Forklift question

The_Bullman

I'm doing a job to do where I've to lift steel beams into a ceiling opening where the bottom of the steel will end up flush with a hole in the concrete ceiling.

That is fine so far as the mast can pass through the hole in the roof.

However there are going to be parts that there isn't enough space for this.

In day's gone by I'd have stacked 5 pallets on top of each other, loaded the steel on top of this and then lift the whole lot up into position. However these days that just won't fly.

I could weld up a frame with fork pockets to do this but I'll need it certified. Is that possible?

Does anyone know of any way to do this?

foxy farmer

Got caught for height with pallet forks once when lifting a timber truss with a digger. Solution? Turn the forks upside down.
Probably wont give you enough height and H&S wouldn't approve but it can be a help.

The_Bullman

Thanks for the reply. In looking into it, there exists inverted forks which may be a h&s friendly way of doing the job

Hermy

If you invert regular forks would they still have the same load capacity?

Youngblood.III

It's still incorrect use of equipment from a H&S point of view.

colm_mcm

Hermy wrote: »

If you invert regular forks would they still have the same load capacity?

not even close. that said, how often do forklifts lift anything near the max weight allowed?

The_Bullman

Ends up we're welding up a cage to sit on the forks to raise the load above the carriage. Will be getting it certified on Tuesday.