Lifting gear is utilised within the construction industry for various purposes. It needs to be serviced and maintained on a regular basis in order to ensure that it is operating at maximum safety and at maximum efficiency.

There are many different types of lifting gear which require different safety testing methods. Before safety tests are carried out instruments used in heavy lifting are generally stripped and cleaned of all dirt and oil that they have accumulated since their last check.

This is normally done through industrial cleaning methods such as shot blasting or chemical cleaning which also removes paint to take machinery back to its original state. The type of cleaning method chosen depends on the fragility or size of the machinery being cleaned. For more delicate items shot blasting is not appropriate. Large items can be placed in a soak tank where chemicals gradually soak dirt and grime from the parts of the machinery. Smaller items can be placed in a type of metal laundry system or a polishing box, which is the normal method for cleaning chain.

It is very important that any machinery is thoroughly clean before checks and repairs are carried out as if it is not this can impair any maintenance that is carried out.

A repair company that deals with lifting gear will have highly trained staff who understand the rules and regulations surrounding cleaning and repairing lifting gear. They will also have access to a wide range of spare parts and other equipment to aid repair should they be needed.

Once any repair work and cleaning has been carried out machinery will then be thoroughly checked and tested to ensure safety. This can involve checking machinery for minute cracks or fractures or any flaws which could make the machinery less safe.

Any lifting gear will be measured against specific criteria to ensure that it meets all the necessary standards. Testers will also provide a thorough set of paperwork detailing all the safety tests that have been carried out and what the results of these tests were.

After all tests have been carried out and machinery has been deemed to be safe and in excellent working order it will be placed in the paint shop ready to be repainted and brought up to standard to be used again. Generally, any paint or finishing work will be undertaken by machine which gives the best result and ensures that each piece of machinery adheres to the highest standards of quality.