Fleet Updates & Insider News

November 2019

Facilities in WA and AK

www.birchequipment.com

Hours: Mon – Fri 7:00am – 4:30pm

Always Available 24-7 for Emergency Services, Call Your Local Birch Store

Happy Thanksgiving Week. Your local Birch Stores will be open this week Monday thru Wednesday, closed Thursday & Friday to be with friends & families - with crews on-call for emergency needs. Call / stop-in today to reserve your equipment for the long weekend.

Birch Golf Classic Recap -- Telematics at Birch -- Workforce Development -- Winter Weather Prep

New ANSI Standards in effect soon. Don't wait to get trained.

Employers, owners and operators must comply with new standards for operating all aerial gear.

Birch provides industry training for compliance. See below for details.

Birch Golf Classic Helps Homeless Services

Business and community leaders joined forces to support Northwest Youth Services and Engedi Refuge - both wonderful organizations helping homeless youth and victims of human trafficking transition to better pathways in life . This year's event classic grossed over $300k!

The Birch Golf Classic also highlights the magic of community by bringing people together are community contributors with diverse cultures, heritages and community focus comprised of law enforcement, heavy industry, academia, coaches, public servants, volunteers, business owners, non-profits and professional athletes. All have links to the NW community and many travel to Bellingham just for this event at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club.

Birch co-workers, Sarah and Jessie team up with and Jake Locker, Co-Owner of The Locker Room & retired NFL quarterback and Paul Twedt of Northwestern Mutual. Together, and with the help of Carol Garuile and her volunteer team, they offer a unique on-line format that supports pre-tournament fundraising. This lets golfers show up and enjoy a 1-day tourney with a goal of 5-hour pace-of-play.

Special thanks to all Birch Golf Classic sponsors including major sponsors Windermere Foundation, Healthy Pet and WRS, Mills Electric & Management Services Northwest. Team fundraisers did an awesome job, and this year's Trailblazers included WWU Women's basketball coach, Carmen Dolfo, Voice of Seahawks Radio and Retired Safety Jordan Babineaux, BP-Cherry Point's Pam Brady, Lummi Nation Chairman Jay Julius, Mills Electric CEO John Huntley, and Woods Coffee Owner Wes Herman. Not to mention Birch crew support for helping the day of the event.

Plans are underway for the 2020 Birch Golf Classic which is expected to sell out early. If you know customers or others in the community that want to get involved by sponsoring or entering a team, please email [email protected] .

Plans are underway for the 2020 Birch Golf Classic which is expected to sell out early. Interested in sponsoring the event or entering a team? Please email [email protected] .

Telematics Tech

Birch is in the thick of installing GPS analytics on a few thousand pieces of Birch major equipment. With gear at high utilization, Birch crews have shown efficiency, awesome teamwork and communication to continue getting gear to job sites.

With goals of service trucks equipped to handle 90% of calls, the biggest benefit of the technology is locating and assessing gear remotely enabling Birch, at times, to support gear over the phone. Tracking utilization and run time are additional benefits.

Layering telematics technology on all major equipment is the latest in Birch's improvements to fleet management for customer experience and seamless operations.

ANSI Safety Training Requirements

New ANSI standards released last year affect all owners, operators and supervisors of aerial lifts including: booms, scissor lifts and under-bridge inspection machines. The new standards are designed to enhance safety and shift North American equipment standards closer to international standards.

The new standards put greater responsibility on the equipment user/owner regardless of whether they are a large maintenance operation or a small business that rents Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPS) including scissor & boom lifts and personnel hoists for seasonal work. Employers, owners and operators must be in compliance by March 1, 2020.

Key Changes to Know

Equipment Terminology
Aerial Work Platforms (AWPs) now Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPS)
MEWPs are grouped based on equipment tipping line - Group A does not allow the main platform to extend beyond the tipping line; Group B allows platform to extend beyond the tipping line
MEWPs have three (3) types based on ability to travel
Type 1 – Traveling is allowed only with the MEWP in its stowed position
Type 2 – Traveling with the work platform in the elevated position is controlled from a point on the chassis
Type 3 – Traveling with the work platform in the elevated travel position is controlled from a point on the work platform
Equipment Design Standards
Platform Load Sense (aka Overload System or Load Sense System) — All MEWPs will be required to continuously check the weight in the platform and disable certain functions if the load is above the platform load limit.
Dynamic Terrain Sensing — Drive and certain boom functions must be disabled when out of their slope limit and functions restricted only to those that safely return the machine to terrain that is within limits.
Indoor-only Machines — Allows for the development of smaller, lighter-weight MEWPs bearing an “indoor only” rating because these MEWPs cannot be used in conditions where they might be subjected to any wind.
Safe Use and Planning - user must develop a Safe Use Planning Program
Risk Assessment Planning - Risks associated with the task specific to MEWP operations shall be identified. These might be associated with the location where the work is to be carried out, the nature of the MEWP or the personnel, materials and equipment to be carried.
Training (Operators, Supervisors & Occupants) - Must be trained & understand all new standards by March 1, 2020.
Maintenance and Repair Personnel Training - Users must ensure that maintenance and repair personnel are trained by a qualified person to inspect and maintain the MEWP in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, as well as ANSI and CSA standards.

Manufacturer-approved Operator Training for MEWPS and telehandlers is available at any Birch Equipment facility . Click HERE to sign up today.

Complete the general training anytime, online and at your own pace.
Complete a short hands-on training with Birch for instruction & experience operating the MEWPs

Incoming Fleet

Just in! Love the newest additions to Birch's top-quality aerial fleet from NiftyLift...part of Birch's $7million in fleet additions this year. Ranging from 34' - 45'. Lightweight for more versatility and fuel economy when transporting. Birch has the largest aerial fleet based in the Pacific Northwest with Booms ranging 30'-180', Scissors (Slab & RT) from 19' - 43' and Personnel Lifts from 12' - 40'. View Birch's MEWPs inventory HERE .

TM34

Towable, compact & maneuverable
Bi-energy
Hydraulic outriggers
Telescopic axles for access through double doorway openings

TD34T

Articulated & tracked
60% gradeability with excellent traction on steep or rough terrain
Lower cost transportation & better fuel economy on site

SP45

Lowest weight in class (just under 10k lbs)
180º Platform Rotation & 150º Jib-Boom
5'11" wide bucket = more room for materials & tools

Winter Weather Prep

What happens when you need to move 3,000 gallons of water? You rent a towable water trailer from Birch!

500 gallon poly tank -- 2” Tsurumi Pump with 4 hp engine -- spray down hose and nozzle -- suction hose with suction strainer -- fire hose with nozzle -- Adjustable spray bar 8 to 25 feet.

Stormwater Management

Reduce and prevent soil, dirt and other run off from making it into local waterways with erosion control supplies.

Stock up at Birch -- straw wattles & wood stakes, regular silt fencing with stakes attached and wire-backed silt fencing (depending on local requirements), drain guards & 40x100' rolls of visqueen.

By the unit or the pallet, Birch has jobsite environmental needs covered. View catalog HERE .

Get Ahead of Winter

Count on Birch to keep things moving with 145,000 pieces of equipment & tools and a large range of jobsite and safety supplies - one of the largest full-line rental fleets in WA and AK.

Lighting - Light Drops, Stands, Strings and Towers (Electric, Diesel), Generators from 20kW - 400kW,

Heaters - Electric, Direct & Indirect, Pumps, Tractors & Skidsteers . Heat Star Portable Heaters, Snow Throwers... Ergonomically Correct Snow Shovels, Insulated Gloves, by the unit or pallet.

Stock up on the "Purple Stuff" -- Purple Heart Ice Melt is environmentally and pet friendly. The non-staining organic dye limits waste and is concrete-safe. When snow & ice hits, this stuff flies out the door. Starting at $19.99 with discounts on bulk orders.

www.birchequipment.com

Cool Stuff

Contractor / Work Wear Model /

Birch Hardhat Decals ;)

Another one of our cool customers being highlighted by Georgia Giant Work Boots.

His hard hat is on point too! Way to go Randy!

Got cool photos of your crew or job site with Birch gear? Send to [email protected]. They might end up in a Fleet Update or the Birch Equipment's popular calendars.

Committed to Workforce Development

Birch supports students pursuing training in the trades and higher education with scholarship opportunities. Congratulations to 2019 awardees of Bellingham Technical Foundation scholarships, including this year's recipient of Birch's annual award for students enrolled in the Diesel Technician Program.

Students from Options High School in Bellingham recently got an insider look at Birch operations. What better way than to learn about local businesses and future work and growth opportunities than to check out a company like Birch?

Birch Business Shadows will be offered at facilities in Whatcom, Skagit & Snohomish Counties. Email [email protected] .