The International Labour Organization (ILO) celebrates today the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

This year, “Workplace Stress: a collective challenge” is the theme of the campaign of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

WHAT IS WORK-RELATED STRESS?

Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response caused by an imbalance between the perceived demands and the perceived resources and abilities of individuals to cope with those demands.

Work-related stress is determined by work organization, work design and labour relations and occurs when the demands of the job do not match or exceed the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker, or when the knowledge or abilities of an individual worker or group to cope are not matched with the expectations of the organizational culture of an enterprise.

A COLLECTIVE APPROACH TO PREVENTING AND CONTROLLING THE CAUSES OF WORK-RELATED STRESS

• Implement collective risk assessment and management measures for psychosocial risks as it will be done with other workplace risks.
• Adopt collective and individual preventive and control measures and engage workers and their representatives in their implementation.
• Improve the coping ability of workers by increasing their control over their tasks;
• Enhance organizational communication.
• Allow workers’ participation in decision making.
• Build up social support systems for workers within the workplace.
• Take into account the interrelation between working and living conditions.
• Assess the needs of the organization by taking into consideration organizational, individual and individual/organizational interactions when evaluating workers’ health requirements.

The team at Claitec wants to join the ILO in celebrating the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. We also want to encourage all businesses to take care of their most valuable asset – people. And if profitability levels improve as a consequence, well, that’s just good news for everyone!

At the core of our mission to constantly improve the solutions offered at Claitec, there’s a deep understanding of the needs of our customers in the field of industrial safety. These needs are continually changing, even more so in an environment in which technology evolves at such dizzying speeds.

To keep pace with all these developments, at Claitec we have launched a new training process in machine safety, with the objective that all our technicians become certified as safety experts through a program called Certified Machinery Safety Expert.

CMSE® Certified Machinery Safety Expert

The German TÜV NORD offers the CMSE® Certified Machinery Safety Expert Certificate in response to the rise of new automation and robotics of the last decade. Companies are equipping themselves with modern and complex machines, resulting in a need for greater capacity and knowledge to develop a safety strategy in the use of machinery by operators.

Machines are constantly redesigned to ensure maximum safety but part of the responsibility always lies with whoever operates them. In completion of the CMSE® course, the TÜV NORD will grant each participant a certificate attesting to their diversified knowledge on the safe use of the machines.

Upon completion, the course will allow participants to be able to evaluate and implement the safety standards required by the plant and its machinery. In addition, it also covers the entire life cycle in the operation of the machinery – from the moment when risks are assessed and the first safety concepts are developed, to the implementation of the strategies and their correct application is ensured.

Implementation

Chetrit Ricard, Managing Director of Claitec, was the first of our technicians to obtain the CMSE certification. The company aims at having all Claitec technicians obtain this certification.

“The Certified Machinery Safety Expert course has made me a lot more capable in all areas pertaining to the safe operation of machinery. The technicians teaching the course approved by the TÜV proved highly skilled in the subject. Their dedication to the matter motivated all participants to continue learning. The size of the groups allowed for great participation in the practical examples, while being big enough to encourage debate and discussion with people holding different perspectives.”

Ricard Chetrit, Managing Director at Claitec

As part of our continuous strategic global development, we at Claitec have expanded our capabilities of providing total safety solutions by signing an agreement with MRES Imports LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mountain Regional Equipment Solutions Inc. (MRES), as our exclusive partner and importer for the United States of America. This is the result of a long standing relationship between the two companies focused on serving the needs of mutual clients throughout the USA.

MRES Imports LLC will undertake the exclusive representation and distribution for the USA of Claitec Safety Solutions, for all products including our flagship PAS (Pedestrian Alert System) and LSA (Low Speed Area).

This is another major step for Claitec to support our growing customer base in the USA using our innovative and technology driven solutions in safety with specific regards to pedestrian and forklift interaction.

About Mountain Regional Equipment Solutions.

Since 2004 MRES has been a leading provider in the USA of Automated Lubrication Systems, Active and Passive Safety Systems, and Maintenance Products for use with Mobile Heavy Equipment, On-Highway and Vocational Transport Equipment, Stationary and Mobile Industrial Equipment, and Cranes.

Our industries include Heavy Construction, Building Construction, Mining and Aggregates, Oil and Gas, Refuse and Waste, Agriculture, Transportation, Rail, Vertical Lift, Governmental and Municipalities, Industrial, and Food Processing.

Our teams of highly qualified and dedicated individuals have multiple years of experience as distributors and end users in these fields.

Now with a solely focused approach towards Industrial Safety and Accident Prevention, MRES Imports LLC has been established to provide those resources.

For more information please visit our sites at www.mountainregionaleq.com and www.mresimportsllc.com

About Claitec.

Claitec is a global technology-driven company specializing in the implementation of Industrial Safety and Accident Prevention Solutions.

Our product range consists of several safety systems that can be customized to suit the needs of each company.

Claitec is committed to continuously improving our Industrial Safety and Accident Prevention Solutions and to constantly update our technological know-how in order to become pioneers in innovation.

The collision between forklifts is a very real risk in many industrial plants.

At Claitec, we have observed that our customers’ warehouses and the warehouses of those who ask for our opinion, consistently experience very heavy traffic, and as such, the risk of collision is significantly increased.

We have also noticed corners or areas where forklift drivers lose visibility, either because they are 90-degree bends, or because there are doors that prevent them from seeing another truck on the other side.

How can this type of risks be minimized?

Collision Avoidance system (CAS)

The Collision Avoidance System is a solution that warns the forklift driver when it detects other vehicles in a 25-meter range. So, whether the other truck is circulating in the “blind spot” of a curve, or whether it’s on the other side of an automatic gate, the CAS system will alert the driver so that he or she is aware of the presence of another vehicle is in its vicinity and thus use the appropriate caution.

It works as an extension of the PAS system which, must be requested from the factory. A PAS activator AC-50 is placed on the forklifts so that they can detect each other. When a forklift detects another one in its safety zone, the system alerts the driver of the imminent risk. The system also allows for some variations in the configuration – for instance, it is possible to make the truck slow down when it detects the presence of another vehicle in their immediate vicinity.

What are benefits of the CAS system for you?

First and foremost, the safety of your workers. By dramatically reducing collisions in heavy traffic areas and in areas of poor visibility, the risk of accidents decreases. The design of the CAS solution also allows the driver to notice immediately when another truck is in the same area of ​​work, warning him or her of a possible collision.

Not only that – the CAS system also delivers increased productivity as forklift drivers can focus on their work without having to worry about their safety. Thus, not only will you achieve a higher level of efficiency, you will also notice a significant reduction in the stress levels of your workers.

What are the main areas of application of this solution?

As we mentioned above, the CAS system is ideally suited to areas with heavy forklift traffic and low driver visibility. For instance, in:

• Docks
• Goods’ loading and unloading areas
• Store aisles’ exits

The CAS system is also very useful in places where large forklifts coexist with smaller trucks.

Last Thursday January 21th, 2016, Claitec has attended the Innovation Workshop on creativity techniques organized by the ACCIÓ agency.

In this workshop they have been released and put into practice creative techniques that encourage the emergence of new ideas for which they become innovation projects.

We constantly receive calls from EHS Safety Managers who are concerned about the safety of workers in their assembly plants or warehouses. These contacts allow us to understand first-hand the needs of our customers in the area of industrial safety and, in particular the apprehensions of the specialists in this field.

After having visited many companies we’ve discovered a pattern and recognized that the problems and concerns faced by safety managers repeat themselves everywhere. One of the common issues, for instance, seems to be the concern that a forklift could run over a pedestrian in the many spaces where they interact.

The following are some of the most common answers we offer our customers:

Clearly separate and differentiate pedestrian from forklift circulation areas. All pedestrians should know without a doubt which are the areas where they can walk safely. How can this be achieved? By painting the floor and using pedestrian safety barriers.

Signal all intersections correctly. Intersections tend to be highly dangerous areas. A very effective method to ensure safety around them to is to install doorways to warn pedestrians they are about to cross an area with potential forklift circulation. These doorways can be automatic so that if a forklift travels through an intersection, the door gets locked and the workers will not be able to attempt crossing it. Another alternative is to place a light indicator signalling the crossing.

Minimise the number of collection points of finished and raw materials. These are high risk areas so we must do everything in our hands to reduce them. All workers should know how to access these points and, as far as possible, avoid intersecting with the path of the forklifts. If that cannot be prevented, consider safer alternatives such as using a manual truck for that stretch.

The calls we receive from concerned safety managers, however, do not only pertain to the problems they face day in day out. These managers want to know how can Claitec help. They recognize that Claitec’s solutions will eliminate the problem as well as decrease significantly the number of accidents.

For instance, in cases where forklifts are very close to production lines, the ideal solution is to use the LSA. With this system, the company has the ability to mark an area in which the forklift travels at a slower speed, thus reducing the danger of being ran over.

The PAS solution is a particularly useful tool – very popular among Safety Managers – for people who find themselves in the warehouse sporadically such as Quality Control personnel, the Warehouse Manager, external truck drivers, visitors, etc.

Other common enquiries involve low visibility points as far as both pedestrians and a forklift as well as two forklifts. In these cases we recommend using warning systems, traffic lights, warning lights and detection of people and machines to decrease all sorts of risks. You’ll be able to find all the information you need on our solutions in the Products section of our website.

In a nutshell, the Claitec team strongly recommends the following:

• Plan carefully all routes for machines and people
• Physically separate pedestrians and forklift machines
• Signal pedestrians’ paths appropriately
• Automate intersections and use bright signs, traffic lights or lock doors.
• Signal low visibility areas actively
• Protect pedestrians with PAS proximity systems
• Ensure the speed of forklifts is low in the areas of Pedestrian/Forklift interactivity

The potential application of Radio Frequency technology are countless, and this a fact facilitates the access to different alternatives when it comes to improving safety in industrial environments. Fortunately, this capability never reaches its limit since it is possible to always find new uses and potentials for this technology. Of course, everything depends on human ingenuity and access to other types of technology which allow, in turn, to take RD to higher levels.

Claitec’s mission is to seek a safer work environment for our workers today and for future generations. Similarly, innovation is also key to our company’s values: “(…) the continuous improvement of our solutions. We are constantly updating our technological expertise to achieve pioneering innovation”.

Therefore, one can assume that a company like Claitec which, talks about future generations and about a constant improvement in its technological know-how, must hold research and development (R & D) in high regard. But at Claitec we don’t limit ourselves to only investing in this area continuously, but we also seek to transcend the current boundaries of RFID technology, and to enable the next generation of products to improve further and as efficiently as possible in order to minimise the presence of risk for workers in industrial environments.

Our R & D department works within an “axis” which gravitates between two extremes: one which, pursues innovation and creativity to the fullest, and one which focus is obtaining products that meet the requirements of current market needs. Most of the production complies with the latest requirements but another large portion includes prototypes that lead our technology to the limit. It is a process of “Concept Design” which, serves as a generator of new ideas and concepts to share with customers and technology partners.

We also recommend reading: Innovating in the industry to better take care of our planet.

At the same time, and in line with our philosophy of teamwork, we have established links with organisations looking for a relationship that enhances the ability of each party. Plus Claitec participates as an international partner in various research projects in the European Union:

Horizon 2020

This is a framework program created by the European Union with the aim of concentrating and driving much of the research and innovation. The program integrates several activities that are key to the market: from basic research, to technology development, demonstration projects, manufacturing pilot lines, social innovation, technology transfer, proof of concept, standardisation, support for pre-commercial public procurement, venture capital and system guarantees.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will be part of Horizon 2020 and, through its Knowledge Communities (KIC), it will integrate research, training and entrepreneurship.

The strategic objectives of Horizon 2020 program are:

a. To create a science of excellence,

b. To develop technologies and applications to improve European competitiveness, and

c. To investigate major issues affecting European citizens

Feed a Gene

This program aims to improve the mono gastric livestock production systems in search of greater efficiency and an overall reduction of its impact on the environment. This is achieved by adapting the food, the animals and the different feed techniques.

In this project, Claitec develops radio frequency technology for animal identification.

Diputació de Girona

Claitec has the institutional support of the Council of Girona, through participation in the Program Support for Business Activity 2015. This grant provides Claitec with the ability to have an expanded technical team and, consequently, develop a new generation of products with Radio Frequency technology.