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Electric Hoists, What; Where; How; Why; When
Posted : Thursday 16th February 2012
Electric hoists, their uses and advantages, what they are and how they work.
So what is an electric hoist? It is an electrically powered appliance that is used to lift, lower and even move heavy or awkward objects. They are mainly used to alleviate potential strain and injury on any person who needs to lift a heavy object or where the object is just much too heavy for a human to lift unaided.
Electric hoists are found in abundance across many different types of working areas, they are commonly used on construction sites, in warehouses, workshops, car maintenance garages, dockyards and large ships but there are numerous other places that they are utilised that you would not expect, for example, lifting large tree stumps out, or lowering a chandelier for maintenance and claening.
Now we will briefly examine how an electric hoist actually works.
Firstly the hoist itself will need to be fixed onto a suitable anchor point via its top hook, this is often a jib or mobile gantry crane or other suitable load bearing structures capable of taking the weight of the load to be lifted. Once the hoist is safely fixed into its place then the chain may be lowered down from the hoist and attached to the load to be lifted, this can be done in a variety of different ways depending on the size and type of load. It is often the case to use further accessories such as a lifting sling, either chain or webbing, as it is easier to attach these to the load at various points to ensure that the load will be evenly balanced and therefore not tip, ensuring a safer lift. Once you are sure the load is secure you may slowly begin your lift using the powered hand held remote control. You should always stop the lift for a moment once the load is just clear of the ground, (a test lift) to make sure it is stable and secure before continuing, this procedure will minimise the risk of injury.
The majority of electric hoists have built in safety features, hooks will have safety catches so the load will not become disengaged. Most hoists will have a clutch system which slips at a preset torque, this is to prevent overloading the device which is very dangerous. Some electric hoists have a switch mechanism where the chain will mechanically engage if overloaded. Various newer hoists will have safety cut out switches for emergencies. These features are extremely important for safety reasons.
So why use an electric hoist? There are a variety of reasons, the main issue is probably safety, as there use can hugely lower the risk of injuries, this is due to the fact that the hoist takes all the weight, not the individual, we all know how easy it is to strain your neck or back by incorrectly lifting even the lightest object. This brings us to the next advantage of cost efficiency, electric hoists are cost efficient because firstly they do the lift of what would have possible taken 3 or 4 men or more to lift, therefore reducing manpower needed, secondly as they greatly reduce injuries there will be less time off sick and so no reduction in manpower and no sick pay to provide. If your electric hoist is looked after then it should last a long time, any problems can usually be easily repaired, and a 6 or 12 monthly test and inspection should be carried out by a qualified engineer to certify its safety for use.
So it seems like an electric hoist is a cost effective and much safer way to lift all types of objects, big or large, light or heavy, in all areas.
Tagged as: electric hoist, electric hoists
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