CHAINS AND NETS
unlikely to be certified. If this all sounds a bit onerous, it is! Operating skip
loaders is correctly defined as a lifting application – and therefore, all the equipment and associated assemblies have to comply with the regulations, test and certification requirements and safe operating procedures ... and operators ignore them at their peril.
Choose net quality … don’t be nine sheets to the wind! Large numbers of skip loaders, particularly later ones, are fitted with auto-sheet systems – and we looked at those in some detail in a previous Issue of SHM. This time though, let’s just look at the sheets and the materials they are made from. Researching this piece started with an internet
search – and there is plenty out there at what might look like ‘deal of the week’ prices. But be warned, there are some horror stories about the poor quality and performance of these cheap sheets in service. There are even some where the material is not properly protectively coated and starts to degrade and split … and that’s when it just gets wet! Strength is also an issue where sheets tear easily
An identification plate should include rating and a CE mark
the vehicle, including for damage or twists, should be included as part of the driver’s daily vehicle checks before he starts work. Defect reports should be completed in exactly the same way as they are for any other issues on the vehicle. Ignoring a problem is not an option and could lead to a potential accident, or even prosecution. Chain specifications also need carefully
Mighty Mesh … fearsomely strong and durable
checking... as 13mm Grade 8 or Grade 10 might look pretty similar, but the higher grade, whilst more expensive, is rated at a 25% increased safe lifting capacity. Another component to watch for is the quality of the keep plate – where most will be made of hardened and tempered material – and identified accordingly by a forging mark. However, there are some mild steel replacements around and they will not perform in the same way and they are
when being pulled over the load. Running with a badly damaged sheet, which is not properly protecting the load, is dangerous and could be a potential offence. We picked up one story about police and enforcement officers mounting a campaign near a waste depot, because of the amount of debris from incorrectly sheeted loads being deposited on the approach road. Doing the job properly is not actually that difficult
– and the best material we have found on the market is called Mighty Mesh. Believe it or not, it is made from a recycled material (good credentials for the waste industry) and it is fearsomely strong and durable. We caught up with Shur-Co’s Peter Cranmer,
industry alias ‘Pete the Sheet’, who describes his job as a ‘tarpologist’ (love it!). But he makes a very valid point that of all the ancillary equipment requirements that go with skips and bins, nets really are an area where you get what you pay for. Finally – and most importantly... always remember
that if you have to sheet the skip, do it before you load it, so that there is never a reason to climb onto the vehicle unless it’s absolutely necessary.
70
SHM December 2015/January 2016 Issue 121
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