Sloppy handling can kill sales

aIIARELESS handling is disastTtrous ro many products. You can protect your investment in merchandise and keep your customers impressed with your company's quality by training your employees in proper handling techniques.

Plywood and other structural wood panels, for example, are engineered products with excellent dimensional stability, bond durability and structural properties, but these positive characteristics can be killed by sloppy handling. Employees should be trained in and expected to follow the basic guidelines illustrated in this article to insure the best performance and maximum durability for customers.

Use this information as a script for handling classes. Make copies of it and post prominently or include it in your training notebooks for employees. Check your storage area to make sure that it is in good condition for storage and equipped with materials necessary for proper handling.

Handling

Handle panels carefully. Avoid dropping them on edge, which may splinter or chip corners. Although such damage won't affect the struc- tural capability of the panel, it can add to the customer's in-place repair costs. Be especially careful to protect the edges of tongue-and-groove fl oor and shiplapped siding panels.

If you expect to move a stack of panels with a forklift, place it on a pallet or bunks when it is received to avoid damage from fork tines.

Panel stacks transported on open truckbeds should be covered with standard tarpaulins. Panels arriving in open rail car shipment should be protected with "lumber wrap" to avoid extended weather exposure.

Storage

If possible, panels should be stored in a warehouse or under a roof, especially if they won't be sold soon after being received. Keep sanded and other appearance grades away from open doorways, and weight down the top panel in a stack to avoid any possible warpage from humidity. If moisture absorption is expected, cut steel banding on panel bundles to prevent edge damage.

If panels must be stored outside, select the driest and highest ground available. Stack panels on a level platform supported with 4x4 stringers or other blocking. Never leave the platform in contact with the ground. Use at least three full-width supports along the 8 ft. length of the panel-one centered and the others 12to 16 in. from each end. Keep the area free of grass and debris that could wet or contaminate the panels.

Pad corners with rags.

Cover the stack loosely with plastic sheets or tarps. Anchor the covering at the top of the stack, but keep it open and away from the sides and bottom to assure good ventilation. Tight coverings prevent air circulation and, when exposed to sunlight, create a "greenhouse" effect which encourages mold formation.

Story at a Glance

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Problem Prevention

Most structural wood panel problems are the result of insufficient protection from moisture, incorrect panel specification, or improper application. The guidelines presented here can do much to prevent such problems from ever occurring for your customers.

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