24 Aug 2022
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING CRANE SCALES? HERE'S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are involved in an industry with heavy machinery or loads, you have likely heard of crane scales. This is because they can be the ideal solution for weighing large industrial applications and you might already use them within your business and with your customers.
In this article, we will go into more depth about the other benefits purchasing this item can have for your company and additional safety measures to take in order to keep safe.
If you have any questions at any point throughout reading this article, you can contact LES and a member of the team will be ready to help you.
So, let's start with the basics and ask the question...
WHAT ARE CRANE SCALES?
This item is arguably one of the most recognisable pieces of rigging equipment due to their wide use of applications.
They are also known as suspended scales, load links, or overhead weighing scales.
This measuring tool plays an important role with measuring loads and as a result can be, and is, used in various industries.
The industries you can expect to find them being used include warehouses, manufacturers, shipyards, construction sites, and more. Thanks to modern technology crane scales have easy-to-read and reliable readings that industries readily rely upon.
To give the short and sweet answer to the question, they are a weighing device that you can use to measure the weight of various industrial applications within the workplace.
BENEFITS OF USING CRANE SCALES
We established in our last article that cranes scales had many benefits. We mainly outlined that they helped weigh awkward loads, free up workspace, and give accurate measurements, but what other benefits can they have?
However, this is not all the benefits and we wanted to give you a few more to give you an idea of why it might be a great idea to invest in in this equipment.
Kicking us off is the benefit that they lessen the amount of forklift traffic within the workplace.
We briefly mentioned that this measuring tool allows for more space around the workplace, but we did not mention it allows forklift drivers more space to drive and do their job. By having more free space to drive a forklift it will avoid any crashes from occurring and will create a clear driving route for workers.
The next benefit is, it is not necessary to reserve or have a special room to keep crane scale devices.
Unlike other pieces of equipment such as webbing slings, this product does not have to be stored in a certain safe place.
At most, digital versions should be kept away from water to avoid any water damage from ruining the readers.
Please remember to inspect your measuring equipment regularly to ensure they are still in good condition to ensure accurate readings. You could do a quick check over the equipment to make sure there aren’t any cracks, and you could do a test scale reading to ensure everything is working correctly.
Third but not least, using one of these measuring tools helps save time because they are easy for workers to read.
They give you a digital reading and all the worker has to do is record the numbers down making it an easy process. Recording can be done by any employee and it is a relatively quick and easy job to get done. This means the time saved can be spent doing other jobs around the workplace.
Moreover, having pieces of equipment that are easy to operate means you should be able to save money when it comes to labour costs since only one person needs to be recording and operating the scales at one time.
So now you've got an idea of the benefits. Let's next look at the safety measures you need to consider when using this measuring tool whether in your garage or in the workpspace.
SAFETY MEASURES TO TAKE WHEN USING
SAFETY MEASURES TO TAKE WHEN USING
While your using scales, it is essential that you ensure that the device is installed appropriately in line with the rules and necessities that the manufacturer sets out in the relevant handbook. We always recommend you do this to avoid any problems with your devices, applications, and to comply with safety measures.
Using one improves levels of safety since it is safer to transport and use compared to other pieces of equipment. They are not bulky and easy to transport making them unlikely to cause any sort of injury when not in use or dropped.
Additionally, crane scales are supposed to be operated by those who are professionally trained just to avoid any accidents from occurring such as a load falling. Moreover, you should never go underneath a load that is suspended during weighing because this can cause serious injury if the load falls. The most common injuries that occur from falling loads are broken bones and we want to prevent that from happening at all costs. Always keep back from suspended loads and ensure all workers know the risks and when risky operations are taking place.
This measuring item, believe it or not, are used to help minimise some of the risks associated with lifting heavy and weighing heavy loads. This is because it reduces the amount of time spent transporting them, meaning it is better on your body since this item is relatively lightweight and small in size.
Remember you have to know the capacity of your version you have. Some versions can weigh loads up to 10,000kg or more but to obtain an accurate reading, you have to stay within the right capacity otherwise you may damage the measuring element or damage the hook that helps suspend the load. If the hook becomes damaged this could cause injury to you or a fellow worker if the load were to fall.
THINK YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING THIS MEASURING EQUIPMENT?
THINK YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING THIS MEASURING EQUIPMENT?
You now have a better understanding of the benefits this measuring tool can have and how to ensure you are safe when using.
If you are a company that regularly needs to weigh heavy objects and also wants the benefit of having more free space, a safer working area, and save money then crane scales may be for you.
You can always contact a member of our LES team to see how this product can help your company or to ask about a product that you think might be ideal for your industry.
