Capital Equipment News August 2016

CONSTRUCTION

THE LONG TERM BENEFITS OF QUALITY DRUG and alcohol testing equipment B enjamin Franklin once said: “The bitterness of poor quality is remem- bered long after the sweetness of a with accidents. It also lowers absenteeism rates and reduces alcohol abuse in the workplace, with the result that employees also perform better. low price.”

Why cheap instruments cost more In many instances, the initial cost of a breathalyser may be cheaper, but the cost of the product over its lifespan can easily be triple that of the initial cost outlay should you purchase inferior equipment. A cheap instrument is likely to break very quickly and will require frequent repairs. It will certainly need to be replaced much faster than a quality instrument, which can last from seven to 10 years. It also needs to be recalibrated more often, with some of them requiring recalibration after every 500 tests. A cheap breathalyser may also cost the company a fortune in legal fees. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993, employers may not allow any person who is, or appears to be, under the influ- ence of alcohol or drugs to enter into the workplace. The Act also recommends that employers use reasonably practical means to make sure that they enforce the Act.

This rings true for all South Africans, espe- cially when a low price is so tempting during the economic decline that we are currently faced with. Often we go for price over qual- ity, and this is no different when it comes to the procurement of health and safety prod- ucts within a company such as breathaly- sers and drug testing equipment. It is strategic to think of the purchase of business equipment as an investment and the company’s substance abuse testing equipment is no different. The business owner should take into consideration the repercussions and expense that he would face, should the equipment not deliver accurate readings or worse yet, fail when being used. Factors to consider when buying equipment Long term benefits of investing in a quality system A quality alcohol and drug testing system can help a company lower its accident rates and reduce its financial losses associated W acker Neuson South Africa, local subsidiary of the global light in- dustrial and compact equipment manuacturing giant, Wacker Neuson GmbH, has supplied more than 35 machines to key customer, Catmech Plant & Services. Initially established in 1990 to repair machines for customers, Catmech developed into a leading plant equipment hiring company based in Gauteng, South Africa. “We decided to start the plant hire when we recognised the excellent market potential for hiring compact and light equipment,” explains Catmech Plant & Services owner, Sean van Heerden. With construction as Catmech’s core industry, typical machines required by customers in this market segment include wheel loaders, excavators, concrete breakers and compaction equipment.

By Rhys Evans, Managing Director of ALCO Safe.

Empowering the procurer For many companies, the most effective purchasing method is for the department using the testing equipment (the end-user). to first provide the procurement department with clear specifications of what they require. The procurement department is then tasked with finding the cheapest supplier that meets those requirements. b

WACKER NEUSON: cost-effective equipment for Catmech

to Catmech a couple of years ago, Van Heerden decided to try out the Wacker Neuson product. “My customers were ini- tially reticent to try out a new product but after experiencing the Wacker Neuson machines’ reli- ability, versatility and us- er-friendliness, they were sold.”

Vertical Digging System on Wacker Neuson's excavator has impressed customer Catmech Plant & Services.

Van Heerden is impressed by some of the features offered by the Wacker Neuson equipment, highlighting in particular, the VDS (vertical digging system) available on the excavator range. The VDS adds to the excavator’s versatility and can lead to sub- stantial savings in material and time for the end-user by enabling progressive tilting of the machine by up to 15° to compensate for slopes.

Van Heerden says that in addition to the fact that he has had zero breakdowns with his Wacker Neuson equipment, the machines are easy to maintain and the company provides excellent after-sale service with a quick response time to all customers. Catmech’s current 35 plus strong Wacker Neuson fleet includes wheel loaders, exca- vators, rammers, plates and rollers. b

When Wacker Neuson was first introduced

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