On almost every job site, there’s a Perfectionist Pete. He’s the guy who not only does a meticulous safety inspection of his truck every morning, he regularly checks fluid levels, tire air pressure, and the like, to make sure the truck is in ideal operating condition. He pays attention to how the e

Old Man Winter hasn’t been in a friendly mood this year. All over North America, it’s been an unusually bitter winter, filled with powerful storms that have knocked out power. When the power goes out, there’s nothing better to have than a backup generator. If a big storm brings down power lines, yo

Bobcat Co. will manufacture its millionth Bobcat loader in 2014, and the company is celebrating. To mark the milestone, Bobcat is holding a contest, giving away one of their loaders for the best answer to the question: “What makes a Bobcat unstoppable.” Bobcat should be proud. Think of all those Bo

Many companies continue to overlook the importance of equipment hydraulic systems—despite the significant costs of doing so. When a piece of vehicular industrial/construction equipment is leaking hydraulic fluid internally or externally, it can cause a pressure loss that negatively affects the equi

Daily pre-use inspections of commercial vehicles are about much more than inspection compliance. When inspections are done regularly and adequately, your company can achieve multiple bottom-line benefits in addition to compliance, including: 1.  Vehicles in need of preventative maintenance get

Trailers are used by many companies, and for the same reasons that it’s good business to inspect the vehicles pulling them, it pays to regularly inspect the trailers themselves. Just think of the havoc that can occur if a trailer has a problem going down the road and its contents get spilled. Not o

Risk management is at the heart of business success. It basically boils down to “protect your backside,” and companies that don’t do that, don’t last long. In The Checker’s many years of helping companies use inspections to improve profitability, it’s become obvious that many companies aren’t pay

Clad in a skeleton costume, Miss Unsafe Brakes appeared at the 1939 Chicago Auto Show to drive home the importance of car owners keeping their brakes in good repair. With fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles travelled in 1939 almost 10 times higher than today, well-maintained brakes represe

How can municipalities use mobile inspection checklists to improve safety, while also saving time and money? That was the topic of a presentation by our president, David Lefevre, at the 2014 American Public Works Association (APWA) Congress & Exposition, which was held last month in Toronto. Ma

Vehicular accidents are a leading cause of occupational injuries any time of year, but winter heightens the threats. Winter brings icy roads, snow that blocks road and limits visibility, and extreme conditions that are rough on vehicles. That makes winter’s arrival an ideal time to reinforce basics

Anyone tasked with maintenance responsibility at a company should be championing equipment inspections as hard as they can. That’s because equipment inspections, when done regularly and properly, can reduce maintenance costs and the burden on the maintenance department. Identification of Equipment

Inspecting and maintaining lighting at your business location is crucial and should be performed regularly. Lighting not only illuminates your stores brand but also provides adequate lighting for outdoor security surveillance and making customers and personnel feel safe in their environment. Witho

There are many cases where it is necessary to rent equipment for use in your facility. Renting it for the duration of the project or a specific task is also a cost-effective option. In most situations, renting equipment is an easy process where you get what you were looking for and dont experience

Asphalt paving season is upon us, and its the right time for contractors to start preparing their equipment for the busy season. So, what steps need to be taken to make the most of these productive months? Lets see: 1. Equipment Needs to Go Through a Proper Inspection Equipment owners should do a

Cranes and heavy equipment are amazing tools. They can be used under the most trying conditions, working in all types of environments, and operated by many different operators. However, with so much wear and tear, repairs are inevitable. Regular inspections are more than worthy of your time. Not ju

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that ladders were involved in 20% of fall injuries among workers, with hospitals reporting that 81% of the fall injuries they treated in construction workers involved a ladder. Because of the alarming rates that ladders ar

Construction sites are some of the most dangerous work environments with the high amount of manual labor and strong reliance on equipment combining to put construction workers at risk. Falls, getting struck by equipment, electrocution, and getting caught between objects account for the most injurie

Fire trucks are the ultimate symbols of safety and protection. Ensuring that a fire truck and all its components are working as they should is what ultimately saves lives. Historically, fire service was limited to one type of apparatus – a pump that was pulled manually by a horse or a steam-driven

Firefighters always have to be ready to respond to an emergency and this means that their gear must always be in good working condition and ready for use. For equipment like Self Contained Breathing Apparatus or SCBA, inspections can be the difference between life and death. SCBAs should be inspect

We unconsciously touch our face with our hands multiple times a day, not realizing we could potentially introduce germs into our eyes and mouth. And with this happens, the germs could make us sick. It’s been scientifically proven that the simple act of hand washing with soap helps remove germs from