Lifting Tools

Lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner (as per safe working practices). Lifting operations also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task and suitably marked, with evidenced maintenance records and any defects reported. Lifting operations should be: 

• Plan properly (i.e., work permit, education & training, emergency planning, etc.), 
• Workers with sufficiently competent (i.e., safety officer or supervisor, etc.), 
• Supervise them appropriately (as per safe working practices), 
• Ensure that they are carried out in a safe manner (without accident & compromising safety). 

Lifting Appliances: Lifting equipment is a machine or device for the vertical movement of a load with or without horizontal movement. They are: 

1. 1.  Chain Pulley / Block: Chain block is a mechanical device used to lift and lower heavy loads, objects and equipment. A chain block moves a load by pulling a chain is also known as chain hoist. It is widely used in industries such as production, manufacturing, mining, building, etc.

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2. 2.  Lever Hoist: Lever hoist is a piece of high -quality equipment used to lift and lower heavy loads without the aid of machinery. Lever hoist can lift items in most positions by cranking the lever/handle forwards and backwards including horizontally.

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3. 3.  Cranes: Cranes are essential for heavy construction work and lifting tasks of all kinds. A crane can lift and lower loads well beyond the capabilities of human construction workers. A crane is a major type of construction machine that is used to move the loads horizontally. Cranes are equipped with a hoist rope, wire rope and sheaves, it can be used to lift heavy loads or transport them to other places. 

Lifting Accessories: Lifting accessories are components used between the lifting appliances and the loads. They can also be used on the load to grip it. Although they are not integrated parts of lifting appliances, they are especially important part of the lifting process and cannot be ignored. They are: 

1. 1.  Webbing Slings: Webbing sling is a sling belt manufactured from polyester that is used for heavy lifting where wire rope sling lifting or chain lifting is not applicable. They are safe for a variety of weights (ranging 1 ton to 19 tons) which is also represented through their various colors. Webbing slings consists of two types: 

• • Round / Endless Webbing Slings 
  • Flat Webbing Slings 

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   2.  Wire Rope Slings: Wire rope sling is a basic material-handling tool used to bind various kinds of goods. It is the most common types of slings used in the industry for lifting. Wire rope consists of strands of metal wire twisted in a helix around a core. A steel wire rope sling is the standard because of its strength, durability, abrasion resistance and ability to conform to the shape of the load. 

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4.     Wire rope slings are an important piece of rigging hardware used in lifting and hoisting operations and are commonly used across different industries. These slings connect the load to the lifting device the load and are available in a wide range of configurations that support a board range of applications. 

3. 3.  Hooks: Hooks are devices used for grabbing and lifting loads by means of being attached to lifting equipment such as a hoist or crane. Some hooks are usually equipped with a safety latch to prevent the disengagement of the lifting wire rope sling, chain or rope to which some without the latch depending on usage of the hook. 

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   4.  Shackles: Shackles are connection links used to connect the load lifting equipment with the load to be lifted. There are two main styles of lifting shackles which include D-Shackles (or Dee Shackle) and Bow shackles (or Omega shackles). 

Selection of right Lifting Equipment 

1. All lifting equipment (including accessories) must be clearly marked to indicate their safe working loads (SWL) which is the maximum load the equipment can safely lift.
2. Accessories must also be marked to show any characteristics that might affect their safe use. This may include the weight of the parts, where their weight is significant.
3. Where people are being lifted, additional training may be required to prevent people from being injured in / by the carrier.
4. Where the SWL of any equipment or accessories depends on its configuration, the information provided on the SWL must reflect all potential configurations. 

A Competent person: 

1. Should have enough appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment so that they can detect or weaknesses, and assess how important they are in relation to the safety and continued used of the equipment.
2. May be employed by a separate company or selected by an employer form member of their own staff. 
3. Should be sufficiently independent and impartial to make objective decisions.
4. Should not be the same person who performs routine maintenance as they would be responsible for assessing their own work. 

Planning Lifting Operations 

Before any lifting operations, risks involved at work site should be identified and necessary and required safety measures to be taken prior work commence. The plan needs to clearly set out the actions involved at each stage of the operation and identified the responsibilities. Some are:

1. Working under suspended loads,  
   
2. Visibility, 
3. Attaching / detaching and securing loads, 
4. Environment (wind speed, rainfall, soil stiffness, etc.), 
5. Location, 
6. Overturning, 
7. Proximity hazards, 
8. Lifting peoples, 
9. Overload, 
10. Pre-use checks, 
11. Equipment working status,  
12. Equipment integrity (as per records), etc. 

Records 

Records of all thorough examinations and inspections for all lifting equipment in tabular form. The competent person undertaking inspections must provide a written report of tests, defects, issues, etc.