As National Forklift Safety Day this week highlights the importance of safe material handling practices, the story of the first-ever Combilift C-Series demonstrates the lasting value of choosing the right tool for the job.
Still in operation after 28 years at J.G. Kelly Supplies in Monaghan, Ireland, the original multi-directional forklift has helped transform the company’s handling of long loads, improving safety, increasing efficiency, and proving that purpose-built equipment can deliver exceptional returns for decades.
Before the company started operating a Combilift, traditional forklift methods created significant operational and safety challenges.
Long PVC stillages measuring up to six metres had to be moved through a doorway only four metres wide. Conventional counterbalance forklifts could not handle the task safely or efficiently.
Operator Tony McManus explains: “Before, we just used to use counterbalance trucks. We had to reverse a lorry in here and were on a main busy road in the town.” He adds: “But now, it just pulls up in the loading bay. We can offload it safely, both sides if needed, with minimal obstruction to traffic.”
The C-Series’ multi-directional capability provided the ideal solution, allowing operators to move long loads sideways with greater control and stability, while navigating tight spaces and narrow doorways safely and efficiently.
For nearly three decades, the C-Series has transformed the site operations and the way the company used to handle long loads. And the benefits extend beyond traffic disruption. It has also shortened unloading times and significantly improved safety for operators, pedestrians, and passing vehicles.
McManus continues: “With the C-Series, it’s less labour intensive than it used to be. It would take a lot of people to offload containers before, but now, one operator can offload a container in a short space of time compared to before.”
An additional safety feature is the forklift’s integrated platform, which has further enhanced load stability when handling such long products. Operators can now safely support lengthy stillages during transport, reducing the risks associated with moving oversized loads and making the entire process more controlled and efficient.
