One of our long-standing customers wanted to revamp their export department. They asked us to put forward some ideas on how they could speed up the packing and despatch process which seemed to be taking longer than was preferable. We sent along our man Jon Ball, with a stop clock, tape measure and 25 years plus of knowledge in the materials handling industry to have a look.

It is a well known fact that unhappy employees leave companies. So what can be done to help prevent that from happening?

Sack trucks have been around since the industrial revolution and were used to move large sacks of spices around the docks. As this was usually the job of young boys, the simple L-shaped sack truck with two wheels was invented to allow the children single handedly move goods much heavier than they could carry. That design has survived and is still in use today. There have also been further design developments resulting in numerous material handling trucks more suited to specific tasks.

Sports stadiums and event venues are big business in the UK and indeed across the world. Gone are the days of the stadium managers using manual labour to lug equipment around. Instead of which we now have fully mechanised systems in place to handle everything, even right up to hydraulically controlled roll out football pitches!

Recent events have shown how vulnerable we can be to fires when the temperature rises. Bonfires, BBQs, electrical faults or even a simply discarded cigarette stub can start what can turn out to be a catastrophe.

While the stadiums, gymnasiums and sports venues are filled with 4500 athletes from 72 nations vying for medals, consider the amount of work required behind the scenes to make the Friendly Games a success for the thousands of spectators visiting the 15 venues in the West Midlands over the 12 days of sporting events.

It is always gratifying to hear that some of your products are being used at very important places around the country. The HM Passport Office Headquarters is at 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF, but has seven other regional offices and over 50 other interview offices dotted around the UK.

The UEFA Women's 2022 Football Euro kicked off at Old Trafford on Wednesday 6th July with an England 1 – 0 win over Austria in front of a record 70,000 ecstatic fans. Sixteen teams will be battling it out until the final is held at Wembley on Sunday 31st July.

When your customers demand the very highest quality, then you can leave absolutely nothing to chance. As you can no doubt imagine, the aircraft industry have some of the highest standards of any industry and there’s perhaps no more exacting than those in the military and executive sectors.

The simple scale and the ability to weigh things with it, is something most of us largely take for granted. However, you may not be fully aware just how sophisticated modern scales have become.

Based in Haverhill, Suffolk are a European company that provides top quality products for conveying varying types of sports equipment on vehicles, camping vehicle accessories, backpacks and luggage plus all types of strollers and bike trailers to enable family holidays and days out.

Working at height with mobile safety steps, podium steps or step ladders requires a good level of assessment of the risks involved. When it comes to choosing the correct product, several factors need to be assessed first.

There are many things in life that are both annoying and frustrating and perhaps one of the most common are those issues that arise from parking. It appears that while there’s an ever increasing number of vehicles, there’s an ever decreasing number of parking places available in which to put them.

There are 113 new products that have been launched onto the market this month. We have a section on our website where all these products are showcased.

When Clarity Pharma opened their new centre in 2018, they quickly identified the need for a new labelling system. By positioning the labels on the racking beams, it meant that identifying pallets within their warehouse became an easy task.

England’s longest zip line runs for 720m and is based at Bluewater Shopping and Leisure Centre in Kent. Safety is of prime importance on this 60mph high rise adrenalin thrill activity!

As everyone knows, pallet trucks are used to move pallets around warehouses, loading bays and factories all over the world. As building construction projects have seen an increase in activity since the relaxing of pandemic restrictions during late 2021, full steam ahead seems to be the mantra for many large projects around the UK.

Business owners generally know that they have an obvious responsibility to ensure health and safety in the workplace and to keep their employees wellbeing at the forefront of any decision making. But do they know how to implement best practises and put processes in place for continued safety?

A water company in the south of England has been having some security issues for several years which has resulted in the theft of expensive plant and equipment. Apparently this problem is a reasonably common issue faced by big land owning companies, who find it difficult to secure their equipment when stored on large sites covering sizeable areas.

As someone who has spent virtually their whole working life in offices, I am starting to remember that the winter months were always a 'growing season' for colds and flu. For so many years it was just a given that when a colleague sneezed or coughed, then the whole office went down with the same thing! Also, in the summer months when unfortunate workers were suffering from hay fever and asthma, this could be a facilitator for the spread of other respiratory diseases not associated with their particular suffering.

Information and notice boards have seemingly been around forever but we are now finding that companies are using them in a far more interactive way. Businesses want to engage in detail with customers, visitors and employees, about how their company operates, what it's core values are plus clearly present product info.

It is not unusual for a company with specific needs to find themselves looking for a bespoke solution when ordering equipment. Off-the-shelf products in ready supply may have once satisfied work tasks but the more specialist an undertaking becomes, often the more bespoke the requirement demands.

I have a vague recollection of turning up at school with my plimsols, running shorts and my oh so bright and tight obligatory sports shirt. I remember where we stored them all whilst we were having lessons, only to have to swap them over with our school uniforms when Mr. Skinner insisted we jog miles around the school playing grounds during PE. Yes, we stored them in the wire mesh lockers next to the absolutely freezing cold changing rooms!

The two things about the British weather that we all know, is that first off it is not predictable and the second is that we never seem to be prepared for it! Snow in November right through to March or beyond is a distinct possibility and yet businesses across the UK systematically fail to be ready to deal with what should be an inconvenience rather than a complete disaster. Companies would fair better by assessing the risks and then order the equipment and supplies needed in advance so they will be better prepared for what is coming!

Sometimes we are just all so busy that we overlook the simple things in business. Maintenance and servicing of equipment is an area that is often overlooked, yet with a little help from your friends at Action Handling Equipment this can be a scheduled event that you do not have to worry about.

One of our regular customers recently conducted a survey poll of their own staff and found out that their workforce reported a difficulty in contacting the company’s supervisors throughout their national depots. It was felt that supervisors were not visible enough and often seemed to have no designated point of contact.

Whiteboards provide a highly visual method of detailing information. Offices have been using them for years to help plan and record all manner of business activity and scheduled tasks. Whiteboards are often referred to as notice boards, planning boards or schedulers and they come in a large variety of standard designs and sizes.

The Disney Magic cruise ship has been anchored in the UK since May 2020 because of the Covid 19 pandemic. It is the first vessel of a fleet of four, operated by Disney Cruise Line. The owners had confirmed that the ship will be used for UK only sailings during the 2021 summer period. This meant that the boatyard needed to ready her for her voyage from Liverpool.

When you start to look at the huge variety of clothes lockers that are available today, it can seem a little daunting finding out which one suits your needs best. Aren’t they basically all the same? A locker is just a locker, isn’t it?

The answer to both of those questions is ‘no’ of course! Buying clothes lockers is easy but buying the best type of locker can be anything but and far too many companies have in the past made poor choices and ended up paying dearly for a rash purchase.

Abellio Bus are part of the Abellio Group who run bus services across London on behalf of Transport for London. Recent developments have seen the introduction of their new electric bus fleet with the Caetano e.City Gold Bus operating on certain routes. The company recognised that they needed some steel shelving to store replacement components for their maintenance teams who work at various depots around South London. Their engineers need easy access to replacement batteries for the electric buses along with general replacement parts for the essential maintenance and repair of those buses as and when required.

“Do what you know best; if you’re a runner, run, if you’re a bell, ring”. Ignas Bernstein is credited with this quote and if you think about it sensibly, you can understand why we are a firm advocate of the 'one stop shop' approach.

PVC strip curtains have a variety of uses when installed in factory, warehouse or despatch areas. They can be used to keep the heat out in the summer and keep the heated air within the area during the colder months. They provide segregation between different work areas allowing for various processes to take place without disrupting each other. Keeping dust, debris, insects and even pests away from the workplace is very important and these curtains can help to achieve this as well.

We all love a good whodunnit gripping tale in which we guess and second guess the identity of the murderer. By playing detective and piecing together the snippets of information, we can try to figure out the motive and reason as to who is the culprit. The board game Cluedo immortalised the very principle as far back as 1943 when it was devised in Birmingham by Anthony E. Pratt.

Technological advancements in electrical hand tools have revolutionised industry and enable us to enjoy increased productivity and quality performance. However, we are often hearing from customers that one of their problems involves the 'storage security' and 'down time' of equipment when they need to be electrically charged for future continued use.

Female football has seen increased coverage in the news and media over the last few years. With the launch of the FIFA Women's Football Strategy the profile of the ladies game has been placed firmly high up on the international agenda.

The Great Fire of London scarred the landscape of our wonderful capital city way back in 1666 and ever since the UK has been respectful of the damage and devastation that fires can cause to both businesses and homes. Ensuring that safety measures are in place is paramount, especially where construction work or manually intensive labour is used.

When the Government announced the easing of lockdown restrictions in December, Action Handling were already busily working behind the scenes with a major UK parcel distributor. Our task was to supply acrylic barrier screens to ensure their office staff could return to work safely and in full accordance with all guidelines.

The Coronavirus pandemic and national lockdowns has meant that businesses have needed to implement new and inventive measures to help their customers. The team at Action Handling Equipment have developed systems and processes that have ensured that their customers are continued to be provided with easy access to help, advice, service and products through great methods of connection.

Trinity College Cambridge was founded by Henry VIII in 1546 when he combined existing colleges and seven hostels to form what has now become this world famous British educational institution. It was an absolute privilege and pleasure to be able to visit this majestic place back in early September of this year.

Demand for workplace lockers has rocketed over the last six months. Home delivery is here to stay and several of our logistics customers have created tens of thousands of new jobs in the UK as they invest over £250 million to meet the demand caused from stay-at-home shopping.

When there is a pile of goods that are needed to be moved from one area to another, there are various ways in which that can be achieved. You can either handball each item or place the goods onto a truck or trolley of some description and push or pull them to their new location.

With the UK clocks going back recently, the dark evenings and cold mornings give fair warning that winter is well and truly on the way. It makes great sense to prepare now, well in advance for the frost and snow conditions that will inevitably follow over the coming months.

During the past eight months it has been very easy to overlook an important responsibility for employers and businesses when being faced with the new challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic. Health and safety in the workplace is pivotal to company operating strategies and cannot be compromised at any time.

Protect your investment in equipment by maintaining it through regular servicing

Look no further, over 12000 products to choose from!

50 years of bespoke fabricating means we can help solve any handling problems you may have.

Providing you with every working day products, off-the-shelf and bespoke.

With the advent of people being asked to work from home due to the Coronavirus outbreak, suppliers of office furniture saw an exponential increase in the need for work chairs, desks, printer stands and cupboards, in a very short space of time.

When relocating to new premises, the thought of moving large pallet racking or shelving systems could be a daunting task. Not least the actual dismantling and re-erecting on site but the multitude of other considerations that have to be taken into account, like what to do with the stored stock and how to achieve the safe transit of goods and equipment? Our 50 years of experience came in very handy when we were asked to help with this project.

Applying strapping as a packaging measure to pallets, boxes, cartons and loose products seems like an easy thing to do but getting it right in terms of the actual requirement and the costs involved can be anything but!

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK lockdown from March 23rd 2020. Three months later he then reported that lockdown easing measures would start to be implemented from July 4th with the re-opening of some of the hospitality industry and other public spaces.

Some bespoke projects really get you excited and this one was no exception. The London bus fleet has been operating since 1829, albeit they were initially horse drawn and of course things have moved on slightly since then.

Moving the drums around in small confined areas is another process that requires careful consideration. The simple and most economical way is by using a drum dolly or drum truck.

We have enjoyed a 50 year association with the aerospace industry in the UK, providing materials handling equipment to support the manufacture, service and repair of all types of aircraft. This wealth of experience means we have an understanding of the standards of excellence expected in the supply chain for this line of business.

Action Handling Equipment will be 50 years old in July 2020. This got us thinking about the notable events that have taken place over that period in time. What started out as a little bit of research soon became something fascinating in terms of not actually being able to remember how long ago certain events took place!

When approached by a national water authority to quote for an unusual job, we found it beneficial to attend the site to assess the risks and to discuss with on the ground operatives about their expectations surrounding the requirement. This particular job spanned separate sites and several different areas within each site.

As the lockdown eases across the UK, thousands of businesses and public buildings are having to consider how they can minimise the risk of infection from entering their premises.

The lunchtime rest period or tea break is normally seen as a social time for employees in the UK. Businesses are having to adapt in light of the Coronavirus epidemic, whilst still managing to provide that vital time for workers to take a well earned break from daily work duties and to recuperate in time for the tasks ahead.

We are having to get used to very different rules and guidance in our daily lives regarding the Coronavirus epidemic. This is no more illustrated than in the workplace with businesses having to adapt their working practises and define policies that allow for social distancing and safe practises. Indeed, the front entrance to a building is now being seen as the first line of defence.

From May 13th lock-down procedures are being eased across England in an effort to help stimulate the economy. Those who can easily work from home are still advised to do so but for many, returning to their place of work has now become a reality.

Action Handling Equipment offer the service of Thorough Examinations, repairs, servicing and the maintenance of lifting equipment. So what should happen during the Coronavirus outbreak? 

We are living in very strange times. Every day brings yet another challenge to test us all, both individually and collectively. Things that we took for granted just a few weeks ago are no longer just as straight forward. This was clearly highlighted this week by one of our long-standing customers.

Coronavirus (Covid-19)
The events of the last few weeks has made us all acutely aware of how important safety through hygiene and personal protection is needed to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. We have amazing key-workers including staff behind counters at supermarkets, pharmacies and hospital administrators who are facing customers multiple times a day.

These are extraordinary times and our absolute priority is to ensure the health and safety of our customers and employees.

A high street discounter supermarket and a logistics giant both called on Action Handling to supply floor marking tapes to mark out areas where customers and staff should stand for social distancing.

We were very happy to recently supply a quantity of our freestanding office partition screens to a local pharmaceutical company near Stansted Airport, Essex. Having acquired new offices for a growing sales team and a new quality controlled warehouse area, our client was considering ways to help with the expansion of their offices and warehouse.

The US Military in Germany were looking to site some specialist welded cabinets that they use to store 'in-house military equipment'. Very hush hush, we can’t tell you what’s in them buddy! 

Manually moving loads on even a flat surface can be an arduous task at the best of times, but factor in the additional effort to complete this task up or down a flight of stairs and the task can become extremely physical not to mention having a far greater risk of injury. Narrow stairways, twisting stairs and small landings can all present dangers. The risk extends from the individual carrying out the task itself, through to injury of dropping goods on people using the stairs below and of course to the accidental damage to the goods in question.

Action Handling are proud to be helping the UK's communications and media services infrastructure. Our service teams have been carrying out 'Thorough Examinations' on lifting equipment across the whole of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. 

Staying conversant with current health and safety law can be a difficult and time consuming task but have you considered that you may also need to be up to date with road traffic law too? If your business delivers goods, then a full understanding of the laws governing their safe transport and handling is a must.

One of the most frustrating and annoying thefts is that of having your tools stolen. Not only are you losing your precious and prized tools, but you are also having your livelihood put on hold and or even at risk. Despicable as it is, the thieves seem to have no qualms about preventing a fellow man from going about his work and providing for his family.