Overhead crane and hoist specialists, Shupper-Brickle Equipment Company has provided overhead material handling equipment, replacement parts, and comprehensive services to customers in the Mid-Atlantic states and world-wide since . Over the years, we’ve received a lot of questions about purchasing hoists and cranes, OSHA inspections and fall arrest systems. Here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question here, feel free to contact us online or call 1-800-642-. We’re happy to answer all your questions and help you find the right overhead lifting equipment or parts to meet your needs.
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General Purchase & Return FAQs
Hoist Purchase FAQs
OSHA Regulation FAQs
Fall Protection FAQs
Give us a call! Shupper-Brickle represents a wide variety of overhead cranes, hoists and industrial lifting equipment types and manufacturers. Feel free to drop us an or call to speak with our experienced sales staff.
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Yes, please call 800-642- to speak with one of our experienced sales staff between 8 AM and 5PM Eastern Standard Time. Or, you can send us your details by to . We’ll get back to you within the next business day.
Manual chain hoists, chain falls, and lever hoists are the most basic type of hoisting equipment. They’re ideal for short lifts in maintenance use, where electric or air power isn’t available, in lower capacities or where portability is critical. Manual and lever hoists are inexpensive and easy to maintain.
Shupper-Brickle offers manual hoists and lever hoists from a range of manufacturers including: CM, Harrington, Coffing, All Material Handling, Oz, and Yale.
Where electricity is available, an electric-powered chain hoist is an economical and effective choice for loads up to 5 tons. Electric chain hoists lift loads quickly and smoothly, and a dual-speed option maximizes accuracy in positioning. Chain requires less initial investment than wire rope, though it’s not ideal for heavier loads or long lifts.
Shupper-Brickle offers electric chain hoist from these manufacturers: CM, Harrington, Coffing, Budgit, Yale, Chester, and R&M.
Electric wire rope hoists are used for heavier loads, usually 5 tons or higher, or when the hoist is operated from a bridge crane. Wire rope is also used for lifts of 20 ft or more where the lifted load would interfere with a chain container.
While requiring a higher initial investment, wire rope hoists offer maximum lift, speed, and flexibility of design.
Shupper-Brickle offers electric wire rope hoists from these manufacturers: Yale, Electrolift, Acco Wright, Harrington, Detroit, R&M, CM, Coffing, Shawbox, and Saturn.
A pneumatic or air hoist operates by using compressed air or compressed nitrogen. Benefits of an air-powered hoist include better control speed, higher duty cycles, smaller size, and no risk of electrical shock. Because this equipment is powered by compressed air, it’s safe for hazardous locations, as defined by the National Electric Code. Spark resistant features are also available. While air hoists have a substantially simpler design than the electric-powered equivalent, they have a higher operational noise, slower lifting speeds, and require plant air pressure of 90 PSI.
Shupper-Brickle offers air-powered hoists from these industry-leading manufacturers: CM, Detroit, Harrington, JD Neuhaus, Coffing, Budgit, Yale, Chester, Ingersoll-Rand, R&M, David Round and Electrolift.
Standard .179, Section (j) of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s code relates to inspections of overhead and gantry cranes. The code requires that all equipment be subject to (3) types of inspections: “Initial” or prior to each use; ”“Frequent” defined as daily to monthly; and “Periodic” defined as 1 to 12 month intervals. The code goes on to list specific features that must be examined and included in the inspection.
To comply with this code, please contact Shupper-Brickle’s Service Department for OSHA compliant inspection and analysis of your systems. We also offer operator training, rigging training, and maintenance training classes, which reduce liability and increase operator knowledge.
Please note that this is only a summary of the guidelines. Please call our office for further information or refer to the government’s web site for a more complete set of OSHA guidelines.
For more practical information, see our Blog Post: How Often Should My Overhead Crane be Inspected?
A fall hazard is anything in the workplace that could cause an unintended loss of balance or bodily support and result in a fall. For Example:
It’s important to note that fall hazards are foreseeable. You can identify and eliminate them before injuries occur.
Put simply, fall protection is a backup in case of the worker’s loss of balance. More exactly, it’s a planned system used to protect a worker from death or potential injury in the event they lose their footing while performing a task at height. While the term often implies a fall arrest system or equipment such as harnesses and lanyards, fall protection is whatever measures will eliminate fall hazards, prevent falls, and ensure that workers who may fall aren’t injured.
Fall protection is a general term that covers all methods of protecting workers from falls from height. Fall arrest specifically describes systems that arrest a falling body after a fall from height. Fall restraint describes systems designed with specific length lanyards that keep a worker’s center of gravity from reaching a fall hazard.
OSHA addresses fall protection in both code #29 CFR (general industry) and #29 CFR (construction industry). These codes specify that fall protection is required if at any time while doing their job, a worker could freefall more than the legal “trigger height.”
While trigger heights vary by state, here are the most common:
Also, section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act or the “General Duty Clause” requires each employer “shall furnish… a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”
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The relatively new ANSI standard Z359.2 (released in October ) defines all the employer responsibilities for providing fall protection to workers in General Industry. OSHA can reference all ANSI Z359 standards as requirements under OSHA’s “General Duty Clause”. Note that the standard Z359.2 works equally well for the construction industry.
Employers are responsible for identifying fall hazards at the site, eliminating the hazard, and taking steps to prevent falls or ensuring that employees are not seriously injured in the event of a fall.
Employees must follow safe work practices, use equipment properly, and participate in training. It’s critical for employees to learn to recognize unsafe practices, know the tasks that increase the risk of falling, and understand how to control exposure to fall hazards.
During each phase of a project, it’s critical for architects and engineers to educate employers about any hazards that could expose workers to falls. When designing buildings and structures, they must consider fall protection and other safety needs of those who will do the construction work.
Building owners and managers must ensure that those who do construction or maintenance work on their property know how to protect themselves from falls, are aware of installed anchorages, and know how to use their fall protection equipment.
OSHA requires that employers provide workers with self-rescue capability or prompt rescue after a fall from height. Self-rescue simply means that the worker uses a device or a procedure to return back to the safety of the working surface or some other safe lower surface. There are many pieces of equipment available that enable a worker to rescue themselves, for example rigid track systems used with self-retracting lanyards can limit total fall distances to the point where the worker simply “steps up” to safety after falling only a few inches.
Fall protection equipment should be inspected by the user before each use and should also be inspected at least once a year by a Competent Person who is designated by the employer to oversee the fall protection program. Note that the Competent Person can inspect the equipment more frequently if the use is severe.
Shupper-Brickle Equipment offers OSHA compliant fall protection inspections as well as Competent Person training.
Since fall protection is an ongoing responsibility in the workplace, employers frequently designate a key personnel to act as a manager and custodian of the fall protection equipment. This employee, deemed the Competent Person, shall have current knowledge of fall protection methods, issues, and practices and shall maintain this current knowledge through practice, experience or education.
OSHA requires non-certified anchorages to be capable of supporting lbs per person attached, or to be designed as part of a complete fall protection system designed by a “Qualified Person”. A Qualified Person is generally a person with an engineering degree who is also knowledgeable in the requirements of fall protection systems.
Absolutely not. A 900 lb rating refers to 900 lbs maximum arresting force (MAF). The weight limit for workers carrying tools on the same system is a different measurement. For most systems, it’s 310 lbs.
Fall arrest applications shall be evaluated and designed by a Qualified Person, per OSHA, and fall arrest equipment selection should be in accordance with ANSI guidelines. Contact Shupper-Brickle Equipment for a free estimate on complete fall arrest systems, components and services.
(FAQ information courtesy of Rigid Lifelines)
During the hundreds of classes, Columbus McKinnon’s training team has conducted over the years, there are a variety of questions that arise regarding the use, maintenance and inspection of overhead cranes and hoists. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to outline seven of the most common concerns, myths, and misconceptions we’ve received from crane and hoist operators and technicians during our classes.
Answer: According to ASME B30.11, rated load markings are not required on monorails but are recommended. Before marking the monorail, a qualified person must determine the rated load on the monorail beam. Once the monorail is marked, the rating should be legible from the ground floor. ASME’s recommendation also applies to marking the rated loads of hoists on the monorail. For more information on hoist marking guidelines, see ASME B30.16.
Answer: The short answer to your question is “yes.” However, ASME B30.16 stipulates that when a system is comprised of components with different rated capacities, the rated load of the “system” shall be based on the lowest-rated individual component.
System is defined as the combination of Monorail, Hoist and Trolley in the case of a Monorail and Crane; Hoist and Trolley in the case of an Underhung Crane.
ASME B30.16-1.3.2 states that the supporting structure, including trolleys, monorail, or crane, shall be designed to withstand the loads and forces imposed by the hoist for the rated load.
Important note: As of , ASME B30.11 Monorails & Underhung Cranes and ASME B30.17 were consolidated. This was done to better harmonize the standards, as many people have noticed in the past that B30.11 and B30.17 had similar wording and, in some instances, were exactly the same. This can cause confusion when referencing and interpreting the standards. Therefore, the ASME committees for both standards came to a consensus and created only one standard that refers to Cranes & Monorails (With Underhung Trolley or Bridge). This standard is ASME B30.17. You can see a cover page of the standard here
Answer: There is no specific time period during which load tests must be performed once the initial installation is inspected and load tested. Some states require operators to load test hoists and cranes every four years, but, in most cases, if the hoist is not altered, repaired or modified, it can remain in service indefinitely without a load test being required.
Answer: This depends on the type of crane. OSHA regulation .179 applies to top-running overhead and gantry cranes with top-running trolley hoists. For these types of cranes, monthly inspections of the hoist’s chain, wire rope and hooks are required with a recorded certification. This certification record must include the signature of the person who performed the inspection and the identifier of the chain, wire and hook that was inspected. If a hoist and trolley are underhung, frequent inspections are required, but written documentation is not.
Answer: According to ASME standards, you must be a “qualified person” to inspect and repair cranes and hoists. A “qualified person” is a person who, by possession of a recognized degree or certificate of professional standing, or who, by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter and work. These individuals do not have to be professional engineers.
Answer: Hoist disassembly is not always required for yearly inspections. What is found during the inspection typically determines how far you need to break down the hoist. Be sure to reference the manufacturer’s OEM manual when disassembling any hoist.
Answer: According to OSHA .184 and ASME B30.9, slings do not require latches on the hooks, unlike hoist and crane hooks where latches are required unless they constitute a hazard.
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