor locks and removable platforms are other components that can be optional on a jack or truck. Like the jack, the truck comes with variety of options. Some have a manual foot pump. Others rely on the pumping action provided by an AC or DC powered air or oil filled cylinder. In either case, the pump aids the task of lifting a heavy item.

Recently, the Environmental Working Group for the backers of plastic pallets has claimed that wood pallets contain a neurotoxin. That dangerous chemical is the decaBDE used as a fire retardant. Members of the concerned Working Group have encouraged use of a movable plastic platform, when placing boxed fruits and vegetables in a stack or on a shelf. In response to the Group’s publicity, the Environmental Protection Agency has negotiated a voluntary phase out of decaBDE.

With all the attention being paid to transport of food products, the public remains largely unaware of all the industries that rely on wooden or plastic platforms. The biotechnology industry frequently carries out jobs that demand transport of or lifting of heavy containers. In some cases, those containers might be bottles of acid or jars full of a special powder. At other times, they might hold the liquid collected from growing cells, liquid that must be concentrated, purified and analyzed. All those lifted and transported goods are used to create the final product, usually a medication or a diagnostic kit.

When the purchasing department in any industry wants to save some money, then it often calls for use of recycled or reconditioned platforms. Those made over pieces come in both standard and odd sizes. During the reconditioning process, repairs can be made to a platform’s deck, boards, fasteners or runners. Another method for reducing a pallet’s cost concerns use of remanufactured platforms. In that case, the finished product contains reclaimed wood. Though less expensive, it fits perfectly onto a suitable lifting device.