Capital Equipment News August 2016

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS

AUGUST 2016

CONSTRUCTION

THE LONG TERM BENEFITS OF QUALITY DRUG

and alcohol testing equipment

enjamin Franklin once said: “The

bitterness of poor quality is remem-

bered long after the sweetness of a

low price.”

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.

Factors to consider when buying

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.

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

with accidents. It also lowers absenteeism

rates and reduces alcohol abuse in the

workplace, with the result that employees

also perform better.

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.

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.

By Rhys Evans, Managing Director of

ALCO Safe.

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.

When Wacker Neuson was first introduced

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.”

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.

WACKER NEUSON:

cost-effective equipment for Catmech

Vertical Digging System on Wacker Neuson's excavator has

impressed customer Catmech Plant & Services.