Safety First for Matua Winery – Blenheim
Safety First, always.
Because when it comes to safety, there’s no room for error. Exactly why when Matua Wines were faced with a health and safety dilemma with their trucks, they turned to Ulti for a solution; Manual Wheel Locks.
Having descended from a long line of winemakers, the founding brothers of Matua Wine have been in the wine business for almost as long as they can remember. Famous for producing New Zealand’s very first Sauvignon Blanc back in 1974, their history is a proud one, and rightly so. Matua is one of New Zealand’s most internationally acclaimed wine brands with 16 trophies and 68 gold medals earned in just two years!
Over the years, Matua has steadily grown, and now with 2-5 trucks arriving every hour across three ramps, each with 10-15 tonnes of grapes each, processing approximately 600-1000 tonnes of grapes a day during the peak of vintage, Matua Winery is a very busy site.
But busy means more safety is required.
Thankfully at Matua, safety is a top priority and they are committed to #ZeroHarm.
So what was the problem Matua faced?
During Vintage the trucks full of grapes, would reverse up the ramps to the bins, unload, be washed, and then leave for the next load. However, after having had a few incidents where unattended trucks would roll down their ramps due to the brakes not being properly secured, Matua needed a solution to ensure their staff were kept safe, and to prevent it from being able to happen again.
Our consultant worked with Matua to figure out what the most appropriate solution to their issue would be. After presenting multiple options, the decision was made to go with three Manual Wheel Locks.
This simple, effective, and world-class solution is exactly what our client required.
As the truck reverses up the ramp, the external light is green telling the driver it is safe to back in. Once the truck is in position, this light is changed to red. Before the driver gets out, the Manual Wheel Lock is maneuvered in front of the rear wheel of the truck using the positioning handle, and locked in place to prevent the truck from rolling forward if the brake isn’t secure.
Meanwhile, the internal operator’s lights are red, indicating that the lock is not yet in position and it is not yet safe to proceed with unloading. Once the wheel lock’s sensor detects that the lock is in place in front of the wheel, it then automatically changes the internal light to green, and the unloading procedure can begin.
When unloading is complete, the wheel lock is returned to its home position, the operator’s light automatically changes back to red, and the operator presses “loading operation complete” on the control panel. The external light is then changed to green and the truck is able to leave.
With a superior-strength 482mm high steel locking arm, it is able to secure the widest variety of trailers. Furthermore, it is installed with a mounting force in excess of 45,000 kgs, while also exceeding 14,500 kgs of pull-out force, doubling what tractors can achieve when in first gear! And just to add to the benefits, its reliable, low maintenance structural and formed steel design performs in all weather conditions.
Here’s what Lee Williams, Maintenance Manager at Matua Wines had to say about working with us.
“Working with Ulti Group has been really easy, they’ve given us plenty of options to use and actually come through with the perfect thing that we need to ensure our staff stay safe on site during vintage.”
Matua’s health and safety concerns, aren’t just theirs however. If you’re struggling to find a solution to truck roll-aways at your own site, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’d love to help you find the perfect solution to meet your needs.
After all…
We’re Ulti Group. Protecting what matters.
