The ultimate lifting gear guide blog article about commonly used lifting gear.

When it comes to lifting heavy loads, especially in industrial settings there is a plethora of products available which will aid in different lifting operation.

All lifting tasks carry risks so it is important to follow all recommended safety procedures, use your lifting gear as stated in the manufacturers manual and above all ensure your gear is tested and certified for its intended use. Buying your lifting gear from a reputable company should ensure you get quality products that are safe to use with all the necessary certification required. You will also get the back up required should things go wrong.

For example, when buying items like chain hoists from online market places that sell everything from scissors to beds, and glue to gazebos, you don’t know exactly what you will get or who the seller is. There will likely be no back up, so if a part needs replacing you will be stuck.

Thus the recommendation for purchasing your lifting gear from a reputable company. Lifting Gear. Store are leading online suppliers of lifting gear in the UK. We don’t just supply the goods; we have engineers for repairs, load testing and inspections (a must for all lifting gear) and access to most spares should they be required. What’s more as we have been in the Lifting industry for decades we have the knowledge to offer sound advice if you need it.

Our website is kept simple, without the choice of dozens of items that essentially do the same thing. So we have chosen our favourite tried and tested and/or best selling products which should suit the majority of lifting tasks.

Here is a short breakdown of our most commonly used lifting gear.

Hoisting and Lifting

Hoisting plays a key role in many lifting applications.

Here you will find electric chain hoists, The Delta DEH is our go to hoisting system. For builders we have a couple of scaffold hoists from L’Europea. Attach them to scaffolding on your construction site and lifting your tools and materials will be safer and easier.

Manual hoists include our Delta chain block available in safe working loads up to 5000kg or the ratchet pull lift / lever hoist.

Electric hoists will require little or no physical effort whilst manual hoists will need a fair amount. Though the upside to manual hoists is that they can be used in many more areas due to needing no power supply.

Beam trolleys and clamps are also typically used with hoisting systems as a means of attachment to a steel beam. A beam clamp remains stationary whilst a trolley can move across the beam, thus move the attached load.

Another product to mention here, (although not technically a hoist) is the cable pulling winch. Whilst it can be used to lift it is more commonly used for pulling loads. Our top capacity Deltafor cable puller can lift up to 3200kg or pull 5200kg. These versatile devices are commonly used for vehicle recovery, forestry, rescue, construction and other tensioning tasks.

Hydraulic bottle jacks are a versatile lifting solution, they are typically used for jacking up vehicles or other loads with minimal ground clearance and that don’t need lifting too high.

Loose Lifting Tackle

This area incorporates items typically used for connections. Here you will find the likes of lifting slings, shackles and eye bolts.

There are 3 key types of lifting slings; chain, web and round slings. Each have their own set of properties and benefits and will generally be chosen according to the load you are lifting and the lifting operation set up.

Our eye bolts provide an anchor point and are typically fitted to the load itself. They come in two key varieties; collared or swivel. Collared eye bolts are probably the most commonly used ones, they come in a choice of thread type and safe working load up to a whopping 20 ton.

Swivel eye bolts are more versatile as they swivel in the direction of pull caused by a sling being pulled by a hoist for example. There will be no risk of the swivel eye bolt twisting out.

Handling Specific Loads

Some loads will need specific equipment to lift them securely. Our solar panel lifting bags are perfect for lifting and handling solar panels safely whilst also offering them protection during the lift. These bags can also be used for other panel type loads such as boards, frames, even radiators.

Sheet steel handling is another type of load that requires specific equipment to lift them. There are 2 types of products commonly used, they are plate lifting clamps or lifting magnets. A plate clamp grips the edges of the sheets whilst a magnet attaches to the flat surface by magnetic force.

Load moving equipment is another area with multiple product types which aid in the moving of large loads such as furniture or machinery.

Our furniture movers are ideal for cabinetry type loads when moving the item from place to place. These are commonly used by removal businesses. Machine moving skates are somewhat smaller. They are like a platform on wheels and slip under the load so that it can be pushed around. There are a few variations including a set with multiple skates in so compare your options.

Working at Height Safety

Height safety equipment is commonly used on a daily basis by many types of workers. If you work at height then some form of equipment must be used to prevent accidents.

Body harnesses and safety lanyards are the typical options, however there are many different types of each so choosing the right on can be difficult. Our height safety kits make the choice easier. We have combined a full body harness with suitable lanyard all in a carry bag. The kits are suited to specific tasks such as a scaffolders kit. We also offer a restraint harness kit, ideal for work positioning.

Lifting Gear Guide Conclusion

The above mentions only commonly used items of lifting gear with brief descriptions. It is important to research the gear you intend to purchase to ensure it will meet all your requirements as well as the health and safety requirements.

For help and advice on lifting gear and/or its use then contact a leading UK lifting gear specialist such as Lifting Gear.Store (operated by Lifting Equipment LTD.) 01384 76961 is the number to call.