A heat wave is settling over Quebec for the next few days!

*** Notice to all workers on construction sites *** 

Attention au coup de chaleur; adaptez votre rythme de travail et prenez des pauses, de préférence à l’ombre ou dans un endroit frais.

​How to prevent heat stroke

Tips to prevent heat stroke!

• Drink at least a glass of water every 10, 15 or 20 minutes, even if you are not thirsty.
• Wear light clothing, light colored, preferably cotton (promotes sweat evaporation).
• Cover your head to work outside.
• Adjust your work pace according to your acclimatization to the heat and climatic conditions (e.g. heat, humidity, sunshine).
• Take breaks (hourly, and for an appropriate length of time) in the shade or in a cool place.

Source: CNESST 

Visit the CNESST website for more advice.

The blind spots of heavy vehicles are a great danger for workers who are on construction sites. These areas of the road are outside the driver's field of vision.

What is a blind spot? 

A blind spot is an area around the vehicle outside the driver's field of vision that cannot be seen in the rearview mirrors or through the windows. The taller and longer the vehicle, the bigger the blind spots.

Caution is required

Did you know that heavy vehicle drivers do not always see you? Like motorists, truck and bus drivers can not see parts of the road around their vehicles. Due to the large dimensions of heavy vehicles, blind spots are areas where the risk of collision is higher. Also motorists and cyclists must avoid dangerous maneuvers when they are there.

Every vehicle has blind spots

In general, the taller and longer the vehicle, the bigger the blind spots.

Where are blind spots located?

Blind spots are all around vehicles, but their size and location vary according to the type of vehicle. The main blind spots are located in front, at the rear and on the sides of the vehicle.

There are also other blind spots, such as those caused by rearview mirrors and pillars on either side of the windshield.

Some types of vehicles, such as tool vehicles and vehicles fitted with auxiliary equipment (e.g. snowblowers, snowplows, etc.) can have additional blind spots. When you are near one of these vehicles, be careful!

Source: SAAQ

Tools are available to help the driver vigilance;

Maximize your vision and security on the work site by installing an industrial camera: 

Function & Use

A heavy-duty tire sealant. OKO prevents punctures and stops tire deflations as you drive. OKO seals the hole in the tread area the moment the puncture happens. Designed for use in the harshest off-road environments.

"Lasts the legal life of the tire."

Deals with loss of air and eliminates the puncture problem by providing a permanent seal to any hole in the tread area caused by puncturing objects with a diameter of up to 10mm.

OKO OFF Road Concentrate has sealed holes up to 20 mm. Minimal amount of OKO is used in making each seal.

OKO Puncture Free remains inside the tire even after multiple sealing events. For both tubeless pneumatic tires & inner tubes.

Applications

Suitable for: All Heavy Off Road & slower-moving vehicles, that include:

• VAgricultural vehicles – Tractors, Harvesters, and ALL Farm Vehicles. Useful for Grass Cutting, Forestry & Logging vehicles with pneumatic tires.
• Industrial & Construction vehicles – Excavators, Earth Movers, Road makers, Diggers; Wheel loaders; Refuse & waste disposal.

Typical Users:

Agricultural, Forestry & Timber Industries, Mining, Quarrying, Building & Construction, Road Making & Allied Industries including Military forces

The Benefits:

Protection against flat tires. The cost of protecting a four-wheeled vehicle is far less than the cost of one tire.

Remoulds: OKO causes NO problems. OKO washes out.

Vulcanising: First remove OKO with water, then dry tire with a “BUFSOL” solution.

Retreading: Often limited by the life of the tire’s inner liner. OKO can keep a tire in a “like new condition” longer, allowing the casing to be re-treaded more often. OKO assists in making retreads last longer.

Characteristics

An aqueous glycol based solution comprising specially treated constituents of the highest grade, environmentally friendly rust inhibitors for anticorrosion purposes, adhesion agents, gums and preservatives, held in suspension to provide a carefully engineered matrix.

• Non Corrosive - Non Flammable - Non Hazardous - No adverse affect upon tires or wheel rims.
• Product - Natural Off White colour. Viscous. Low Odour
• Quantity - Refer to bottle, drum label, charts or contact your representative

Sizes available

• 25 Litre Drums
• 200 Litre Drums (special order)

Precautions

No risk and safety labels or warnings are required since this product is not classified as hazardous under current regulations.

Speed: OFF Road OKO is designed for slower moving heavy industrial vehicles. It should not be used in ON Road vehicles or driven at speeds in excess of 80 kph (50 mph).

OKO products, ISO 14001 & ISO9001 certified

Today, quarries and sand pits are more competitive than ever.

Your ability to load more precisely and more efficiently than a competitor can make the difference between being a producer of materials and being the best producer of materials.

The key to success is having the right tools!

This is why on-board scales have become a necessity for small and large quarries. Today's scales are reliable, economical, and as easy to use as smartphones. Once implemented, they quickly help quarries minimize errors, optimize payloads and reduce cycle times. And just as important, they allow operators to stay focused on what they do best: moving materials.

However, the market is full of choices and opinions that can make investing in on-board scales confusing. We have therefore compiled a list of the five most important things to consider when looking for an on-board scale for your operations:

Five criteria to consider when choosing an on-board scale

Accuracy

An on-board scale must deliver an accuracy of approximately one percent or better. Although it sounds small, a margin of error greater than 1% can easily cost thousands of dollars a day for a busy quarry. Your scale must also guarantee precise performance regardless of common variables such as temperature changes throughout the day, site slope, operator technique or operator experience.

Extended functionalities

Beyond the optimization of the payload, a good on-board scale will also include functionalities capable of increasing efficiency in other areas. Good examples include the ability to totalize a machine's payload for a full day or more, automatically calculate bucket payload without operator intervention, and easily adjust the last bucket to a specific target payload (Target weight).

Data management

Data is the new added value - it has proven itself, is simple and useful in many different situations. And the better your data, the easier it will be to keep your machines and operations running smoothly and efficiently. On-board loader scales - such as the Pfreundt series WK60 & WK60 SWT scales - have the advantage of being connectable to an web portal. This means that you will be able to track payload data remotely from your laptop or cell phone. The WK60 series also include easy reporting functions and options to add and / or customize data capture fields. You can also consider adding an on-board thermal or impact printer (coupon) to make truck and individual load information immediately available to drivers, customers, or any other staff who need it.

Connectivity

Reliable Wi-Fi and / or cellular connectivity between the office, equipment and scale is essential to eliminate downtime and improve processes and customer service. A scale that lets you connect from the desktop in real time will help you quickly identify underproduction, understand why it is happening, and do what is necessary to get back on track. In addition to these capabilities, the most modern scales - such as the Pfreundt WK60 - further extend this connectivity in real time, allowing operators to receive orders from customers in the cabin immediately after their request from the Pfreundt web portal.

Support

Any scale you purchase must include a good warranty, installation by a qualified technician, and responsive technical support after installation. As mentioned above, The Alltech Group now offers Pfreundt brand on-board scales, a German brand that only manufactures systems with an accuracy of +/- 1% and that can be certified legal for trade in countries that accept this option.

PFREUNDT On-board scales: 

On-board scales offer to quarries new levels of precision, efficiency and productivity that were not possible until recently. And whether you are on the market for the purchase of an on-board scale for a new wheel loader, or want to equip older machines, the Pfreundt WK60 scales will provide the performance you need to optimize loads useful, accelerate cycle times and truck rotation, manage and analyze data, and improve workflow.