Tag: vending safety

Enhancing Safety With Standard Dispensing Equipment

Posted on by John Van Horn

Supply lockers and dispensing machines are essential components of a well-designed inventory management system. They are frequently big pieces of equipment that securely store assets and provide simple, point-of-use access via a humanless transaction. Improper handling, a lack of training or maintenance, and equipment that does not comply with industry, state, or federal requirements can have catastrophic effects, just as they do with practically any form of office equipment or industrial machinery. As a result, major dispensing equipment manufacturers put their products through rigorous testing and certification processes to ensure no one gets harmed or property is damaged. These techniques increase machine reliability, lower risk, prevent situations from occurring, and assure end-user safety. Risk mitigation is approached in various ways through certifications and regulatory requirements. 

Most Important Compliance Standards For Dispensing Equipment 

The safe operation of dispensing equipment necessitates compliance with several standards. Approved and reputed certification agencies verify compliance with safety, performance, and responsibility standards. In the United States, most major dispensing equipment manufacturers certify their goods and businesses in six key areas.

Electrical safety, electromagnetic interference prevention, electromagnetic compatibility, safe handling in the case of a fire, accessibility for the differently-abled, and restrictions on the use of hazardous materials or products from areas of conflict are considered.

UL Certification

Underwriter Laboratories (UL) is a third-party certification firm that has been in operation since 1894. They certify products to make the world safer for consumers and employees alike. They not only evaluate new goods but also set industry standards to follow while developing new ones. In fact, UL-certified products entered the worldwide marketplace over 14 billion times last year.

UL is a safety group that sets industry-wide standards for new products. They examine these products regularly to ensure that they meet these standards. UL testing ensures that wire diameters are proper and those devices can manage the current claims they make. They also guarantee that products are built to the highest safety standards.

FCC Certifications

Electronic equipment obtains an FCC certificate indicating it has been tested and authorized to comply with FCC regulations. A product’s FCC certification does not mean it is safe or long-lasting or suggest how the machine was made. It merely shows that it is within approved ionizing radiation limitations. FCC clearance is possible if the electronic device complies with FCC emission norms and regulations and has been tested to fulfil FCC standards.

RoHS Compliance

The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) is product-level compliance based on the European Union’s Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS). With rare exceptions, products complying with this regulation do not include more than the permissible levels of the prohibited materials including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

Manufacturers, importers authorized representatives, and distributors of products such as large and small household appliances (refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, etc.), power tools, computing and communications equipment, lighting, consumer electronics, toys and sports equipment, and automatic dispensers (vending machines, ATM machines, etc.) are all covered by this directive.

RoHS compliance is made evident by a letter of compliance signed by a firm employee. Third-party testing services are available to check for levels of banned materials in an organization’s products.

Health and Safety Policy

Manufacturers of sustainable dispensing equipment also include elements above and beyond regulatory compliance or standards. Mechanisms that limit the machine’s use to within the safe operating range are examples of such characteristics. When the dispensing machine’s temperature falls outside this range, the safety system turns off part or all of the device. Manufacturers specify a range of temperatures with upper and lower limits. This stops the machine from being exploited and protects the user from serious injury. Such characteristics are not required by law or relevant regulatory agencies and are entirely up to the manufacturer’s choice.

The Benefits Of Certified Dispensing Equipment

Easy To Use Intelligent Dispensing Machines. It’s a cost-effective and time-saving method of getting employees what they need fast and safely while also automating reconciliation and restocking. Intelligent dispensing is a novel take on the classic vending machine concept. Instead of drinks or snacks, this dispensing machine dispenses office supplies. It’s also cashless. Dispensing machines and supply lockers are simple to set up, blend in with your workplace decor, and provide supplies quickly, effortlessly, and proficiently.

Customizable. To dispense the products they require, employees swipe a badge or input a code on the keypad. Intelligent dispensing machines maintain track of what has been distributed and what is still available. Almost anything may be dispensed from the office dispensing devices. Pens and paper clips, staplers, and tape are the essentials. However, more oversized products such as safety goggles, medical equipment, and IT supplies might even be offered. You may also customize the machine to fit any products your business needs to provide.

Happy Employees. Thanks to supply dispensers and supply lockers, employees do not need to go to a supply closet to search high and low for a specific product. Instead, supply dispensers and lockers can be placed at the point-of-use, which, hypothetically speaking, would allow you to have multiple “supply closets” throughout your building, as opposed to just one. This leads to more productive employees, as they will be able to find what they need faster.

Through supply lockers and supply dispensers, employees can access the products they need, no matter what time of day it is. It also allows managers to track who is accessing what in order to stay on top of inventory tracking. 

Intelligent dispensing is undoubtedly a step forward in the management of office supplies and inventory safety. Companies all over the globe realize that dispensing supplies makes employees happier and more productive while increasing profits.

Are you ready to enjoy the benefits that dispensing machines can offer to your company? Download our Whitepaper or contact IDS to learn more about our services.

Reduce Employee Potential Exposure to Infectious Diseases Through Controlled Dispensing Solutions for PPE and MRO Supplies

Posted on by John Van Horn

IDS’ MRO and PPE vending machines provide a fast and easy transaction experience to allow employees in manufacturing and food processing facilities to access critical PPE supplies.

COVID-19 continues to pose a threat across the globe. As an employer, it is your duty to provide your employees with a safe and sanitary work environment. This may include implementing new procedures within your manufacturing or food processing plant in order to keep employees safe and reduce the spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, among employees and their families.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended social distancing among people in the United States, keeping at least six feet away from people. In some manufacturing and processing plants, however, it may be difficult to completely social distance yourself from other coworkers. Many times, employees in these facilities are standing shoulder-to-shoulder on assembly or process lines. In fact, some employees are only able to stand six inches apart. Despite these close working environments, there are actions that can be taken in order to control the potential spread of infectious diseases.

As measures are being put in place by manufacturing and food processing companies to encourage social distancing when possible, it is important to provide critical PPE supplies, such as face masks, gloves, face shields and safety glasses. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the lifespan of the Cronoavirus can vary based don different surfaces and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to three days.

  • Airborne: 30 minutes to 3 hours
  • Cardboard: 24 hours
  • Stainless Steel: 2 days
  • Plastic: 3 days

Food processing and manufacturing facilities have proven to be a hot spot for COVID-19. As of May 5, over 7,500 workers in food processing plants alone have been confirmed sick with COVID-19, with at least 37 people dying. While some plants had previously temporarily closed in order to limit the spread of the virus, President Donald Trump has recently that food processing facilities remain open in order to ensure the adequate availability of food for the American people.

In order for manufacturing facilities and food processing plants to remain open, these facilities must take proper steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Intelligent Dispensing Solutions provides controlled dispensing solutions to ensure that employees are equipped with the proper PPE equipment to limit exposure risks to infectious diseases. Vend Safety is a contactless solution that allows employees to gain access to the tools and supplies they need in order to remain healthy and continue to perform their jobs.

As an employer, Vend Safety provides your employees with safe and controlled access to not only perform their jobs, but also to ensure that they are remaining safe while at work. With about 3% of total workers in meat processing facilities having been tested positive for COVID-19, keeping your employees safe is essential in order to continue to operate at full capacity. 

With Vend Safety, you can control your inventory and give your employees access to supplies such as face masks, tools and gloves. These tools and supplies are essential for your employees to complete their jobs, but also to keep them safe. For example, N95 face masks are designed to block 95% of very small particles, such as those floating around in manufacturing facilities. 

Vend Safety provides real-time data and reporting capability through its proprietary iQ Technology software. iQ Technology allows administrators to track who accessed what item(s), when they accessed the item(s) and the quantity of the item they accessed. This chain of custody is critical when identifying and mitigating risks in a crisis situation, as well as is useful on an inventory management basis during normal operating circumstances.

Determine how and when an employee accesses an item with Vend Safety. For example, in order for an employee to access a safety mask, they must first swipe their employee ID card. Then, their item will be dispensed to them and it will be detailed for you on a report from iQ Technology. Additionally, it can be set up in such a way that employees must enter a PIN number or even through biometrics. This set of safety precautions not only saves you money through controlled inventory management, but it also ensures that your employees are kept safe from COVID-19 within their workplace. 

With iQ Technology, employers have the ability to control inventory, so employees are only taking what is absolutely necessary. This eliminates employees hoarding gloves or going through too many face masks in one day. It saves you money with inventory control.

If COVID-19 finds its way into your facility, you can prove that your employees were given easy access to PPE equipment, even if the employee claims that they did not. Plus, Vend Safety allows you to track where the inventory is going, so it can even be said whether or not the specific employee did gain access to supplies using Vend Safety.

COVID-19 continues to be a threat across the world and within many workplaces, including manufacturing facilities. Because of this, it is crucial that tools and supplies are being passed through as few people as possible. Utilizing a solution, such as Vend Safety, will protect essential employees and their families from COVID-19, as well as help you manage your inventory.

Keeping your employees and their families safe during this time should continue to be your number one priority, as they are your most critical asset. Vend Safety can help you come up with a plan to keep business operational by providing a solution that increases productivity, reduces the shrinkage of tools and supplies and keeps your employees safe and healthy.

For more information on Vend Safety and other dispensing equipment, contact 1-877-771-4446.