Maxon Aids Development Of Liftgate Handrail System That Earns Safety Award

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA (January 11, 2017) – Maxon Lift Corporation, the leading manufacturer of truck and trailer liftgates in North America, is pleased to announce that in cooperation with Smithfield Foods and Hercules Manufacturing Company, the engineered interlocking handrail system received the 2016 Safety First Grant Winner award for 2nd place. The prestigious honor was awarded by Safety National, the leading insurance provider in the casualty market with over 70 years of industry experience. 

MAXON was introduced to Smithfield Foods by Hercules Manufacturing and asked to help resolve the issue of potential falls from the back of trucks at delivery stops. 

The solution resulted in the creation of an Interlocking Handrail System that was specifically tailored for the liftgates in Smithfield Foods’ fleet. The system includes a set of handrails that are purposely stored where they must be engaged in order to use the liftgate. The handrails fold over the work surface, requiring the user to raise them before rolling any cart onto the liftgate platform. Since implementation of this feature on their fleet, Smithfield Foods has seen an 80 to 90 percent reduction in this type of fall related injury. 

Click here to see the Interlocking Handrail System in action. 

“We as a company are always interested in partnering with companies like Smithfield Foods to stay on the cutting edge of new features and benefits that will promote safety. The safety rails we are developing for your fleet will become an example for other fleets to follow into the future. You guys are on the vanguard” (says Brent Stratton, Co-President at Maxon). 

ABOUT SMITHFIELD FOODS 

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com. 

ABOUT HERCULES MFG. CO.: 

Setting standards since 1902, Hercules is America’s oldest family owned and operated truck body manufacturer. Since the innovation of our first mechanically refrigerated insulated truck body in 1930, we’ve seen it as our mission to understand each customer’s business and provide solutions to address the issues and challenges they face, offering value added options which minimize operating expense and promote equipment longevity over the long haul. With 114 years’ experience as custom 

body and refrigeration specialists, developing a specification to meet your demands in not only our primary goal, it’s our proven area of expertise. Visit us online www.herculesvanbodies.com. 

ABOUT MAXON 

Maxon Lift Corp. was founded in 1957. That same year, owner Max Lugash invented the Tuk-A-Way® liftgate, which remains the largest selling style of liftgate in North America. For more than fifty years, Maxon Lift Corp. has initiated and developed a variety of innovative products that have become truck equipment industry benchmarks. 

More company information can be obtained from Maxon and local Maxon sales representatives at 800-227-4116 or www.maxonlift.com.