Whether we want to accept the fact that another winter season will soon be here, preparations for snow, slush, and wet conditions are already taking place at Kamps Pallets. Kamps has always been committed to safety in our plants and to forklift safety in particular. Although not all of our customers nationwide will be affected by the wet winter season, many of our plants are reacquainting staff with safety measures for when the cold and snowy weather could hit.
What potential winter weather challenges could arise?
- Machinery – Forklift and van trailer brakes lock up in inclement weather in unpredictable ways. Both truck and forklifts find it hard to operate in heavy snow as well. This can make the loading dock a more dangerous place.
- Timeliness – Most pallet yards have outdoor storage and working areas. Employees naturally want to get their work done fast to get out of the cold, but rushing can lead to mistakes and accidents.
- Poor road conditions – Combine trucking with bad weather, and you will have delays. No one is happy when deliveries and pick ups do not operate on schedule because at the end of the supply chain a customer is inconvenienced.
- Wet Pallets – Snow and rain can create a big headache in an outdoor yard. Wet pallets are more challenging to work with in every aspect of our process.
How does Kamps overcome the challenges of winter weather and bad traveling conditions? With planning and discipline. Although the first snow of winter is always a bit of a shock for everyone and requires a learning curve, outlining the proper safety procedures, creating a winter safety checklist, and clearly communicating potential challenges or delays helps us conquer the winter season and keep deliveries on time. It also allows our customers to continue operating as normal.
Winter can be a challenge, but we don’t have to let the winter blues frustrate or overcome us. With the right planning and training, we will conquer this winter as we have all the ones of the past.
