I am regularly asked to write feature articles for eureka, the online magazine for the materials handling professional.
Below you will find introductions and links to some of my work.
I would also encourage you to have a look at the magazine itself:
Safe by design and culture
No matter how successful a company has been in operating forklift trucks safely, there is always room for improvement when it comes to health and safety. With this in mind, eureka is keen that good ideas should be shared between users through case studies.
Mark Nicholson reports on one business whose efforts to increase site safety have won a major award.
http://eurekapub.eu/health-safety/2015/10/02/ihealth_and_safety_for_forklift_truck_operators
How does it feel?
When developing your company’s products or services, how much attention do you pay to the feelings of the people who will actually use them?
Mark Nicholson investigates the science of ‘user experience’, which is challenging traditional attitudes to the design process and increasing the competitiveness of those who embrace it.
http://eurekapub.eu/technology/2015/09/23/user-experience-in-forklift-trucks-and-beyond
In search of automatic safety solutions
In eureka 23 we reminded readers of the risks faced by workers in loading docks and suggested simple measures to minimise the danger. Awareness and training, together with enforcement of best practice, should always be the first line of defence against accidents, but safety technology can help too.
Mark Nicholson reviews some of the technological ‘safety nets’ currently available.
Protecting your trucks from ‘bad’ fuel
Diesel is one of the materials handling industry’s most basic requirements, but like other fuels it deteriorates with age. Chemical degradation, contamination with water and infestation with microbes can turn it into an unhealthy cocktail that damages your forklift trucks and your operation.
Mark Nicholson explores the problems and their solutions.
http://eurekapub.eu/fleet-management/2015/04/14/protect-your-diesel-forklift-trucks-from-bad-fuel
Finding the perfect fit
When it comes to replacing your forklift truck fleet, finding the best solution means being open to the advice of a supplier you can trust – and being very clear on what you want the lift trucks and the dealer to do.
Mark Nicholson discovers how one major provider of products and services to the industrial and construction sectors got it right.
http://eurekapub.eu/case-study/2014/11/14/lift-truck-decision-making-process
The most dangerous of places
In the world of materials handling and logistics, loading docks are often considered the most dangerous of places. Investment in technological solutions can reduce the risks but a firm understanding – and regular reminding – of the hazards and essential safety measures is needed too.
Mark Nicholson sums up the key issues and options.
http://eurekapub.eu/health-safety/2014/11/14/ways-to-make-the-loading-dock-a-much-safer-place
A sense of the future
Gradual improvement in counterbalance lift trucks is always to be expected, but what larger and more radical changes in design and technology are on the horizon?
Mark Nicholson talks to the Cat® Lift Trucks team at Järvenpää to find out how the future will look and feel.
http://eurekapub.eu/technology/2014/06/14/future-of-counterbalance-forklift-trucks
Are your pallets fit for purpose?
While much attention is given to expensive and often highly sophisticated materials handling, storage and transport equipment, a supply chain’s efficiency and profitability can be jeopardised by something as simple as using the wrong pallets.
Mark Nicholson takes a look at the issues involved, including the question of whether plastic should replace wood.
http://eurekapub.eu/materials-handling/2014/04/14/warehouse-pallets-choices
Safe containment and restraint
As many as a quarter of all accidents involving road freight vehicles result from poor load security. Keeping loads secure is a huge subject, on which a number of large regulatory and advisory documents have been written. To understand it all fully you must be prepared to do a lot of reading and seek expert advice.
As a starting point, Mark Nicholson introduces the key issues, reports on current concerns and advises on where to turn for further information.
http://eurekapub.eu/health-safety/2014/04/14/safely-securing-road-freight-loads
How do you compare?
Statistics on dangerous incidents are essential building blocks in the development of improved safety at work. They help us, for example, to understand the scale of each problem and to identify the issues requiring most urgent attention.
Mark Nicholson discovers that statistics relating specifically to the logistics industry are not easy to find and talks to the Freight Transport Association about its new safety benchmarking system.
http://eurekapub.eu/health-safety/2013/09/14/health-and-safety
Why sustainability makes economic sense
Being ‘green’ is very fashionable and it’s something that customers are increasingly demanding of their suppliers. What’s more, environmentally friendly choices often make the best economic sense.
In this summary, Mark Nicholson sets out the main considerations involved in selecting a ‘sustainable’ forklift truck.
http://eurekapub.eu/sustainability/2013/09/14/sustainability
Lessons from the factory
When buying any piece of equipment, sensible customers will consider not only whether it works well today but whether it will continue to work well in the future. In other words, they are looking for quality.
Mark Nicholson has been speaking to the Directors at Cat® Lift Trucks’ production facility in Järvenpää, Finland, to find out how they ensure their products meet customer needs – and deliver in the field – by applying the highest quality standards.
http://eurekapub.eu/technology/2013/05/14/lessons-from-the-factory
Contact: Mark Nicholson Copywriting
Email: mark@mncopywriting.com
nicholsonmark60 