Linpac Plastics Recycling is the largest recycler of post-use rigid plastic products in the UK. The company recycles items as diverse as bottles, polystyrene vending cups, crates, pails, drums and pipes, processing over 20,000 tonnes of recycled material every year.

At its 28,000 Te manufacturing plant in West Yorkshire, Dick Morley, Production Manager currently runs a fleet of 14 forklift trucks working 24/7 to move the materials around the plant, both indoors and in the outside yard. There are 5 dedicated drivers and up to 75 people in the ‘pool’, who can drive the trucks when the need arises.

As can be expected in such a busy yard, bumps and knocks by the forklifts are inevitable. However, due to the fact that the trucks are leased and Linpac was being charged for any damage over and above wear and tear, Dick decided it was time to look at ways of reducing the repair and maintenance costs throughout the plant caused by careless driving.  Aware of the Health and Safety implications of driver injury, he was also looking for ways to encourage his drivers to take more responsibility and work together to help reduce accidents.

During his research, Dick came in contact with Lamerholm Electronics, who supply the ShockSwitch Impact Manager system for controlling access, monitoring usage and detecting impacts on the forklifts. Simple to use and install, the system is now being used on all trucks in the yard.

The Shock Switch Impact Manager works by integrating with the forklift’s ignition system to identify and limit access to trained operators only. A prospective driver needs to ‘log on’ to the system using an iButton operator’s key. No forklifts can be operated without an authorised fob. With specialised software, all information regarding the driver can then be stored and downloaded for further analysis. Vital information for complying with Health and Safety regulations is also held on the system so supervisors will know when, for example, operator certifications expire.

For Linpac, one of the most useful features of the equipment was impact monitoring capability. This comprises a patented, fully adjustable, 360° impact sensor.  Once a collision is detected, the time, date and driver ID are recorded and stored in the memory downloading and further investigation and analysis.  In addition to monitoring and recording, the ShockSwitch Impact Manager can be programmed to immobilise the truck once an impact has occurred.  There is also an option for activating a siren or truck horn either continuously or for a specified period of time. This is a particularly useful safety feature to alert other personnel to check for injury.  The truck can also be completely disabled.

“I have been delighted with the results that we have seen following the installation of ShockSwitch Impact Manager.” says Dick Morley at Linpac. “I was looking for our drivers to take more responsibility for their actions and to take an active part in the the programme to reduce damage and therefore increase both productivity and profitability for the whole company.”

Within three weeks, Dick and his drivers had reduced the number of impacts by two thirds and they are now seeing the number of impacts in 1 month that they would previously see in 2-3 days. The trucks themselves are in better condition and less is being paid for damage to the leasing company.

“The reduction in impacts and damage has been very pleasing.” Dick continues. “However, we have also been able to further save running costs by implementing the feature on ShockSwitch Impact Manager that limits the amount of time the engine has been idling. This means the drivers can no longer leave the trucks running while they are not in use.”

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