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CRANES ENABLE SAFER TECHNICAL SERVICES
PRESS INFORMATION - PENNY HYRAULICS
Issue Date: 14 October 2009 Ref: PEN09/30
Most editorial about safe handling in the pub and brewery focuses
on deliveries of crates, barrels and other “wet” items.
But another vital but often overlooked task that involves handling
of large and heavy loads is technical services. The same health
and safety considerations concerning manual handling and duty
of care apply so it makes sense that a similar solution may
be appropriate.
A typical task for a technical services engineer involves handling
beer coolers in and out of a cellar when routine maintenance
identifies that a replacement is more economical than repair
of the existing unit. Like many other items maintained by technical
services these coolers are bulky and their weight is well above
the recommended limits for safe manual handling. Installation
and replacement must be completed quickly to avoid disruption
to the pub’s operations, efficiently to minimise costs
and safely to ensure the engineer and expensive and delicate
equipment are not at risk.
One popular solution is to install a crane on the technical
services vehicle. Compact and lightweight cranes such as the
Penny Hydraulics Swing Lift Miniloader are ideal for loads up
to 250kg, making them more than capable of handling coolers,
gas cylinders and other items. They are simple to use, inexpensive
to specify and flexible enough to support a variety of tasks
without getting in the way of other equipment on the vehicle.
In use the crane handles the load on and off the vehicle. Using
an integral winch the item can then be lowered slowly and safely
into, or retrieved from, the cellar without any manual handling
or lifting. Many breweries, including Leicestershire based Everards,
have found many advantages in working this way in addition to
safer handling. For example, technical services engineers can
often work on their own, rather than taking a colleague to help
with lifting. This improves productivity because engineers can
be deployed more efficiently. The cost of the crane will soon
be paid back in labour savings alone. Just as importantly, the
risk of damage to equipment is reduced significantly and the
engineer can work safely without having to ask the landlord
for help lifting or moving items.
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