Food Service Business as usual: how is your operation coping?

Whilst many food service businesses are in the process of returning to work, there has been much to consider and think about whilst planning the reopening and adapting of their food business during the pandemic. Having to plan the implementation of important guidance from the government, and put into place any procedures to reduce the risk of infection as much as possible. Conversely, for those businesses that use materials handling equipment, there are added challenges concerning health and safety; and equipment availability due to changes in demand.

It’s all about the driver
Highly trained staff are not only a legal requirement – they are vital to the effective and efficient operation of your business. Your employees may have been away from work for some time, so they’ll be a need to review their current forklift truck operator skills. Driver training assessments can be carried out in-house or with an external driver training company.

Consider these statistics, and how important it is to ensure the safety of your operators…

It was revealed that lift trucks are involved in 50 per cent more serious accidents than large good vehicles. (British Safety Council, 2019).

Just under 20% of worker fatalities in 2019/20 were the result of individuals being struck by a moving vehicle (HSE, 2020).

Taking care of your equipment

You may have been taking care of your materials handling equipment during the shutdown, however, during the return to work, be sure to check the Practical 3-Point Plan created by the CFTS (Consolidated Fork Truck Services) to ensure equipment is safe and fit for purpose.

You may want to take this opportunity to inspect and analyse risks and weak points in your processes, which helps you take giant steps towards a safe workplace. The information collected in a health and safety analysis is the basis for changes that can minimise employee sick leave, damage to goods and equipment and excessive use of spare parts.

Ergonomics and safety

Ergonomics, environment, and safety are important aspects of the complex materials handling world. Financial indices such as productivity, profit and level of service depend on a functioning work environment. Trucks and other equipment must be correct for the kind of handling involved and must deliver the right performance and provide good ergonomics. The basic principle in truck ergonomic design is to allow the operator to remain in a natural position during the entire working day. Consider your trucks ergonomics, which reduces the impact of extended driving on the operator’s body and improves safety while maintaining optimum efficiency.

Changes in demand

Peak times can vary dramatically depending on the nature of a company's work and the industry it operates in, but for most business-to-consumer companies, during seasonal times of year, and unexpected demands – these periods can be hard work.

But at times when demand for goods may be twice as high as during other times of year, how does an operation keep up? If the materials handling operation is well-optimised, there shouldn't be any 'spare' trucks or manpower that can be brought into action. So how can sudden spikes in demand be met?

For many businesses, the answer is short term forklift hire. Under these agreements, new machines can quickly be organised and delivered to the customer in order to help them deal with higher workload. Hire periods can last a few days or a few months, but many suppliers allow you to return the trucks as soon as they are no longer needed - ensuring that you avoid unnecessary costs.