New Ecology Block Lifter- The 1567
Ecology Block Lifting has the challenge of, “Can I lift it by this eye?” There isn’t a universal answer, which tells you all you need to know. Even when it shows up with the lifting eye built in, you are supposed to have paperwork, instructions, or a label on the piece saying what the lifting point is rated for and what the item weighs. If it’s a single lifting point, the weight of the item is sufficient. This has been discussed for literally decades. OSHA 1926.251 is the requirement for the US, and the discussions can be found in the Letters of Interpretation that repeatedly call this standard out. There is zero reason why the industry doesn’t understand this other than we’ve normalized the risks associated with lifting, and this is an example.
Some manufacturers rate their lifting eyes for three lifts.
Out of the form.
On to the truck.
Off the truck and into place.
WorkSafe BC has a directive on the matter. They advise the people in their jurisdictions to have an alternative to the lifting eye. We lift them for years when that’s not the intended use. being near one and it failing is detrimental to health. We can prevent that with our clamps.
We’ve developed a new solution that is ASME B30.20 rated. It makes lifting ecology blocks easy. The clamp is automated. When lifted by the eye, when you set it down and attempt to lift it again, it will try to clamp the product. If a block is there, it will lift up to 5500 lbs with the 300% safety factor. The means and methods are guided by ASME, overseen by a third party at the factory, including to the safety factor in the prototype phase. Most other manufacturers test to 125% as is required under ASME as a proof test. In Germany, it’s to 300%. If you claim your lifter is rated to 300% and it’s a matter of safety, just prove it. And that’s what we do.
Eichinger Ecology Block Clamp 1567
If you are lifting ecology blocks regularly, you should just have the right tool for the job. This is it. Don’t have your teams lifting it to put on rigging, then lifting it to take off the rigging. Each one of those lifts is a chance the eye fails and you shock load the crane, or the block drops, and will it land flat, roll, or will someone have a hand under as it lets go? You can eliminate the risk with this tool. Speed up the operations at the same time. Let’s face it, if you are using an excavator to build a retaining wall with ecology blocks, you are making these lifts hundreds of times. Lifting them on the eyes or transferring rigging on and off while relying on an eye that is not rated is not a risk you’ll want to explain later. Just get the right tool for the job. We can help. sales@cranegear.net
