editor's comment, The

Electrical Apparatus, Jul 2004 by Barks, Horace B

Forklift trucks; how safe are they?

"The alarming gap in forklift safety," which appeared in the May EA, has evoked some spirited objections from the forklift truck industry (see "Letters," page 8). A few manufacturers' representatives inferred that we had placed undue blame on forklift truck makers, as well as on the forklifts themselves. This was definitely not our intention, but we can see how some in the industrial truck industry could consider parts of the article overly critical.

Journalistic objectivity, as well as a serious concern for readers' safety, has always been a primary EA standard. By giving industry representatives the opportunity to present their points of view, as well as to express their disagreements, we hope to clarify misunderstandings.

Obviously, safety has to be everyone's concern. In the case of forklift trucks, it must be the joint responsibility of government, equipment manufacturers, users, and their employees-as well as ours.

Wholesale price increases make bumps on recovery road

Surcharges added to the price of steel drums, pails, and tinplate cans at the end of last year are blamed by varnish manufacturer John C. Dolph Co. for three price increases. Moreover, according to Kathleen Miceli, Dolph manager of raw material supply, increased energy and transportation costs, plus the devaluation of the U.S. dollar versus the Euro and other major currencies, have further added to higher prices.

In this political year, we have yet to see any response from government officials or politicians to this price escalation. And, it is doubtful that any action will be taken soon. Ms. Miceli is more optimistic, writing in her company newsletter, it is "a challenging time . . . hopefully, things will slow down soon. . . ." We hope so.

The U.S. stubbornly clings to inches and pounds

It has been nearly 30 years since the U.S. Metric Conversion Bill became law, but, as the National Electrical Manufacturers Association recently observed: "The U.S. is nowhere close to adopting the metric system." Despite many efforts to convert weights and measures, the U.S. remains the only non-metric major nation.

Oh, some progress has been made to convert feet and pounds to meters and kilograms. Forty-six states have legalized the sale of metric-only labels. The wine and spirits industry has been based on the metric system for about 30 years. The U.S. military has fully incorporated metric units into its operations. Drive to Canada and road signs change from miles to kilometers and gasoline is priced in liters. And, in just a few years, the European Union just might require metric-only labeling. We say "just might" because the EU has twice postponed the requirement for 10 years, although NEMA believes there will be no further delays.

Just as is now required for travelers outside the U.S., Americans may eventually have to get used to thinking metric. Keep your conversion table handy.