The Greenery is sending 180 forklift truck drivers on an in-service training course so as to enable them to handle the new reachtrucks. For this purpose, a special training centre in Bleiswijk has been set up.

The Greenery in the Netherlands supplies a full range of fresh daily fruit and vegetables to international supermarket chains, wholesalers, caterers and the food processing industry all year round. We offer our customers quality products at an attractive price, which we can deliver thanks to our unique grower transshipment locations and our specialized distribution centers.

For one and a half months, ARBO OpleidingsCentrum (Health & Safety Training Centre) in Ede is going to carry out the training, with a theory lesson in the morning, and a practical assignment in the afternoon. On taking into service a new distribution centre for The Greenery in Barendrecht, the company is also moving over to using new, advanced reachtrucks from Linde, instead of forklift trucks. Specially for The Greenery, the reachtrucks have been equipped with cameras and various other safety options, such as the FLEX-OPS®. Since working with such reach trucks necessitates different skills, all drivers are now receiving additional training.

Two cameras per truck

The drivers must acquire other skills. Thus, the reachtrucks can reach as high as three racking levels. A normal forklift truck can only reach two levels. Thanks to the KOOI-REACHFORKS®, the hydraulic extendable forks, the drivers can deposit the pallets of vegetables and fruit two positions deep. Therefore, a camera is placed at the top of the reach truck. A second camera is located on the side of the outer sleeves of the KOOI-Forks, which are pushed into the openings of the pallets, and in this way the driver can see where the pallet is.

FLEX-OPS® safety system

The reachtrucks mainly have to be able to handle two different pallet weights, but the heaviest pallet may not be deposited at every location, on account of the residual capacities of the reachtruck. In order to prevent dangerous situations, the FLEX-OPS system is used. This unique system continuously compares the weight of the load and the centre of gravity of the load. If either of the two values is exceeded, a warning signal is emitted so that the driver can intervene. Also, the system is set up in such a way that, for example, it stops the reach function of the mast and/or the extendable forks as soon as the FLEX-OPS registers that an undesirable situation is threatening to arise.

One and a half months long

The ARBO OpleidingsCentrum (Health & Safety Training Centre) very much welcomes the large-scale retraining task. John van Haren says: “It doesn’t happen very often that we provide consecutive training courses for nearly one and a half months. Previously we did the forklift truck training course for Burgers’ Zoo, HelloFresh and the Kröller Müller Museum, but then that often involved just a few days. It’s fantastic to do this. The new reachtrucks are great: very advanced and equipped with all sorts of adaptations.” Project leader Remco de Bel of The Greenery knows why he chose this trainer. “We talked to various trainers and ARBO OpleidingsCentrum really stood out. In particular, the manner of communicating appealed to us.”

Source : Heres Stad, logistiek.nl

Photography : ARBO OpleidingsCentrum