No 'cock bar' escapes inspection

The "lifting beam" is an indispensable component at many properties when moving and vertically transporting goods to upper floors. It can be a horizontal lifting beam protruding from the facade at its highest point, a steel three-point lifting device or a lifting hook under a gutter. For business use, the lifting structure must comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and for private use, legislation regarding property liability applies.

The required safety inspection of this form of lifting structure is performed by the inspectors of the independent inspection institute Aboma. "An inspection is an absolute requirement," assures Peter van Luijk, equipment inspector at Aboma. The company from Ede is known as a specialist in safety in the construction industry and vertical transport and offers inspection and certification services, among other things. "We focus on increasing safety, quality and sustainability in the construction and vertical transport industry. We do this with a team of about one hundred specialists who are skilled in all disciplines."

Examples of hane bars, modern and classic.

Case study
At a residential building on the J.P. Heijestraat in Amsterdam-West, he shows how the inspection is carried out in close cooperation with the company Hanebalk BV from Amsterdam. Hanebalk BV, the only official address for the inspection of this type of lifting structure, facilitates the inspection by making a work survey in advance with regard to the accessibility of the lifting structure. Hanebalk BV arranges the necessary traffic facilities and ensures that the test weight is in the right place under the hook. The inspection is completely independent; both Aboma and Hanebalk BV have no interest in the result.

In this case, the inspection includes a visual inspection from the aerial platform of a wooden handrail, which is part of the rafter structure. This can already reveal whether there is wood rot, for example. Van Luijk: "This mainly occurs where the beam enters the wall; preservation is lacking at this point and rainwater is insufficiently held back."

The visual inspection is followed by the tensile force measurement with a test weight of five hundred kilograms. This weight is attached to a cable with a hoist, after which the tension on the cable is slowly increased until five hundred kilos of tensile force is transferred to the beam and the hoisting hook. Van Luijk: "The beam must pass this test, or no approval will follow. As a safe working load, the user is allowed to hang four hundred kilos on the lifting hook. When using rope and block, that means that you can actually hoist two hundred kilos up, because to create balance you also need two hundred kilos on the pulling side."

Examples of hane bars, modern and classic.

Inspection report and certificate
One of the beams in J.P. Heijestraat does not meet the requirements; it bends too far. Van Luijk: "That one was covered with wooden slats, so it has already been tinkered with. This beam is provided with a label, which warns that the beam may not be used. The client will receive a warning letter following the inspection, so they are aware of the decommissioning." It is up to the principal to follow that up further. "Upon approval, the client receives the Aboma inspection report and a certificate," says company manager Frans Krabbenbosch of Hanebalk BV. "The validity of an Aboma approved moving beam is seven years for private use and one year for commercial use. Hanebalk BV has linked an insurance policy to the inspection, which provides seven years of coverage if the lifting construction meets the requirements set by Aboma."