Category: Blog
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How to Avoid Bad Practices of Lifting Equipment Storage
Lifting equipment storage practices leave the equipment reserved for the next use. And, as the saying goes, ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ It is the nature of bad lifting equipment storage. The damage caused by such practices is often not obvious and does not get noticed until equipment is needed for use. Webbing is…
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Safe Working Load Explained: What the Numbers on Tags Tell Us
Every bit of lift equipment comes with a tag or a stamp featuring a certain number. This number is critical to the equipment’s safety and functionality, but doesn’t get the attention is ought to. Practically speaking, the terms Safe Working Load and Working Load Limit are interchangeable. Both terms refer to the limit of weight…
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Chain Sling or Wire Rope Sling? Choosing the Right Rigging for the Job
If you ask five riggers what type of sling they grab first, you’ll likely receive five different, and confident, answers. This is because chain slings and wire rope slings are not interchangeable, or one is not simply considered \u201cbetter.\u201d Each style is designed for different jobs, environments, and have different failure modes. Choosing the wrong…
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The Differences Between Fall Arrest and Fall Restraint
The terms fall arrest and fall restraint often get used interchangeably. This gets you in trouble during site briefings and when you’re putting in equipment orders. The main goal of a restraint system is to eliminate the risk of reaching a fall hazard. This is done by shortening the length of the lanyard to ensure…
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How Often Should Lifting Equipment Be Thoroughly Examined? A Guide to LOLER Inspection Intervals
Typically, site managers don’t keep track of when their site’s lifting gear was last inspected. To put it bluntly, they don’t really care. If you have a site manager like this, your business is at high risk of falling on the wrong side of LOLER regulations. Adequate inspection schedules would mitigate this risk. Under the…
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What You Need to Know to Select Crane Capacity
Purchasing a crane based solely on capacity will result in most installations being either over worked or under worked. The number in the specification sheet is the beginning in determining what is actually required. Consider the heaviest single lift the crane will ever have to make. Design to the average lift, and the crane will…
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Bow Shackle vs Dee Shackle: What’s the Difference and When Does It Matter?
At the end of the day, a shackle has a single purpose: to attach a sling to a hook. However, there are two main styles of shackle that are commonly used, and thinking of them as interchangeable is among the most common mistakes seen on site. Bow shackles feature a wide and rounded body. The…