6.5.6 Accessories and Additional Fitments

Consideration must be given to any accessories that are to be used with the hoist. In addition to extra control facilities, such as working limits, a wide range of accessories is available to suit certain applications.

6.5.6.1 

In the case of a power operated chain hoist, the slack chain collecting box, bucket or bag is perhaps the most common and important accessory and the following points should be considered:

  1. Without a collecting box the slack chain will hang loose from the hoist. This could be a source of danger as it may catch on the load or other obstructions or strike the operative if allowed to hang freely.

  2. A purpose designed slack chain collecting box may be used to house the chain safely, but it must be of adequate capacity to house all of the chain. If the box is of inadequate capacity, the chain can spill over and, rather like a siphon, once this occurs all the chain will be pulled from the box at an accelerating rate. The uncontrolled fall of the chain could inflict serious injury upon any personnel in its path, as well as subjecting the hoist to a high shock load. Another effect of the box being of inadequate size is that the chain may feed into the hoist with links in the wrong plane causing damage to the hoist and in extreme cases breaking the chain and allowing the load to drop. It should also be noted that a build up of chain may cause the hoisting limit to operate cutting out the motion. Special care must be taken if the hoist has been re-chained for a greater range of lift than that for which it was originally designed and rated.

  3. The box should be provided with suitable drainage to prevent a build up of moisture which could corrode the chain.

6.5.6.2 

When electric power operated hoists are required to operate both inside and outdoor, consideration should be given to the use of a weatherproof cover. This should form a large enough canopy to prevent the hoist being directly exposed to rain, etc.

6.5.6.3 

When electric power operated hoists are required to operate over furnaces and quench tanks, etc., the use of a heat shield should be considered. This should be large enough to prevent the hoist being directly exposed to flames.

6.5.6.4 

When electric power operated hoists are used in steam-laden atmospheres, such as dye houses and laundries, special precautions are necessary to limit corrosion. Consideration should therefore be given to the use of galvanised wire rope, plated chain and additional lubrication points or specially sealed for life bearings. Sealed body casings to prevent the ingress of moisture are also available. Alternative control methods should also be considered, such as pull cords or remote devices. A wide range of accessories and additional fitments are available to suit these and other severe conditions.

Note

Electric power operated hoists should only be used outdoors or over furnaces, or other similar environments, with the approval of a Competent Person.