Hummerbee
Here’s an innovation that just might save a life at your farm or winery.
The Hummerbee forklift is specifically designed to work on rough and uneven terrain. It’s the first forklift in the world with an oscillating body that twists and turns to prevent the machine from tipping.
This innovative design was created by beekeeper Dean Voss 27 years ago, who then founded A&O Forklift.
In Canada, the line is represented by Nieboer Farm Supplies in Nobleford, Alberta.
“We started carrying the Hummerbee because we supply quite a few beekeepers here in Alberta, and ordinary forklifts just don’t handle rough terrain well at all,” says Andrew Zelenka. “If you’ve seen the results of a forklift accident, it’s not pretty.”
I have a personal insight to what Zelenka means. When I was a teenager, I had a job loading up bush planes going to logging camps on the BC coast. One day, a forklift loaded with supplies turned on a rough, earth ramp, and tipped over on top of me. I managed to dodge, and ended up with only a large gash in my shoulder.
Others aren’t so lucky. In the US, the OSHA says there are 85 fatal forklift accidents per year, and 34,900 serious injuries. An astounding 11 per cent of all forklifts will be involved in a reportable accident, and most of the fatalities involved a forklift tipping over.