The secret is pulses that shatter sulfate crystals.

(Sound of my slapping my forehead) Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?

Seriously, this has meant big savings for the Navy and Marines, heavy users of lift truck batteries.

Image © gilles lougassi - Fotolia.com

Related posts:

Grants mean hydrogen-powered material handling for store chain

Free booklet gives tips on cutting material handling costs

Here’s news that involves material handling, green technology and New Pig’s home state of Pennsylvania.

Wegmans Food Markets will use $1 million from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) to convert from electric pallet jacks and reach trucks to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles at its Pottsville, Pennsylvania service center. The grant will help with installing an outdoor hydrogen storage tank and indoor fueling dispensers.

Wegmans will use 50 pallet trucks and 9 stand-up reach trucks from Lift Inc. in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lift Inc. will install fuel cells in the vehicles. Wegman will expand use of hydrogen fuel cells at Pottsville through 2012.

Interestingly, another company, GENCO Supply Chain Solutions, is buying the fuel cells for Wegmans using federal stimulus money, because the economy derailed a number of GENCO’s own projects.

Image © Studiotouch - Fotolia.com

Do wood pallets spread pests? Are plastic pallets safer? (Below are link to two plastic pallets that we sell.)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced four public discussions of possible new rules (link opens a PDF) related to wood packaging material used in domestic commerce, including crates, dunnage, wooden spools, pallets and packing blocks. The concern is that wood packaging helps spread pests that threaten plants and trees, such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle.

Image © Marcin Sadlowski - Fotolia.com

Poly Drum Pallet

Poly Nesting Drum Pallet

1. Because there are about ten seconds of silence before a forklift enters.

2. Because there are three people in the video who could use some dialogue.

3. Because somebody needs to say something about how this could have been avoided.

This did NOT take place in New Pig’s warehouse.

Man, I hope no one was hurt …

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled SAFE Storage & Handling activities.

Attention Truckies!* Here’s galactic storage and handling news!

*fans of lift trucks

Don’t miss the Airtrax Lift Truck in the new Star Trek movie! It’s right there in the Enterpise loading bay! The vehicle with the futuristic omni-directional roller wheels. The clip below is not from the movie but does show the Lift Truck.

You may, er, fail to notice any of the following equally-nifty solutions for storage and handling and spill containment in lift bays. I’m sure they’re in use, just out of view during the action.

Poly Containment Pallets

Poly Containment Decks

Poly Roll Top Pallets & Storage Lockers

Pop-up Pools

SPILLBLOCKER® Dikes

Safety Cabinets and Accessories

Poly Funnels and Accessories

I took this online quiz: “What car suits your personality?” I went through all these questions and …

It lied!

But you’ll have a better experience with our new online Spill Containment Selection Guide.

If you store productions liquids (oils, coolants, solvents or many other possibilities) and you’re looking for a way to prepare for leaks or spills, you’ll sail right through the selection process with this guide. You’ll answer a subset of questions about:

• The type of liquid you’re storing
• The type of container you’re using
• Complying with EPA’s secondary containment regulation
• The type of containment sump you prefer
• Covering the containment unit

… and click-bang-boom, your choices will be narrowed. It really is an excellent addition to newpig.com–a big help for anyone looking at spill containment solutions such as pallets, decks and IBC units.

Take a look at our  Containment Comparison Guide, too.  It lets you see and compare a wide a array of our spill containment solutions at a glance.

With these guides, we’ve tried to make your selection process as easy as possible. So please keep them in mind if you store production liquids.

And me–well, maybe I’ll take that car quiz again now …

Their storage & handling was their downfall: Trackable plastic pallets lead to grand theft arrest.

*

Here’s a nice overview of storage & handling related to flammables and combustibles written by an expert at Justrite. It touches on all of the following:

Spill Containment Pallets
Drums and Containers
Type I Safety Cans
Type II Safety Cans
Safety Cabinets
Chemical Storage Cabinets
Non-Combustible Waste Containers
Aerosol Can Disposal
Oily Waste Containers
Absorbents

*

Both the EPA and Earth Day turn 39 this year. Click here for a video from Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Interested in reducing lift truck and other material handling expenses?

Hyster, a leader in lift trucks, is offering the free booklet 10 Strategies to Help You Thrive in the Economic Downturn. Topics include energy conservation, parts replacement, maintenance, financing options, telemetry, advantages of fleet management and more.

Click here to download the PDF.