More work is needed to ensure that non-standard lifts are carried out safely, according to a leading expert.

All Material Handling (AMH) believes that too many non-traditional lifts are still taking place using the wrong hoist rings and eyebolts, creating unnecessary safety risks.

Peter Brettner, CEO of ‘below the hook’ equipment supplier All Material Handling, said: “Whether on a construction site, in a machine shop, or at a manufacturing facility, there are two primary goals: move the load without damaging it; and make it home safely at the end of your shift.

“We’re still seeing a lot of incorrect use of eye bolts in particular. Traditional eyebolts are best used for straight in-line lifts only, or they incur a significant reduction in the working load limit. The old school alternative was often to wrap a round sling around the load and see how it went, but frankly both can be an accident waiting to happen.”

While a sling and some hooks are usually suitable for a standard lift with easy connections such as a shackle and welded eye or plate, a non-traditional lift like a large motor or a flat gear can be much more challenging. In these cases, AMH recommends rotating hoist rings, as they are specifically designed to lift from the focal point and keep the load centered – traditional eyebolts can tend to sideload.

AMH is adding the Cartec series of lifting points and rotating hoist rings to its product portfolio, ensuring that riggers have easy access to the right tools for the job when it’s a non-standard load. The Cartec 807 series of rotating eyebolts provide a 100% working load limit at any angle allowed by the corresponding user’s manual – and the load limit is clearly visible on the bolt itself, eliminating guesswork.

“Using the right swivel hoist ring and rotating eyebolt means there is no more second-guessing the reduced working load limit of a standard eyebolt because it is not an inline pull. The load limit is easily checked as it’s forged into the product and doesn’t change,” added Peter.

“There is also no more shimming the shoulder to get a proper lift angle, which can happen with traditional eyebolts – or worse, risk having lousy positioning and causing a failure. Contractors are increasingly focused on enhancing safety. While a swivel eyebolt has a slightly higher price than a standard eyebolt, this is nothing compared to the human and financial cost of an incident that causes injury or even death.”

AMH offers a full line of lifting points ranging from 6mm all the way up to 100mm, offering 0.3t to 40t WLL, available in both UNC and metric threads. Styles include rotating eyebolts, standard swivel hoist rings, off-set swivel hoist rings, ball bearing options for swiveling under load, and even stainless-steel rotating eyebolts.

For further information on when to use rotating eyebolts, contact AMH on (877)-543-8264 or via email at sales@allmaterialhandling.com.