How Lifting Attachments Can Improve Your Worksite

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Industries like mining, manufacturing and chemicals handling rely heavily on their lifting equipment. When efficiency and safety is key, attachments like cages, stillages, forklift jibs, barrel clamps and slings can dramatically improve the way you work. While high quality lifting attachments are an ongoing expense for a business, the benefits they offer can dramatically improve your bottom line. In this article we’re going to explore a few of the ways forklift and crane attachments can improve your worksite, reduce expenses and protect workers from harm.

Expand the Use of Cranes and Forklifts

Forklifts and cranes are some of the most versatile pieces of equipment on your site. They simplify the process of handling all sorts of materials, and the investment is far outweighed by the benefits they offer. While forklifts and overhead cranes are powerful machines, they’re limited by the design of their lifting attachments. As much as materials handling uses standardised barrels, buckets and pallets, you will probably still find yourself needing custom lifting attachments at some point.

Custom crane and forklift attachments can greatly expand the use of cranes and forklifts. The right attachments mean you don’t have to worry about whether the load you’re lifting has compatible lifting points. Instead, forklift and crane attachments can allow your staff to safely handle large or awkward loads, like pipes, coils, sheets, barrels, baskets and more.

Greater Materials Handling Efficiency

Expanding the use of your forklift and crane systems through attachments ultimately reduces the strain on your workforce. The ability to mechanically handle loads greatly speeds up the processing of materials. Where manual handling is strenuous and time-consuming, mechanical lifting attachments can make light work of any load. The added bonus is that many types of forklift and crane attachments – like slings, cages and stillages – are ubiquitous. That means they can be used to handle a huge variety of materials, and your team won’t be required to spend time switching between attachments for each task.

The other core efficiency offered by forklift attachments is space savings. If you’re working on a site where storage space is tight, lifting equipment attachments can provide a dedicated storage solution that maximises your use of floor space. Stackable stillages can be used to store all types of products safely. Then, when you need your materials, they’re ready to be transported by forklift or crane with no additional packing or handling required.

Improved Safety Standards

Workplace safety is a major consideration in every industry. Especially in harsh environments like mining, manufacturing, warehousing and power generation, managing employee safety is critical. Forklift and crane attachments offer a huge range of efficiencies that don’t impact your staff’s safety. In fact, the right forklift or crane attachment can actually improve safety onsite by eliminating unnecessary handling risks.

Simple attachments like bin handlers, carpet poles and lifting slings can all support your safety initiatives. By reducing temptation to handle loads manually, you’ll be looking after your employees’ safety and encouraging safe working practices onsite.

Reduced Costs

The efficiencies and improved safety offered by forklift and crane attachments ultimately leads to reduced operational costs. The time your team saves and the reduction in workplace injuries saves the business money and allows workers to focus their energy in areas that require their judgement. And, although your forklift and crane attachments are an investment in their own right, the cost savings outweigh the expense.

Supplying forklift and crane attachments is often a basic requirement in providing your employees with the tools they need to work effectively. This sends a message that the business cares about their safety, which encourages further efficiencies and allows your team to take an active role in maintaining safe, efficient and cost-effective handling practices.

Easy Storage, Handling and Transport

Finally, the biggest benefit of using crane and forklift attachments is the simplification of storage, handling and transport processes. The right attachments are purpose-built for your application. That means it’s simple to transport materials around the site and between locations, including long-distance travel. This reduces the risks associated with handling and minimises breakage in transport, which can go on to have a major impact on your expenses.

If that’s not enough, lifting attachments like stillages and pallet cages can also double as storage solutions. Features like stacking feet, access gates and removable panelling allow stillages to be used for storing all types of materials, including loose, oversized or odd-shaped components. The simplicity of these storage systems is the key to operational efficiency and reducing time-consuming and costly double handling onsite.