At Nacco Materials Handling Group in Nijmegen, around 1900 forklifts are assembled annually and marketed under the Hyster and Yale brands.
Only a small percentage of this is destined for the Dutch market.
The forklifts produced in Nijmegen are not exactly small and conventional.
“They are big guys who are able to lift sea containers up to about 44 tons.”
These are the words of Peter Zwaan, manager of Facilities and Site Services at Nacco.

Risk assessment

“Every day, about three large and six smaller forklifts roll off the production lines.
All of them are tested extensively.
Outside the production site, the largest forklifts are tested.
It is driven and we carry out a so-called load test with containers in different weight classes.
The heaviest container we use for this weighs no less than 44,000 kilograms.
A risk assessment showed that safety on and around the test site could be improved.
Ideally, the testing itself should be separated from the employees who move around and the logistics processes.
However, this was not physically and permanently possible, but at times when the test site is in use, we were able to prevent access to the site.
That’s why we made a plan at the end of last year to make this happen.
The plan not only consists of technical elements, but also includes organizational measures, such as a more tightly defined test protocol and warning signs.
Of course, we also need to educate our people on this.
Once ingrained, patterns of behavior don’t change overnight.
For the technical side of the project, we called in Mactwin.
They offered us a modern and future-proof camera solution, Cemacs Video Management, which could be linked to our existing Access control system. Moreover, Mactwin has been Nacco’s permanent security partner for many years, and to our complete satisfaction.”

Integrated solution

The plan that Nacco and Mactwin have further developed together consists of various (technical) elements.
In addition to camera surveillance, these include access control, traffic lights and optical and acoustic signalling equipment.
The moment a test is about to start, this is reported to the porter’s lodge.
With the push of a button, the Test Track Coordinator can then activate all measures.
The gates around the test site are closed and the traffic lights at the entrances to the site turn red.
At the same time, the flashing lights, which are set up around the test site, are switched on and a public announcement/alert signal sounds.
It is still possible to enter the site from the production hall.
Anyone who wishes to do so is explicitly warned via the red traffic lights, the other signalling devices and the clear warning signs.
Furthermore, during testing, the access control level is automatically scaled up one level.
Only a limited number of people can enter through the (now closed) entrances with card readers.
Peter Zwaan: “This applies, for example, to the emergency response officers; They should always be able to enter in emergency situations.”
Finally, some new IP cameras have been installed around the test site.
Together with the existing analogue cameras that are now linked to Cemacs Video Management via a decoder, they accurately record all movements in the outdoor area, including the test area.
The images from the cameras are uploaded to a monitor in the porter’s lodge and, if desired, can be zoomed in on a particular situation.

Remote management and maintenance

The new solution has now been running for several months to full satisfaction.
Peter Zwaan: “Of course, our people had to get used to the new system, but because they know very well that it is about their own safety, the support is enormous.
The employees in the porter’s lodge are also happy with the system, its user-friendliness and the sharpness of the camera images.
We are still planning to convert our current maintenance agreement into an SLA with remote management and maintenance. This means that the management of our security systems can largely be done remotely from the Mactwin Operation Center. This will certainly save us time and money.”