Fatal NYC Crane Accident Leads to Calls for Increased Safety

When a 600-foot crane toppled in high winds in downtown Manhattan earlier this month — killing a 38-year-old pedestrian and injuring three others — the call for improved crane safety was immediate and sustained. Within hours of the Feb. 7 accident, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered that all 376 crawler cranes and 53 … Read more

NY Company Fined for Firing Worker Who Complained about Safety

A trucking company in New York was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay more than $32,000 in damages to an employee who was fired after complaining that the trucks he was required to drive were unsafe. Brindi Trailer Sales and Services, of Meridale, New York, violated the so-called “whistleblower” provision of the Surface Transportation Assistance … Read more

Businesses Can Claim Tax Credit for Using Propane-Powered Forklifts

Businesses that use forklifts powered by propane autogas and propane can now claim a tax credit for $.50 for every gallon of the alternative fuel they used during 2015. The Internal  Revenue  Service announced the alternative fuel tax credit in a guidance released this month. The move comes after Congress passed  a new law authorizing … Read more

Bucket Elevators Can Take Materials to New Heights

Bucket elevators are a specialized type of materials handling equipment. They are most often used to lift bulk materials from one height to another. Bucket elevators resemble conveyor belts, except they move materials such as sand, fly ash, wood chips, animal feeds and others using buckets attached to a rotating belt or chain. The buckets … Read more

New Vehicle Paint Warehouse Has Zero Human Employees

A truck backs into a dock at the BASF warehouse in Breuil-le-Sec, France, just north of Paris. As the truck’s driver remains in his cab, an unmanned automated guided vehicle opens the truck’s gate and goes to work removing pallets of vehicle paint products. The AGV transfers the pallets to a conveyor system, which moves the … Read more

Konecranes-Terex Merger Threatened by Chinese Takeover Bid

An announced merger between two of the world’s largest manufacturers of forklifts, cranes and other heavy-duty materials handling equipment is in jeopardy now that a Chinese company has company has intervened with a hostile takeover attempt. China’s Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co. has offered $30 cash for each outstanding share of Terex, which … Read more

News Analysis: ‘What’s the Deal with Dollar Stores and Safety Issues?’

News Analysis and Opinion (Editor’s Note: The following article reflects the opinions and views of the author.) A Dollar General store in Texas has received five citations from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration and faces up to $162,800 in fines after inspectors found numerous safety violations, including emergency exits blocked with cases of … Read more