Switched from a standard hook block to a swivel type on the 80-tonner

I always thought they were just extra gear for fancy lifts, but after a tricky pick last month in a tight yard, the foreman insisted. The load spun once and settled without any tagline fuss, which saved us maybe twenty minutes of repositioning. Anyone run into a situation where a simple swivel made the whole lift smoother?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia4787d ago

Honestly, I used to be the same way. Thought swivels were just for show on the spec sheet. Then we had to set a long HVAC unit on a roof with a serious offset. The rigger threw one on, and watching the load just turn itself into position without fighting the crane was a thing of beauty. It cut out a whole lift plan rework. Sometimes the simple fix is right there.

simonw416d ago

That rigger got lucky. On the 12-story job in Tempe last year, a swivel failed mid-swing on a glass panel. The whole load went into a spin and nearly took out a scaffold. The post-failure report showed the swivel was rated fine, but had unseen saltwater corrosion from a past coastal job. Now our site rule is no swivels on any critical lift under 50 feet. They add a failure point you can't always see.