Hoist safety tips

Problem: I recently read about a worker who was injured when a Chain hoist failed. How can I be sure I’m safe?

Solution: When it comes to lifting equipment, safety is always a top priority. Safety standards for lifting equipment are published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

The vast majority of air and electric hoists use link chain to lift equipment. Link chain should be regularly inspected for wear, stretching, nicks, corrosion and weld splatter. It should be lubricated to protect from wear when mating with sprockets and guides.

Chains should also be inspected for stretching. A stretched link is a sign that deformation is occurring and the risk of failure has increased. Follow the suggestions of the hoist manufacturer when replacing chain. At least one manufacturer uses precision-engineered load chains that are not interchangeable with commercial grade or other manufacturer’s products.

Hook safety is also important, so much so that it has its own safety standard in ASME B30.10. The most popular hooks in use today are the eye hook, clevis hook and shank hook.

Two key areas to inspect in these hooks are the throat opening and condition of the safety latch. If you tip-load the hook, this will cause excessive distortion and cause the throat opening to expand. Load hooks in the base or saddle of the hook.

ASME states that any throat opening that has expanded 15% beyond its original design should be removed from service. One easy way to identify an unsafe hook is if the latch over the throat does not close or make contact with the tip of the hook.

Thanks for this tip go to Ingersoll-Rand’s technical support staff.

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