The reasons to properly inspect your wire rope slings are plentiful. Beyond being a safety hazard, a faulty or damaged wire rope sling can cost you in citation fines, production loss, and wasted time on the job. Therefore, it’s critical for crews to not only schedule wire rope sling inspections with adequate forethought, but also assign them to the proper party.  Assigning a Competent Person  A wire rope sling inspection isn’t a task to be handed off to the nearest crewmember. It’s a critical process that requires an assigned inspector, or a competent person. According to OSHA, a competent person is “One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings, or working conditions which are unsanitary, […]

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Lift and rigging assignments can put workers in unique situations that present potentially fatal accidents, which is why the systems designed to protect them are equally as unique. However, there is one fall protection system that can fit a variety of applications, secure workers in a number of settings, and support multiple crewmembers at a time: a rigid rail fall protection system.    Components of a Rigid Rail Fall Protection System  Like most other health and safety systems, rigid rail fall protection systems consist of an anchor, a body device, — one or more, if there are multiple workers using the system — and a connecting device.  What makes them stand out from other systems is that they are flexible enough […]

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Most lift and rigging tools are designed with a specific purpose in mind, which is why crewmembers use them to maximize productivity of one specific task. However, some pieces of equipment, like jib cranes, can easily fill the role of many tools for use in many applications. Let’s take a look at the various types of jib crane systems and the most popular configurations.  Jib Crane Settings, Applications, and Advantages  While jib cranes, like other overhead lifting devices, are primary used to transport, lift, and lower loads, they are preferred in tighter settings. However, they can also be used alongside overhead cranes to increase productivity on larger job sites. Although jib cranes have a relatively simple structure and design, are […]

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You had a minor accident and almost dropped a load. Or maybe you had a major catastrophe and even experienced some injuries on site. Regardless of how severe the problem was, your rigging system failed –– and it could have been much worse. Here are some of the main reasons your rigging system didn’t hold up.   You Didn’t Conduct a Thorough Inspection  Even if you’ve selected all of the right materials or had your tools custom-made for the job, your rigging system is at high risk of failure if you don’t conduct a thorough inspection beforehand. To strengthen the success of your rigging system, properly inspect all equipment, including machinery and hardware, for damage, load identification issues, or other warning […]

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Out of all the issues that can jeopardize your success and safety on the job –– inclement weather, improper training, and inadequate planning –– defective or damaged tools is one of the most critical. Fortunately, this issue is also one of the most easily preventable. Here are some tips to help you identify weaknesses in your rigging hardware.  Hooks  Hooks help crews rig loads to prepare for lifting or hoisting. However, loading a hook with weight beyond its working limit can cause the metal to warp or even break. A deformed hook can cause load instability and potential slippage. Specific issues to look for when it comes to sling, foundry, or any other lifting hooks include:  Bends  Gouges  Corrosion  Malfunctioning […]

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In the lift and rigging industry, even the tiniest differences between two tools can make a huge impact on their designated use. But what exactly makes a telehandler different from a forklift, and how do you know when to use which? Let’s break down the features, benefits, and uses of each to find out. Operational Curve They might look the same and even perform tasks that seem similar from a distance, but forklifts and telehandlers are completely different machines. Therefore, operating them requires a unique set of practices and protocols. Forklifts work vertically, whereas telehandlers have a more versatile move set. Telehandlers can reach farther and higher, which means operators have to pay careful attention to weight distributions in order […]

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Even though hoisting and rigging companies understand the risks of their industry, not all of them think to proactively prevent them. Unfortunately, some companies fail to find an outside training program until they receive a citation or witness an accident on site. To protect your company and your crewmembers, take a look at all the reasons why industrial hoisting and rigging training should take priority today.  Employee Retention  Educated employees notice when you’ve put an investment into their time working with your company. And typically, this behavior encourages them to continue investing their time. Therefore, signing your crew up for an industrial hoisting and rigging training course will not only inform your workers where it matters most, but it will […]

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Everyone in your crew is clear on what a synthetic web sling is, but are they confident in how to select the right one for the job? Just like a shackle or swivel, synthetic web slings come in a number of configurations, which means the ideal one to use is unique to each job. While making your next synthetic web sling selection, keep the following features in mind.  Size and Length  Obviously, the right sling has to be the right size. Calculate the load weight to know exactly how many pounds need supporting—and which sling is going to be up for the job. To understand the exact length you need, measure the load-bearing points from top to bottom. The exact […]

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There are countless steps to take when preparing your crane for a lift and rigging job — testing the proof load, inspecting the working load limit, and calculating the safety factor — but making sure you have the right crane is the most critical one. Without the right crane, your site is more likely to experience emergencies like shock loading and even load dropping. To ensure the next crane selection you make is the right one for the job, let’s take a closer look at one of the most widely used ones in the industry: the gantry crane.   What Is a Gantry Crane?  A gantry crane belongs to the overhead crane family, but its application is unique to most of […]

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Tree support systems, like any other industrial support system, are used to simply provide added assistance where it’s needed most. While crews typically use support systems to securely move objects from one point to another, they use tree support systems to yield opposite results. Helping branches, stems, and roots to safely remain intact and in one place, these support systems are essential for many types of trees. Here’s everything you need to know about them.     Why Install a Tree Support System Both newly planted and long-standing trees can benefit from a support system. Because trees are often weak in their early development and in their latest years, this type of reinforcement can assist trees at any stage in the life […]

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