Rigging gear for the modern day rigger

A modern day rigger is commonly found either in construction or working on the docks. A riggers job is to oversee heavy lifting. In construction this may be moving concrete structures with a crane to build large buildings. On the docks they may also use cranes or forklifts to transport shipping containers to and from ships.
As well as working with large machinery for heavy lifting, some basic physics are required to ensure safety. The rigger must have a good understanding of the torque required for lifting large objects. Pulleys can be used to allow the rigger to lift loads with less effort.

Here are some common rigging gear accessories that are used in the day to day operations of a rigger:

• Ropes / Cables - These are essential for lifting and moving objects with the help of a crane or hoist
• Chains - A chain is an alternative to ropes and cables and are used in many hoisting devices.
• Shackles - Shackles can be used to connect chains or rope to an anchor point. They can also be used to feed rope through if you are lifting something from above similar to the way a pulley operates
• Slings - Are used to wrap around large bulky object.
• Hooks - These are essential for connecting the object and can be connected to chains or slings for great flexibility
• Blocks - Blocks are a type of wheel pulley to feed rope or chain through. It’s a type of overhead lifting device normally mounted to a roof.

Re-purposing your forklift with a jib

Many warehouses have forklifts for moving pellets from A to B, however the trusty forklift doesn't just need to be used for moving pellets. There are many add-ons that can help re-purpose your forklift to be used in a variety of different ways.

Overhead Lifting

If you have a need to lift a heavy object from above and using a forklift would damage the bottom of the item, you can purchase a forklift jib to lift from above. This devise is designed to attach onto the forks and they can be raised to make a mini crane. Heavy object can be lifted from above with the use of chains or slings.

Transport of chemical drums

If your company deals with dangerous chemicals there are attachments that add clamps allowing for the safe movement of 44 gallon drums. These clamps attach to the drums top and the bottom allowing the drum to stand upright.

People mover

You may be interest to know that your forklift is not limited to just moving product, you can also use it to move people. Goods cages are designed to allow a person to get inside of a box while another person operates the forklift. This can allow them to reach products of high shelves putting them in or out of the goods box. The box attaches to the forks making it a perfect people mover. This will allow your employees to safely lift hard to reach products without the use of ladders which can be quite dangerous if you have products on a ladder.

Heavy Lifting Equipment Essentials

When you think of heavy lifting equipment, the first thing that comes to mind is cranes or forklifts. But there are many more essential heavy lifting products on the market used by factories and warehouses all over Australia.

Heavy lifting supplies are essential to keep the industrial sector moving. Some of the more common unsung hero's that keep this industry alive are:

Chains

Without chains you wouldn't be able to lift essential heavy lifting equipment such as manual hoists and electric hoists. There are many different sizes in chain links to suit various applications.

Wire rope

Wire rope can be used for heavy lifting where synthetic rope wont do. Wire rope can be fitted to both winches and hoist. Wire rope can be also available in stainless steel to allow more strength and rust corrosion resistant than regular rope. Some types of wire rope can actually be binded or contain plastic in the core to allow more movement and be more flexible for its intended purpose.

Shackles

Shackles are essential for many reasons including linking chains together or anchoring chains to a fixed area. They can also be used with rope for tying off.

Slings

Slings are normally attached to chains and perform a vital role in rapping around awkward shaped objects for the purpose of dragging or lifting them. An example of this may be a large motor where more than one sling is used to wrap around the engine and lift it above by a chain hoist.