Lifting equipment, also known as lifting gear, is a general term for any equipment that can be used to lift and lower loads. Types of lifting equipment include heavy machinery such as the

patient lift A patient lift (patient hoist, jack hoist, hydraulic lift) may be either a sling lift or a sit-to-stand lift. This is an assistive device that allows patients in hospitals and nursing homes and people receiving home health care to be transfe ...

overhead cranes An overhead crane, commonly called a bridge crane, is a type of crane found in industrial environments. An overhead crane consists of two parallel rails seated on longitudinal I-beams attached to opposite steel columns by means of brackets. ...

forklifts A forklift (also called lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various ...

, jacks, building cradles, and passenger lifts, and can also include smaller accessories such as

chains A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

, hooks, and

rope A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similar ...

. Generally, this equipment is used to move material that cannot be moved with manual labor, and are tools used in most work environments, such as warehouses, and is a requirement for most construction projects, such as bridges and buildings. This equipment can also be used to equip a larger number of packages and goods, requiring less persons to move material. Lifting equipment includes any form of equipment that is used for vertical lifting, and equipment used to move material horizontally is not considered lifting equipment, nor is equipment designed to support. As lifting equipment can be dangerous to use, it is a common subject of safety regulations in most countries, and heavy machinery usually requires certified workers to limit workplace injury.

Safety Issues

Failure or misuse of heavy machinery can lead to severe or fatal injury, leading regulations to be one of the largest debates in labor laws across the world. Each country sets its own regulations, and enforces different aspects of workplace safety when using lifting equipment.

In the United States

The

Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...

sets regulations for all equipment. Contractors are forced to uphold usually strict rules to ensure safety of workers. All machinery is required to be developed by a certified engineer, contractors must follow manufacturer procedures, all users be professionally trained before operating equipment, and equipment must be inspected regularly.

In the United Kingdom

The Health and Safety Executive sets regulations on equipment in the United Kingdom, under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations. These regulations require equipment be registered on a Statutory Inspection Report Form, is adequate for the task, be subject to routine inspection, and the use of the equipment be properly planned out.

References

Machines {{technology-stub

Safety Issues

In the United States

In the United Kingdom

See also

References