LIFTING ATTACHMENTS
Lifting attachments are vital for connecting components between a hoist and the load. Choosing the right attachment ensures safe, efficient and damage-free lifting. Julian Champkin investigates.
have seen end users invest heavily in a million-pound crane system, only to undermine that investment by sourcing the cheapest possible chain slings to hang from the hook.” So says Steve Hutin, managing director of Swansea-based Rope and Sling Specialists. “It demonstrates a dangerous disconnect in procurement thinking: the crane itself is recognised as safety critical infrastructure, but the accessories attached to it are treated as interchangeable commodities,” he continues.
His message is accurate. Crane accessories are
Chain slings and shackles at Rope and Sling Specialists of Swansea.
not interchangeable. All chains may appear similar, but not all chains are created equal. The same is true of slings, shackles and of the hundreds of other accessories and devices that can connect the load to
SLINGING IT “I
the winding mechanism of the hoist that actually does the work of lifting it. Buying the cheapest solution may, therefore, not be the wisest option: a failure of any one of those intermediary components can be every bit as catastrophic and as dangerous (and as expensive) as a failure of the lifting machine itself. How should one proceed then? How can one judge the right accessories for the task in hand? We may start with one of the most basic and ubiquitous accessory: the chain. Chains are used for two purposes: for the lift itself – that is, above the hook – and as rigging (jury-rigged or, better, as pre-assembled slings) below the hook. The two uses need two very different types of chain. This is true even on the same lift, with the same hoist lifting the same load. It seems strange at first sight, but a little analysis reveals the reason. (And before we go any further, we should emphasise one obvious and crucial fact: chains intended for tying down loads – securing them to flat-bed trucks, for example – are NOT suitable for lifting. Indeed, it is illegal to use them for lifting.)
Sling your hook To start with the basics: Hoist chains come in different sizes and in different steels and strengths of steel. They will have different coatings which may make them spark or explosion-proof or offer corrosion protection in different harsh environments; or they may have no coatings at all. They will have had differing heat treatments, which will affect their performance in different ways. These things will affect the hardness, which can be
different on the outside of the chain and on its inside; they will affect the ductility – for example, is the chain brittle or will it elongate and stretch under steady load or under shock? Chain links come in different profiles, such as round, flattened or squared off. Those links can be forged, or they can be welded; the results, in terms of strength and smooth running, will be different in each case; and their suitability for different applications will vary. In particular, a chain that is used for lifting above the hook should not be used for lifting below that same hook. If that seems counter-intuitive, even absurd, we can delve more deeply. British Standard BS EN 818-7:2002+A1:2008 is grandly entitled ‘Short link chain for lifting purposes. Safety - Fine tolerance hoist chain, Grade T (Types T, DAT and DT).’ The standard specifies the requirements
28 | July/August 2026 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
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