Debunking Common Rigging Safety Myths: Essential Safety Tips for Lifting Professionals

Intro

– You are going to screw it in ’til it’s tight, and then back it off an eighth of a turn, that way when you lift the load, it doesn’t get too tight, right?

– No.

– Hi, I’m Ben.

– Hi, my name’s Henry Brozyna. I’ve been with Columbus McKinnon for 35 years. I’m the Industrial Product Trainer for them.

– And today we’re tackling some lifting and rigging myths that don’t hold weight and debunking some of those misconceptions.

Why Rigging Training Is Imperative

– I think some of them got started for convenience. People didn’t know what they were doing. Today, training is very, very important. If they’re not trained properly, that’s when they start doing things that, “well, what if I just take this and do this” and it works and it worked the first time, so they keep doing it. And every time they do it, they get one step closer to a failure. And that’s what my view is. That’s what I’m trying to stop.

Are Hook Latches on Hoists Optional?

– All right, so let’s dive into some of these myths. So Henry, true or false, a latch on a hoist hook is optional.

– False, a latch on a hoist hook is not optional. The hook has to have a latch. Unless, there is one caveat here, unless the latch creates a hazard to the operator. That is the only time that latch can be removed.

– So can you give me some examples of like when would the latch be a hazard to the operator?

– The one example I can give you is if you have a furnace and they will reach over that high heat area and operate the latch in order to get it on or off the crucible. Well, if the latch is there, they have to spend that split second longer over that high heat source, which means there’s a potential that the operator could get burned. In that case, yes, a latch could be removed simply to facilitate moving that crucible, that hot material in and out quickly.

Are Latches on Sling Hooks Required?

– So if you’re telling me that latch hooks on hoists are required, then on sling hooks, they’re also required, right?

– No, as a company, Columbus McKinnon recommends that if the hook has an eye, provisions for a latch, we recommend that you put a latch on it. It’s not mandatory.

If you do have a multi-leg sling, in other words, you got more than one leg, and both legs, three legs, or four legs all have latches, and somewhere during the use of those slings, one of the latches gets damaged, you are now non-compliant. All right?

There are other companies out there that require, regardless of where the hook comes from, they require latches on the hooks, but that’s their policy. There are certain areas in the country that require latches, but it’s normally, generally, it’s not mandatory.

– So the way we look at it is if there’s a space for a latch,

– Put a latch on.

– There should be a latch.

Can Hoists Be Used Inverted?

True or false, a hoist cannot be used inverted.

– False. Not all hoists can be used inverted, but some hoists can be used inverted. Like our Lodestar, our Lodestar is a prime example. We sell to the entertainment business. They use primarily all of their hoists inverted, all right?

There are some things that have to be considered when using a hoist inverted. For example, the Lodestar has grease in it, so we don’t have to worry about leakage. If you’ve got a hoist that has a lubricant in it, that is a liquid type lubricant, you can use that upside down, but you have to switch the plug with the vent, otherwise it will start to leak. But can a hoist be used inverted? Yes. Not all.

– So why would you use your hoist inverted?

– It does a couple of things for the technician is if the hoist is inverted, if something goes wrong with the hoist and he needs to open it up to repair it, he can bring it down to basically his level. He doesn’t need to go up and get the hoist.

Can Any Chain Be Used for an Overhead Lift?

– Chains are really strong. So you can use any chain for an overhead lift, correct?

– No, grade 80, grade 100 are the two primary grades of chain that you can use for lifting. The reason why you can use them for lifting is the standards tell us as a manufacturer, and any manufacturer, in order for a chain to be used for an overhead lift, it has to have an alloy component to it. The alloy component allows that chain to stretch at least 20%. That’s per standard.

That stretching, what that gives us is that gives the operator the clue or the indication that the chain’s been overloaded ’cause that stretch is very, very noticeable and it has to be able to stretch 20% before rupture. So it gives them that obvious notification that, “Hey, something’s wrong. Stop doing what you’re doing. Bring the load back down to the ground.”

Grade 30, grade 43, grade 70, those are all carbon chain. There’s no alloy components to them. So yes, they will stretch, they’re not going to stretch 20%, so they will fail. And then if that’s the case, then yeah, you would have some explaining to do as to why you’re using the lower grades of chain for lifting purposes.

– What if I’m lifting something that is less than my working load limit? Then I can use carbon chain, right?

– Regardless, regardless of how much you’re picking up, if you’re picking up 200 pounds and you’re using a grade 30 chain that you bought at the local hardware store for a couple dollars a foot and you use that for lifting something and it fails, you’re noncompliant. There’s going to be some questions to be answered.

Should I Back Off the Screw Pin on My Screw Pin Shackle an Eighth to a Quarter Turn?

– Let’s talk shackles. So the proper way to screw in a screw pin shackle, right? You’re going to screw it in ’til it’s tight and then back it off an eighth of a turn; that way, when you lift the load, it doesn’t get too tight, right?

– No, the proper way to to use a shackle, you would take the pin, and this would be a screw pin shackle. You take the screw pin shackle, you tighten it, hand tight, you leave it. That’s as far as you go.

The myth as to why people would back it off is when they pick the load up, and then when they go to take it off, now they can’t spin it by hand because it kind of tightens up, which it will, but we put a flat on here. We put a hole in here. You can put a tool on this to open it up. You can put a tool inside the hole to open it up as well.

The reason why you don’t want to back it off is that you actually leave a little bit of a gap there. It might be only a couple thousandths, but what ends up happening is, a lot of times when people pick things up with a shackle, the load might go to one side or the other side.

We call this the spread, this opening. When that happens, you could potentially bend this ear out. And the reason why that happens is ’cause you’ve given it somewhere to go. If that gap was gone, well then this gap, this spread can’t get any bigger, even though you’re putting weight on one side of the ear or the other. So this is, yeah, backing it off is totally a myth.

I would say they came up with that more for convenience than anything else. They weren’t thinking about safety at the time.

– Right, but getting a tool is going to slow down my process and make things less efficient. And the riggers who were before me, they’re the ones who told me to do this.

– Well, they’re perpetuating a myth is what they’re doing.

Once you do learn that, “You know what? I can take and put a marlinspike, or I can put a screwdriver into that hole and then just turn it and loosen up,” you might start carrying it in your pocket. Most riggers, most technicians will have some kind of a tool belt with them. That’s all you need. You’re going to have a screwdriver right there. You’ll have one that’ll fit that hole. You’re going to probably have a set of adjustable wrenches in there, or even a pair of pliers. Put it on here and open it up, you’re done. Very, very simple way to do that.

How To Learn More About Rigging Training?

– All right guys, that’s it, so if you have a myth that you’ve heard that we didn’t cover or you need some clarification, feel free to drop it in the comments.

Hopefully this has equipped you with some knowledge that you can bring back to your job site so you can keep your team safe.

If you need training or if you have any questions about the rigging process, Mazzella can help. Contact us through the link below. We can also help with your slings, hardware, wire rope, cranes, fall protection, and lifters for all of your lifting needs.

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