Do stonemasons have to constantly lift and carry heavy loads? Those days are long gone: Today, most companies have a wide range of tools available to make their work easier, whether for moving loads within the company, on a construction site, or at a cemetery. We asked suppliers what solutions they’ve developed specifically for our industry.
“Lifting and Carrying Without Causing Damage”
To prevent hazards or long-term health damage to workers who must lift and carry heavy loads as part of their jobs, lawmakers enacted the “Regulation on Safety and Health Protection in the Manual Handling of Loads at Work” (abbreviated as the Load Handling Regulation or LasthandhabV).
In addition, the “Hettinger Table” has been in use since 1981; it specifies—depending on age, gender, and the frequency of lifting—the maximum weights that may be lifted in the workplace. In the 19- to 45-year-old age group, for example, women may frequently lift up to ten kilograms, and men up to thirty kilograms.
The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has published a brochure on this topic titled “Lifting and Carrying Without Injury,” which can be downloaded at the following link: www.baua.de. We presented one way to reduce the strain on employees in STEIN 10/2020: exoskeletons, which are wearable, pneumatically or motor-driven lifting and carrying aids. However, these smart muscle-strength enhancers are mostly used at non-stationary workstations, for overhead work, and in situations where other aids are not available.
In stonemasonry workshops, as well as on construction sites and in cemeteries, there is a wide variety of cranes, hoists, and transport equipment that provide physical relief for employees. Vehicle-mounted, gantry, and overhead cranes in various designs, as well as a range of lifting and transport equipment, have become indispensable in today’s stonemasonry operations.
But even though most companies—both large and small—already have a comprehensive range of these tools, there are still new developments that catch our attention. Innovations within a particular category of machinery or tools often reflect broader industry trends. For example, current advancements in lightweight and highly versatile vacuum lifters signal the growing use of thin and delicate ceramic slabs. Similarly, new stone-lifting devices reflect ongoing developments in gardening and landscaping.
Vacuum Lifters
Vacuum lifters, which originated in the glass transport industry, are now used in the production processes of numerous industries and can lift loads ranging from feather-light to several metric tons. Devices originally intended for installing windows and facades have proven equally suitable for ceramic slabs and have therefore found their way into the workshops of many stone-processing companies. They also provide invaluable service on construction sites where large slabs need to be installed on walls and facades or placed on kitchen countertops.
The new cordless and intuitive Aero-Cube, for example, weighs just 20 kilograms yet can lift loads of up to 250 kilograms, with the vacuum system functioning effectively even on surfaces with grooves, recesses, and rough textures. In addition to the battery and pump that make it cordless, as well as the interchangeable suction plates, Aero-Lift Vacuum Technology’s smallest lifter also stands out from the competition thanks to two integrated lifting eyes, which allow it to move both horizontal and vertical loads. Another advantage is that it can be “docked” to existing lifting equipment such as forklifts and cranes.
Read more in STEIN 6/2021.
