subject: Electric Hoists - The Basics [print this page] So what is an electric hoist? It is an electrically powered appliance that is used to lift, lower and even move heavy or awkward objects. They are mainly used to alleviate potential strain and injury on any person who needs to lift a heavy object or where the object is just much too heavy for a human to lift unaided.
Electric hoists are found in abundance across many different types of working areas, they are commonly used on construction sites, in warehouses, workshops, car maintenance garages, dockyards and large ships but there are numerous other places that they are utilised that you would not expect, for example, lifting large tree stumps out, or lowering a chandelier for maintenance and cleaning.
So how does an electric hoist work?
Firstly the hoist itself will need to be fixed onto a suitable anchor point via its top hook; this is often a jib or mobile gantry crane or other suitable load bearing structures capable of taking the weight of the load to be lifted. Once the hoist is safely fixed into its place then the chain may be lowered down from the hoist and attached to the load to be lifted, this can be done in a variety of different ways depending on the size and type of load. It is often the case to use further accessories such as a lifting sling, either chain or webbing, as it is easier to attach these to the load at various points to ensure that the load will be evenly balanced and therefore not tip, ensuring a safer lift. Once you are sure the load is secure you may slowly begin your lift using the powered hand held remote control. You should always stop the lift for a moment once the load is just clear of the ground, (a test lift) to make sure it is stable and secure before continuing, this procedure will minimise the risk of injury.
The majority of electric hoists have built in safety features; hooks will have safety catches so the load will not become disengaged. Most hoists will have a clutch system which slips at a preset torque; this is to prevent overloading the device which is very dangerous. Some electric hoists have a switch mechanism where the chain will mechanically engage if overloaded. Various newer hoists will have safety cut out switches for emergencies. These features are extremely important for safety reasons.
Why should electric hoists be used? A good question; there are many advantages of which the biggest is probably the safety issues, they greatly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries because they bear the whole weight or the load, the only thing the user has to do is ensure the load is secure and press the powered lift button, therefore there is little chance of injury to that person, which could have produced back problems had that person lifted the load him/herself. Cost efficiency as an additional benefit to using an electric hoist, they cost little to run, need only 1 person to operate it, and have good longevity if looked after. It could take many people to lift a load that a single hoist can easily lift, this reduces costs of extra manpower, and sick pay if an injury occurs, and using a hoist will also complete a lift much quicker, time is money!
So it seems like an electric hoist is a cost effective and much safer way to lift all types of objects, big or large, light or heavy, in all areas.
