5 Safety And Maintenance Tips For Your Crane’s Chain Hoist

Performing regular maintenance is an essential safety practice in any workplace. This is especially true in a place that deals with industrial equipment, like cranes.

Cranes are both extremely useful, and extremely dangerous. According to OSHA, crane-related injuries kill approximately 71 workers each year.

Maintaining your crane’s chain hoist is essential to keeping your employees safe. Additionally, regular maintenance will also keep your crane operating efficiently.

1. Understand Common Chain Hoist Problems

The first step to maintaining your chain hoist on your crane is understanding how it works. This way, you’ll be better able to identify when wear and tear are impacting its effectiveness.

There are three kinds of hoists that your crane might use: differential, lever ratchet, and hand chain. All three of these hoists use some combination of a chain and hook to both lift and move heavy objects.

Since these hoists work by rotating a chain, the most common problem associated with them are related to wear and tear on the chain.

That said, regular maintenance can greatly extend the lifespan of a chain.

2. Keep the Chain Clean and Lubricated

The most common causes of wear on a chain are rust and debris. Chains can become stiff and difficult to move due to the buildup of rust and grit.

Most hoists will require dismantling in order to be properly cleaned and oiled. You should do this at least once or twice a year, depending on what you primarily use the hoist for.

3. Watch out for Signs of Damage

Over time, the chain in a hoist will become worn. Make sure to look for signs of deterioration, and replace the chain before it is overused.

Common signs of a chain that needs to be replaced include kinking and stretching. Additionally, if chains “pop” when they are in use, that is likely because they are becoming too stiff.

Remember, it’s always better to replace a chain than it is to have an accident.

4. Perform Regular Inspections

Testing and inspecting your industrial equipment is not just a good idea. OSHA requires that certain tests and inspections take place on a regular basis.

The hoist operator should perform a brief, visual inspection every day to make sure the equipment is operating properly.

Monthly, a more in-depth inspection should be done to document an existing wear, tear, and damage to the equipment.

5. Conduct Necessary Testing

In addition to inspecting your crane’s chain hoist, you should also test it regularly to ensure it is functioning properly.

You should perform a service load test at least quarterly. These tests are designed to observe how well the equipment functions while lifting objects of various weights.

Finally, at least every six moths, make sure to test the chain hoist’s ability to lift heavy loads.

Performing these tests will help demonstrate how the hoist operates under various conditions and will reveal any problems with performance.

If you’d like help keeping your equipment in good condition, or need to purchase replacement parts, then contact us. We’ll work with you to find the right equipment and tools for your needs.

Figuring out the right overhead hoist for your crane can be a mind-boggling experience. Navigating the vocabulary and the specifications for each type of hoist is confusing and frustrating.

However, depending on what it is you’re lifting, it’s possible to find the best overhead hoist for you!

Read on to take deeper dive at the specifications for different overhead hoists.

Which Type of Overhead Hoist Works for You?

Manual or electric?

The first decision to make is whether you’d prefer an electric or manual overhead hoist. To decide, take a look at what you intend to use it for.

If you’re using maintenance equipment, or you don’t anticipate using the hoist frequently, a manual hoist will be fine. There’s no reason to go through the expenses of using an electric hoist for such infrequent use.

Electric hoists are better suited for light equipment that needs more lifting. They can also come in various different speeds depending on what you need to use it for.

Electric hoists also offer smooth starts and stops along with the hoist motions. Load sway is limited, meaning wear and tear are generally reduced. Additionally, it also gives you more accuracy and precise loading.

Lifting medium

A lifting medium refers to what the lift actually uses to, well, lift! This can be wire rope or chain.

Some lifting medium hoists are a welded link load chain. This is exactly what it sounds like: different interwoven welded links. They’re manufactured to meet different recommendations and strength, meaning you may need a different hoist for different lifts.

You can also use a roller chain load, which you will have to interchange, and a wire rope.

Operation

An operation host refers to the amount of power needed to operate it. You can use manual power, electric power, or pneumatic.

Manual power will give you a hand chain, meaning you’ll be grabbing and pulling a long chain that’s suspended from the hoist.

If you use an electric one, you won’t have to pull. Instead, you’ll use a menu of buttons and levers to help you lift the object.

See above for more information regarding electric and manual hoists.

Pneumatic powered hoists are powered by a control device. You press a button or pull a lever that will help give energy to an air motor. This will help the object lift.

Suspension

This refers to the type of mounting used to suspend your hoist. They can be hook-mounted, lug-mounted, and trolley-mounted.

All of them are exactly as described. You’d use a hook-mounted suspension to suspend your hoist from a hook, a lug-mounted suspension to suspend it from a lug, and a trolley-mounted suspension to suspend from a trolley.

Conclusion

As you can see, not every overhead hoist will work for every job. Most of them are limited by manufacturer specifications and weight, among other things.

Having a variety of hoists is probably the best solution, but the one you choose and your method is a personal decision.

If you have any questions regarding hoists or industrial equipment, feel free to let us know!