Case Study: Cesab Ergonomics and Safety Perfect for UK Public Sector Firm

ESPO is a local authority purchasing and distribution consortium, supplying a huge range of workplace products, from food, furniture and hardware to stationery and vehicles, to the education sector and other public and private organisations.

Employing up to 250 people at peak times, ESPO’s central distribution centre in Leicester holds around 12,000 items in stock and is responsible for the picking, packing and delivery of orders. With over 25,000 delivery points across the UK and weekly deliveries to customers to send out, reliable materials handling equipment is essential.

When ESPO was experiencing issues with its older reach trucks, they approached Angus Lift Trucks, the Cesab Material Handling dealership covering Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Neil Tompkins, Operations Shift Manager, ESPO: “We decided to explore other servicing options available. Angus were recommended to us and we invited them in. We have an intensive operation here and need equipment that we can rely on and suppliers who respond quickly.

“Safety is hugely important, as people can be on foot or in trucks in the warehouse and need to cross paths safely. We’re also constantly working to minimise damage to stock. Most of the major manufacturers bid for the contract, but Angus and the Cesab warehouse range came out ahead.”

Seven Cesab R314 reach trucks are now used in ESPO’s warehouse, picking goods 24 hours a day, six days a week. Part of the Cesab R300 reach truck range, the Cesab R314 offers comfort and ease of operation as well as ergonomic controls for maximum productivity.

The trucks at ESPO have been fitted with cameras and fork positioning laser systems that enable operators to position the forks accurately, even at the highest racking levels. The trucks also feature safety lighting, and a driver management system that requires operators to perform a daily check on each truck before starting work.

Safer manoeuvres

Key codes

Operators must log in, using a manual key code, before operating the Cesab R314 reach trucks. The system communicates via wifi with cloud-based software, giving management real-time information and automatically generated reports and alerts.

Laser precision

The laser positioning system fitted to the Cesab R314 reach trucks helps operators see exactly where to position reach truck forks, so minimising the risk of damage to palletised goods.

Safety lighting

Cesab reach trucks at ESPO feature safety lighting, which projects a bright light onto the floor a metre ahead of the moving truck. The light is intended to warn pedestrians that a truck is approaching and guides them away from the truck’s path.

Neil Tompkins concludes: “The ergonomics of the Cesab reach trucks are good for our drivers, who like driving them, and the range of safety features will help us to manage, and ultimately improve, our operations. We’re also really pleased with the speed of response from the team at Angus, who are usually with us within three hours of any request. We’re extremely pleased with our decision to go ahead with Angus Lift Trucks and the Cesab range.”

He went on: “Our relationship with Angus Lift Trucks is excellent and the communication is great. They’re not only at the end of a phone but quick to respond in person to any issues. Angus always work with us to make sure trucks are serviced at times that suit our operation and that helps us improve our productivity.”

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