Employee protection policies help improve a company’s performance.

When the first workplace safety systems and tools are implemented, new necessities related to these changes emerge. That’s why it’s when it comes to occupational health and safety it’s so important to be in a constant state of evolution – to keep up to date with the changes in the field and to improve the conditions of our employees.

At Claitec, we believe in continuous innovation. And that’s why we constantly update our knowledge of technology – to implement improvements in our range of products and services. After observing a number of opportunities to better the driver’s inhibitor, we decided that it was necessary to implement some changes. Today, we are thrilled to report that after these modifications,  we have received very positive reviews and customer ratings in the United States and England, among other countries.

What’s the purpose of the Inhibitor?

Most businesses tend to have more than one truck. At sites where companies care about the protection of their workers, these carry a protective tag known as T-10 which, is part of an efficient Pedestrian Alert System. But what about the truck’s driver? Doesn’t this protection tag conflict with the detection system?

Here is precisely where the Inhibitor comes in.

The inhibitor is simply a space where forklift drivers are able to leave their protection tags so that these are not detected by other systems. This allows them to drive the truck safely, while the Pedestrian Alert System is activated. In addition, they can leave it aside and perform picking operations or control of goods with the assurance that the Pedestrian Alert System will protect them at all times.

Similarly, the driver’s inhibitor also ensures the proper functioning of the Anti-collision System, as drivers are able to operate the truck without the interruption of the PAS solution, allowing the anti-collision system to run properly.

Improvements in the Inhibitor

When Claitec produced the first versions of the Inhibitor, our customers welcomed the added value it brought to their operation. However, given their constant exposure to shocks and falls and their potential for breakage, we found out there was room to improve its resistance levels.

In addition, we learnt from other customers there were other areas the Inhibitor could also improve on. For example, the product was somewhat limited in the sense that only if placed in certain location, was it able to work properly. Some operators placed it upside down and caused the inhibitor to be unable to fulfill its functions.

Thanks to the feedback and support from our customers, we redesigned the product, and we are thrilled with our customers’ positive feedback. Firstly, we’ve changed its design so that it works when the protection tag is placed in any position. We’ve maintained the double-sided adhesive in order to facilitate the attachment of the product.

The new version is made of steel, which virtually eliminates the problem of resistance that our customers had observed with the previous model. In addition, it is now possible to attach the inhibitor with screws, which greatly increases its durability and shock resistance.

We have already tested the new inhibitor. A very, very, very good design.

Mike East, Business Development /Operations at Mountain Regional Equipment Solutions, Inc.

From Normative to Increased Productivity

The International Labour Organization (ILO) celebrates today the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This institution wants to invite employees, businesses and governments to unite in building a culture of prevention in the field of Safety and Health at Work. The main goal of this awareness campaign is to focus on new trends in prevention in the field of safety and health at work.

In the 2008 Seoul Declaration the ILO stated that “the right to a safe and healthy work environment is to be recognised as a fundamental human right and not simply a right pertaining to labour law”. As such, it called on employers to ensure that their machinery, equipment, facilities and processes were safe and did not endanger the health of any worker.

Historically, most companies have been attentive to changes in regulation implemented by the ILO pertaining to employee safety and health at work. With the support of lawyers and experts in the field, employers sought to stay within the law but kept their own finances as a priority.

However, in the last decade we have seen a powerful change towards considering the protection of employees as a moral and human requirement and not something that needed to be done in response to a regulation. Indeed, employers were pleasantly surprised when they discovered that an emphasis on worker safety increased their productivity levels.

As they invested in better employee care, their workplace culture and work environment improved considerably, and workers felt they were treated like human beings and not as business assets. The result? Loyal employees. Incredibly, other indicators such as absenteeism also decreased, and this ultimately brought about much welcomed financial improvements for the companies.

Claitec’s mission is to create a safer life for people in their working environment so we concur 100% with the ILO’s invitation to build a culture of prevention concerning safety and health at work. We are convinced that corporations are people, so it is extremely important to take care of them.

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!

This website marks a new era for Claitec. Here you’ll find information about our company and the services and technology solutions we offer in the field of industrial safety. With this brand new website we hope to open a new communication channel with our customers that will allow us to be closer to them.

Our blog has been designed to offer advice and solutions that will introduce you to different technological tools and products to help prevent common safety risks, such as the collision of forklifts with pedestrians in warehouses or manufacturing environments, etc.