As with most healthcare equipment, hoist servicing and maintenance is necessary to make sure the systems are up to scratch. Not only do these tests and check-ups ensure that the hoist is working properly, it also ensures that the equipment is safe and suitable for carrying people from one location to another.
But a lot of people don’t know exactly what is entailed with hoist servicing and maintenance. So here’s your quick guide on it all!
By law, any person or company that has patient lifting equipment must carry out a Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) check every six months. This is to make sure that the equipment is posing no threat to the health and safety of its users.
One of the things the LOLER test checks is the safe working load. For example, our AirRise200 has a safe working load of 200kg, so the engineer will check that the unit can still lift this amount of weight.
With any Innova hoist systems, we often design them to hold 1.5x the weight specified. So if you need a ceiling track hoist that can carry people up to 200kg in weight, then we’ll make sure it can hold 300kg.
When our engineers carry out LOLER tests, they make sure that the hoist can hold the maximum weight for 10 minutes, and they check how the hoist performs when the maximum capacity is being moved around. This is just to make sure that our equipment is performing just as good as it was the first day it was installed.
As the engineer tests the hoist, they’ll fill out a LOLER form. They’ll mark the track hoist on all of its components from the spreader bar and lifting tape, to the trolleys and motors.
The engineer will also look at the electrical components of your hoist unit. This includes the:
Overhead hoist systems need servicing once every year. The servicing includes the entire system, so we look at the tracks and all the components involved and make sure that they’re all working as they should.
In terms of the actual system, your engineer will examine the rails themselves for any wear and tear. They’ll look at how smooth the rails are, and they’ll look for any visible cracks in the walls where the tracking is installed.
They will also take a closer look at the different components of the track including any transit couplings, turntables, and track switches. We’ll also check the charger for any damage or malfunctions.
The servicing will also include an examination of the hoist lifting tape and the casing itself. There should be no cracks in the cover of the unit.
Once they have looked it all over, they’ll test the entire system with and without weights to make sure it’s all working as it should be.
Arranging for your hoist systems to be serviced isn’t difficult if you’ve got a good hoist supplier. You can usually take out service contracts where the supplier will let you know when your LOLER and servicing is due, and they’ll come out and do it all for you.
But if you’re not wanting to take a contract, you can book for your ceiling track hoist system to be serviced and LOLER tested as and when just by booking it in with your hoist supplier.
Overall, getting your overhead hoist system serviced and tested is very straightforward, and it gives you great peace of mind that your equipment is working as it should be. Don’t forget that your LOLER test is needed by law every six months.
If you’d like to find out more about hoist servicing contracts, then click here.
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