Leading Dairy Producer Improves Safety and Reduces Costs

Sept. 1, 2008
This case history about Golden Guernsey Dairy comes courtesy of ShockWatch. It has been selected and edited by the MHM editorial staff for clarity, content

This case history about Golden Guernsey Dairy comes courtesy of ShockWatch. It has been selected and edited by the MHM editorial staff for clarity, content and style.

When Golden Guernsey Dairy became overwhelmed with accidents and maintenance costs due to reckless forklift driving, the company took action. As Wisconsin's top milk producer, Golden Guernsey, a division of Foremost Farms USA, knew that improved safety and cost containment were critical for a successful future. Although the dairy had always encouraged its 100 operators to drive carefully, it had no formal system for preventing damage. Fortunately, Golden Guernsey's material handling equipment vendor, Wisconsin Lift Truck Corporation, instantly recommended the ShockWatch ImpactManager™ ID to help solve these issues. Golden Guernsey's Plant Engineer Larry Keeney and Safety Director Jeff Hayes were instrumental in analyzing the problem, evaluating the ShockWatch system, and overseeing the project implementation.

Golden Guernsey began by using just one ImpactManager ID on a trial basis in November 2003. The company saw an immediate decrease in damage caused by that vehicle, and soon equipped all 11 of its lift trucks with the devices. In just two months, the number of monthly impacts fell — astonishingly — from 1,036 to just four. The ShockWatch monitoring system has enabled Golden Guernsey to sustain that low rate ever since.

"ShockWatch provides an easy solution that is proven to work," said Mark Wargolet, Customer Support Representative at Wisconsin Lift Truck Corporation. "And the ShockWatch service representatives have been invaluable in providing professional on-site training and ongoing support to us and our customers."

The ImpactManager ID limits equipment access to certified operators in the dairy's 150,000-square foot facility. For Golden Guernsey, the alarm is a key feature because it not only sounds on impact, but also prevents the engine from running for more than 10-second intervals after an impact. Even attempts to hide accidents fail because the device reports each incident and the offending operator's identity through an internal network. Knowing that the equipment is monitored causes operators to drive at safer speeds, resulting in significantly fewer incidents and a much safer environment for all the workers.

"Larry Keeney does an excellent job managing this system and monitoring the ShockWatch management reports, so he can instruct employees about proper equipment usage when necessary," said Wargolet. "This is exactly the type of resolution that the ShockWatch system was designed to deliver."

Goal | Improve safety, limit access, and reduce damage to equipment and facility
Solution | ShockWatch ImpactManager™ ID
Result | Dramatic decrease in number of monthly impacts from 1,036 to 4

MHMonline.com welcomes relevant, exclusive case histories that explain in specific detail the business benefits that new software and material-handling equipment has provided to specific users. Send submissions to Clyde Witt([email protected]), MHM Editor-in-Chief. All submissions will be edited for clarity, content and style.