The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 requires almost all lifting, rigging and height safety equipment to be tested and tagged by a “competent person”. This equipment needs to be visually inspected by a competent person at least every six months. Lifting equipment is defined as any work equipment for lifting and lowering loads, and includes any accessories used in doing so, such as attachments to support, fix or anchor the equipment. Examples of lifting equipment include overhead cranes and their supporting runways, hoists and motor vehicle lifts. Complying with the law helps avoid the increased risk of injury to workers and the public which would result from equipment failure.
This article was first published in the January 1st 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
Built smart with Core of Lifting components, the new Konecranes C-series is the company’s most advanced electrical chain hoist to date. It can lift up to 5,000 kg and enable fast, smooth and precise movement. The hoist now boasts a redesigned motor cooling system that offers up to 50% longer runtime than the previous generation, and a brake built for over a million operations. Safety features like the operating limit switch and safety clutch have been enhanced for better performance and reliability.
DHL is one of the largest logistics companies in the world, delivering 1.5 billion parcels every year. One of DHL’s fastest growing areas is the provision of warehousing solutions to online businesses, from storage and order picking, through to despatch. This end-to-end-service can even include delivery and returns management. For several years DHL has partnered with Horizon Platforms for hire of scissor lifts and cherry pickers and a new long term contract extension between the two firms has recently been agreed. Horizon aims to be the most responsive and reliable powered access supplier in the industry, with over 96% of deliveries on time.
Collett & Sons Ltd has increased its heavy lift capacity with the addition of the Enerpac JS-125 500 Tonne capacity incremental lifting system. This multi-point lifting system features a 125 Tonne capacity per tower, synchronously lifting loads by utilising the sliding and stacking barrels to form the lifting towers. Featuring self-contained hydraulics in each jack-up unit, the JS-125 is ideal for more restricted environments where operating space is at a premium. By stacking the lifting barrels together to mechanically hold the load, each unit’s lifting and lowering operations occur simultaneously maintaining the balance of the load.
Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) supplied two 50t capacity JD Neuhaus (JDN) air hoists and other rigging gear to the CVB joint venture, which used it to lower a tunnel boring machine at the Tideway project in London. The air hoists were used to balance loads beneath the hook of a Liebherr LTM 1350 mobile crane at Greenwich Pumping Station, where the boring machine was lowered down a shaft in parts before reassembly underground. The crane was positioned on a bespoke skidding system, allowing longitudinal travel over the shaft.
One has to applaud the lifting operators for continuing to innovate while meeting the rigorous safety standards.
George Simpson
Features Editor
Comments are closed.