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Standards revision may impact US forklift designs
Charlotte, NC, United States
Thursday, 22 Jul 2010
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Sizing standardisation is being discussed. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK |
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An effort to set international standards relating to environmental considerations of packaging may eventually impact on the way forklifts in the US are designed and built for carrying unit loads.
International meetings last month in Beijing, China created a draft that is primarily based on existing European Union standards. Earlier, multiple US group meetings occurred to form the US position on seven proposed standards, says Michael Ogle, vice president for educational and technical services with the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) in Charlotte. The trade group MHIA has a leading role in the review and development of standards at the international level.
The American National Standards Institute accredits MHIA to administer three US technical committees dealing with pallets, freight containers and packaging. The committees review and provide voting recommendations on international standards under the Organization for International Standardization.
"The packaging and environment standards have little connection to forklift trucks," Ogle says. "If packaging types are modified, then there may be an effect on how unit loads are built and carried by the trucks, but otherwise there is no direct connection." Ogle serves as secretary for the MHIA-administered MH10 unit-loads and transport-packaging organisation within the US Technical Advisory Group to the international TC122 subcommittee on packaging and environment.
Organisers project completion of the standards during 2012.
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