Hand Chain and Lever Hoist Safety

Recorded Date: August 17, 2022

Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM PST

Speaker: Rick Sikora – Cranemasters

Manually operated lever and chain hoists are one of the most versatile lifting devices, but they are also the most abused, forgotten about and incorrectly used tool in industry. Many tradespeople utilize these products on a regular basis, but cannot answer simple questions about their limitations, use and inspections. Cranemasters will discuss all aspects of this extensively used lifting and rigging product, including why education / training is critical for the safety of workers.

What makes a lever or manually operated chain hoist compliant and how does the user know?

  • What standards do manually operated hoists follow?
  • How do you confirm the hoist is compliant to a certain standard?
  • Are operators’ instructions available?
  • Do they have the owners’ manual? Is it available to the operator, the supervisor, and the inspector?
  • Are logbooks required for each manually operated hoist?

What are the hoist manufacturers’ inspection requirements, and do they differ?

  • For the Pre-use Inspection?
  • For the Frequent Inspection?
  • For the Periodic Inspection?

Are your periodic inspections being completed by qualified personnel and are they following manufacturers inspection requirements? Why is this critical?

  • Who is qualified to perform the periodic inspection?
  • How do you confirm qualifications of 3rd party inspection facilities / personnel?
  • Why must manufacturers’ requirements be met regarding inspecting and servicing the manually operated hoists?

Why is it critical that operators read and understand the manufacturers’ instructions regarding environment, testing, application, and operation?

  • Manufactures’ have varying temperature requirements;
  • Pre-lift test requirements;
  • Are you allowed to wrap chain around the load, or can the hook latch be held open?
  • How hard can you pull on lever or chain?
  • Why is it important to always engage the hoist in the up function before lifting?
  • How do Hoists with slip clutches operate? Are there different requirements when using a hoist with a slip clutch?