Information on this page is drawn from "Carpenter/Cross-Trades: Material Handling Lift" published by intel
NOTE: Request for permission pending.
Task
Aluminum and steel beams must be moved into an interstitial space for installation.
Exposure
12', 150 lb. aluminum beams and 8', 80 lb. steel beams needed to be moved from the sub floor up into the interstitial space overhead. A distance of 16 feet. The only existing access was up a very steep temporary stair case built for workers to access the interstitial space. The angle of the stair case and number and weight of the beams needing to be installed made manual carrying of the beams unacceptable. The workers would have been exposed to forceful exertion and awkward postures.
Intervention Process
The crew built a power driven lift to move the beams from the floor through an opening made in the deck of the interstitial that would accommodate the beam size. The lift frame and platform were constructed out of unistrut and a 110V electrical winch was installed to move the lift up and down. Trolley wheels were used to slide the platform up and down the unistrut frame. The beams were then easily moved onto the lift and then mechanically raised up into the interstitial space. Hundreds of beams were installed.
Materials
All materials can be easily purchased off the shelf. The design and construction of the lift was an added cost, but the elimination of worker exposure to awkward posture, forceful exertion and repetitive motion was significant. With the use of the mechanical material handling system also created a significant time savings.
