Commercial lifting equipment is the backbone of the movement of goods in the British economy. From the automotive parts arriving at the assembly factory in the Midlands to the steel beams being placed in the new high-rise in London, nothing moves without the intervention of lifting equipment. The variety in the equipment available in the market is a reflection of the vastly different needs of the industry. The equipment used in the textile factory moving bolts of fabric will be vastly different from that used in the scrap yard moving crushed cars or the shipyard moving engine blocks.
Safety Considerations That Actually Matter
The Health and Safety Executive does not govern the use of lifting equipment because bureaucrats love paperwork. Lifting equipment is capable of causing disastrous accidents in the event that something goes awry. If the sling fails or the hoist is overloaded, there are no second chances.
Inspections are not optional but are mandated under LOLER regulations. The length of time before thorough examination depends on the type of equipment or the environment in which the equipment is used. However, the norm is six or twelve months. If the equipment is used in harsh environments such as at the coast or in chemical plants, the examination may need to be more frequent due to the effect of corrosion.
Training is also an area where trying to cut costs ultimately backfires. Someone may have driven a car before but is not necessarily qualified to drive a forklift in a warehouse or to operate a tower crane in a construction site, even though they have experience in buildings. Training certification programs exist for a reason. The risks are real, and the odds are too slim to take any chances.
Rating the Loads Correctly
The working loads for any type of lifting equipment are well known. Engineers calculate these loads during the design stage or through physical tests. If these loads are exceeded even slightly, the equipment fails in unpredictable ways. The results may be as simple as damaged cargo or as disastrous as the collapse of the entire structure with workers as the worst casualties.
Getting the Investment Right
The purchase of lifting equipment is a major capital outlay for most companies. If the equipment is not properly rated for the job, the company may end up paying too much for equipment that may not be used or discover too late that the equipment is not rated for the job for which it was purchased.
A realistic assessment of actual needs can prevent both pitfalls. Consider both your current needs and reasonable projections for future needs. A hoist that is perfectly suited to your current needs may be a bottleneck in two years if your business is growing. On the other hand, a hoist designed to meet needs that may never arise is a waste of money that could be used elsewhere.
Don’t overlook maintenance costs and availability of spares in your calculations. A hoist supplied by a small company may be cheaper than a competitor’s model, but if replacement parts have to be imported from the other side of the world, it may be more expensive in the long run.
Good lifting equipment is like good infrastructure – always there when you need it, never drawing attention to itself. This is precisely what good kit in a factory or warehouse should be like.