HEALTH AND SAFETY NEWSLETTER — APRIL 2010

As we are heading toward summer, it may be easy to daydream and lose focus of safety practices on the job.

They say accidents are avoidable—-I know, I know, you are going to say, that is not true, but there is plenty of data to support this statement.

Don’t be a statistic, be a winner, by taking every safety precaution.

Now is a good time to check outside your building for weather damage, and as the weather improves, get any damages repaired, for example, shipping doors and loading docks, traffic signs and painted lines.

How is your forklift training coming?  At Mississauga branch, we certified a new forklift driver (KURT WALTON) and recertified (DON AND EDWARD) through the services of our own Ron Neath.

Being a good forklift driver is not only driving skill, but confidence in the ability to judge what can and can’t be lifted safely.

Now is also a good time to check your safety shoes, first aid boxes, and eyewash stations.

If you use power nail guns, inspect for worn or damaged connectors and hoses.

Ensure that personnel using power nailers are properly trained.

Keep safe everyone, and here is a tip: wear safety glasses when cutting your grass at home- I do.

All for now, from Edward and Ron.

Ideas and suggestions are always welcome, just drop us an email anytime.      edward[at]kbctools.com     rneath[at]kbctools.com

Earles’ Pearls – PUMP UP THE SALES – April 2010

Although it is Michigan’s turn to write the P.U.T.S., and I could have assigned it to others, I don’t feel that it should be done by anyone but me; way things should be done.  If things I say and do seem to get repetitive, it’s only because it bears repeating.

We have to go out of our way to not only accommodate our customers, but also help them with any problems that they may be having.  If you can’t answer their questions, then get someone who can.  We have some pretty bright people at KBC.  We can also go direct to the Supplier or Manufacturer.  Leave no stone unturned to help, or get an answer.  The problems are not always technical.  This past week, I called a Supplier about a delivery on a gage that was overdue.  The Supplier said he had just finished talking to Paula about the same gage….  End result, instead of 5 to 7 additional days, we picked them up the next day — to Increase sales. Sometimes we just have to pay attention to the sales we’ve already gotten.  We need to expedite Any and All Backorders, and offer subs or up-grades when available. 

It appears, knock on wood, that the Economy is starting to heat up; with that, a lot of Suppliers and Manufacturers are going to get caught with low inventories, which means more backorders, which means we have to pay close attention to All orders and Inventories.  We should take notice of repeat customers, making sure we have the items they rely on us to have for them in inventory or on the way.

The time spent helping a customer, can be very fruitful.  I recently was helping a customer with an adaptor for his lathe tailstock, and in talking with him for a while, he had questions about his chuck; and as a result, may buy a 16” direct mount chuck.

We are All in this together.  We can All help the Team effort — from the artwork to advertising it, to mailing it, from buying the product, to receiving it, to putting it away, to taking the order, to entering it in the computer, to pulling the product, to packing it, to shipping it.  If ALL the above is done correctly, we are a Success.  But if there is just one error in ALL this effort, it’s a bust.  We have to ALL join together, watch each other’s back, and do it right the first and only time.

John Earles – KBC MICHIGAN