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Lift-It Manufacturing Company, Inc. is the West Coast Warehouse for Miller Lifting Products.

The same service that you have come to expect from Lift-It is now available for Miller Lifting Products, the most respected swivel, block and overhaul ball manufacturer in our industry.

Call today and your swivels are on the way.

Why shovel snow when you could attend not just the AWEA O&M and Safety Conference, BUT the pre-conference activities in San Diego, California?

The AWEA Operations & Maintenance and Safety Conference is scheduled for

Feb. 27- March 1 , 2017. The wind industry will come together to recognize unique challenges and identify solutions in improving operations, maintenance and safety.

Consider extending your tour of duty by enrolling in the AWEA O&M and Safety

Pre-Conference which features Sling and Rigging Training  presented by Lift-It Manufacturing on Feb. 27th, 2017. 

Two important reasons why you should enroll and attend:
1) Gravity ALWAYS works.
2) Dropped loads KILL, INJURE and/or DESTROY property.

Generally a chain of mistakes combine to form a cumulative outcome known as an accident. The interactive training presented on Feb. 27, 2017 will explore many of the ingredients necessary for successful load handling activities and will also offer various alternatives to mitigate detrimental contributory factors.

Participants are tested and receive a certificate issued by Lifting Equipment and Engineers Association (LEEA) a prestigious international organization that provides training and also accredited the Sling & Rigging training you will attend.

In addition, participants will receive many valuable deliverables including: 500 Page Rigging Resource Guide, Rigger’s Handbook, Rigger Reference Card and a Sling Angle Protractor.

The program will be presented by Michael Gelskey, Sr. and Mike Gelskey, Jr.,who guarantee this will be one of, if not the best sling and rigging training you have experienced.

Don’t think this training is right for you? Click here to test your skills.

Please visit the AWEA website or click here to register for the Lift-It Pre-Conference activity!

The Lift-it family mourns the loss of our brother, Wolfgang W. Kiel.

Wolfgang was born May 5, 1949 in Samoa and married the love of his life, Sao Keil on 10-26-1973. Their love produced three sons, Albert, Wolfgang and Shane.

Mr. Keil was one of the four original employees of Lift-It Manufacturing, with a 42 year career in the rigging industry. Michael J. Gelskey, Sr, CEO and Founder, Lift-It Manufacturing Co., Inc., remarked, “Wolfgang sewed hundreds of millions of stiches, each with diligence and dedication. Every sling he made was a work of art and he was an integral part in establishing the quality, service and ultimately the success of not only Lift-it, but successful load handling activities throughout the world. Wolfgang never worked for me, I was honored to have worked with him for over forty-two years.”

Michael J. Gelskey, Jr., Vice-president and General Manager, Lift-it Mfg. Company, Inc., stated” Wolfgang was without a doubt the world’s premier fabricator of synthetic slings. The slings he fabricated were be responsible for the handling of several billions of tons of materials, without incidence”.

The Lift-it Learning Center is undergoing modernization to include two load simulators and will be dedicated on October 2, 2017 as the Wolfgang W. Kiel Learning Center. Students from around the world will learn and benefit from Mr. Kiel’s legacy and his dedication to excellence that did not allow compromise.

Wolfgang was predeceased by his youngest son, Shane and is survived by Sao, his wife of 44 years and sons, Wolfgang, Albert and Steven.

What type of idiots would spend thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars JUST to develop Guides for the proper use of Sling Protection? We, the Lift-It Lunatics would be those idiots.

Some sophisticated organizations and supposedly knowledgeable and reputable sling fabricators just don’t get it! Paper thin, “sling protection” is sold with no warnings. If used properly those specific devices will provide protection from abrasion but WILL NOT prevent damage to slings from cutting.

Sling users in highly critical and scrutinized material handling operations continue to use what is described in “incident” reports as inadequate “softeners”.

If you are interested in receiving the soon to be published Guides for Sling Protection, contact us at info@lift-it.com to receive the information as soon as the ink dries.

If you are interested in training your personnel to properly use protection, enroll in the upcoming training offered at the Lift-It Learning Center or bring the training to your location.

Sling protection has been a passion of ours for thirty-seven years. We have NEVER done a presentation without addressing sling protection.

The correct perspective on sling protection combined with keeping your people out of not only the “fall” zone, but the “strike” zone will save lives. Gravity always works and the unplanned release of tension resulting in deadly recoil and/or impact force will INJURE or KILL.

View Michael Gelskey, SR’s. Google+ Profile Here

LIFT-IT MANUFACTURING Co., Inc. GAINS LEEA APPROVED TRAINING PROVIDER STATUS Following a rigorous audit of their training facility and Synthetic Sling Rigging and Train the Trainer courses, Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) is pleased to announce that Accredited Training Provider status has been awarded to Lift-It Manufacturing Company, Inc. The audit was conducted by LEEA’s Learning and Development staff, Andrew Wright and Scott Barnes, his colleague during a 5-day visit to the Lift-It Learning Center in Pomona, California. Andrew Wright (LEEA Learning and Development Manager) expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality that the LEEA representatives had received from Mr. Michael Gelskey, Sr., Chief Executive Officer and the Lift-It team throughout their visit. Mr. Barnes wished them every success with the continued delivery of their training courses to end users. LEEA is a prestigious, international organization that not only provides training, but third party accreditation of training programs offered by Accredited Training Providers. Mike Gelskey, Jr. remarked, “The process was extremely comprehensive, but not overly difficult for one who has an organized training scheme. We began the process two years ago after my father had met Mr. Geoff Holden, LEEA executive director and their audits helped us improve not only the training, but our manufacturing processes. Several of our training and manufacturing personnel attended a 6 day, LEEA Gear Inspection Training Course that was incredibly informative and worthwhile prior to the final audit”. Michael Gelskey, Sr. states, “We are honored in our association with LEEA and the excellent work they do internationally to improve sling use and inspection safety. We felt that our investment was certainly worthwhile to not only demonstrate our dedication to excellence, but serve as an expression of corporate responsibility.” Students attending the regularly scheduled training events offered at the Lift-It Learning Center or participating in on-site training offered by Lift-It will receive a certificate issued by LEEA after successfully completing course examinations. For more information on the training programs offered by Lift-It, visit lift-it.com or contact us at info@lift-it.com

Today we will explore Gas Cylinder Cradles, their construction and use. Gas Cylinders are heavy-walled metal cylinders designed to store compressed gases. The hazards associated with these gases include unplanned displacement, explosion, chemical release and other consequences resulting from cylinder damage. For these reasons lifting and transporting compressed cylinders can have extremely dangerous consequences due to cylinder shape and lack of lifting points. Rolling cylinders on their sides, dragging them, or lifting by the valve cap can be dangerous and is certainly not efficient. The first step in considering how to handle Compressed Gas Cylinders is to determine the diameter and height of the cylinder. This will enable the proper selection of the appropriate gas cylinder cradle. There are several options when choosing a gas cylinder handling device. The light weight and affordable synthetic Gas Cylinder Cradles manufactured by Lift-It are certainly a preferred and proven method.

Lift-It Gas Cylinder Cradles are made from polyester webbing and are rated at a 1,000 Lbs. Work Load Limit. They feature a buffered Lifting eye, bottle neck loop, forged rectangles for size adjustment, legs that encapsulate cylinder and a double ply leather lined cradle with abrasion pads. The cylinder base rests securely in a leather lined, nylon cradle, while the bottleneck loop presses against the cylinder neck, securely holding the cylinder. The tightening band unitizes the cylinder to the assembly legs making transportation easy and efficient. If you’re looking to tandem lift bottles for welding, Not a problem! Our model number CG 20A gets the job done, accommodating a 9 inch diameter oxygen bottle 46” to 54” high and a 13” diameter Acetylene bottle 38”-46” high. Lastly, stock number, CG 30A is designed to lift single ammonia bottles with diameters ranging from 13” to 16” and a height of 40”-54”.

If your cylinder is outside of the standard dimensions, then custom Cylinder Cradles are readily available. All we would need to start production is the following dimensions from the chart diagram on page 71 of the Lift-It Resource Guide. -Cylinder Diameter -Base to Shoulder measurement -Neck Diameter -Shoulder to lifting eye. (Headroom measurement) Do not directly expose Gas Cylinder Cradles to weld spatter and sparks. Protective measures must be taken to ensure that melting and damage does not occur. Also ensure that the webbing is not degraded by exposure to ultraviolet rays. Conclusion: Lift-It Sales representatives are ready, willing and able to answer any questions. Call us at 909.469-2251. Also, remember to visit us a www.Lift-It.com and request your copy of our 500 page rigging resource guide, available in either printed or electronic versions. And if you really want to maximize and leverage your sling and rigging knowledge after watching this video check out our many different training opportunities available at the Lift-It Learning Center. These same programs are available as an on-site option. Take care and until next time, remember, rig right to go home at night!

All products provide by Lift-It Manufacturing are sold with the express understanding that the purchaser and user are thoroughly familiar with the safe and proper use and application of the product. The user is responsible for proper use and application as detailed in all applicable standards and regulations. Use of slings and sling protection by untrained persons is hazardous. It is important that sling users be thoroughly familiar with the manufacturer’s recommendations and safety information that accompany our products.

This video does not provide you with all the information you need to know in order to be considered trained and knowledgeable about sling protection and rigging. Remember, when it comes to using slings and/or sling protection, lack of skill, knowledge and care can result in severe injury or death. Gas Cylinder Cradles

Lift-It Manufacturing is pleased to announce the release of informational videos for the rigging and material handling industries.

The informational videos will feature product and technical information as well as regulatory, compliance and training updates.

Additional videos will be released weekly, so stay tuned and you may view them on our YouTube channel, Facebook page and at the Lift-It website.

Thank you for taking the time to watch and learn. If there is anything we can do to help you we stand ready and willing to assist you in being the best you can be. Your quest for excellence is to be commended and pass on the gift you have received to others and particularly to those you are tasked with protecting.

Sincerely,

Mike Gelskey Sr.
CEO-Lift-It Manufacturing Company, Inc.

View Mike Gelskey, Sr. Google+ Profile Here

Today we will explore cargo nets, their construction and use.
Cargo nets originally were named for their use in transferring cargo to and from ships but today they are used for a much wider variety of Lifting applications, in particular for vertical lifting of irregular and odd shaped loads, retrieval, load securement, barrier netting and even obstacle courses.
The first step in selecting a net is to know the application and what material would be best suited for your particular application. There are many different types of materials available but the best and most common are flat webbing and rope cordage.

Let’s explore webbing nets, web cargo nets are considerably more flexible, lightweight and compact than wire or manila rope nets and are readily available in sizes, not limited to, but ranging from 4’ x 4’ to 20’ x 20’. These sizes allow the nets to function properly in vertical lifting applications, all nets must be square to encapsulate the load. This is what we like to call the “Apple in the Handkerchief effect”.

Rectangular nets used for cargo handling will not properly encapsulate the load or distribute it over vertical and horizontal strength members within the net body. To ensure your net is the accurate size know the dimensions of your load before selecting a net as this will play a critical role in selecting the size you will need.
Our standard web nets are rated at 4,500 lbs and feature Alloy pear links in each of the four corners, this ensures a hard connection point while minimizing wear.

If lifting in a critical area were metal components are not preferred we can fabricate soft eyes, as seen in this photo.
Our web nets are available in commercial grade and Military specification grade and meet the Department of Defense specification Mil-S-18313G. Both have a mesh opening size of approximately 6.25 inches square.

We do offer custom sizes if desired as we like to say nets can be made mild to wild and no net is too big or too small. To date the largest net we have made had a working load capacity that exceed 100,000 lbs.!

To learn more about cargo nets head on over to the Lift-It You Tube channel and watch our newest video.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09WM3ib8sb4

Michael Gelskey Sr., CEO, Lift-It Manufacturing Co., Inc., is the featured speaker in the upcoming Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association Webinar titled, “Synthetic Sling Inspection Simplified.”

Slings are an important part of any lifting operation. Proper sling usage and inspection are of utmost importance; possibly more important than the operation of the crane itself.
Mr. Gelskey will provide a step-by-step guide for sling inspection and the proper techniques necessary to properly inspect synthetic slings. The “Synthetic Sling Inspection Simplified” webinar will provide information on inspection systems, techniques and removal from service criteria for web, round and Twin-Path® slings.

Make sure your employees take advantage of this session to completing an efficient sling inspection.

The date for this special webinar is April 1st at 12PM EST.

You can register for this webinar by clicking here.

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In the 1990′s an article was published stating that synthetic slings lose strength, strictly as a function of time. The article relayed the results of destruction testing performed on USED slings taken from power plants, line trucks, paper mills and other locations. A majority of the slings broke below a 5/1 design factor.
The less than scientific conclusion of the testing was that synthetic slings lose strength as a function of time and I was mentioned, possibly to add credence to the incorrect conclusion by making the point that if shelf life were not valid, “Gelskey would not put the date of manufacture on all slings made by his company”.
The logic was incorrect on many levels. The so called experiment lacked many basic elements necessary to prove the hypothesis under what is accepted as the scientific method, namely the independent variable, time was not isolated.
The sample slings pulled to destruction in this study had been subjected to use, weather and environmental factors. They could have been exposed to overloading, chemical and ultraviolet light degradation or perhaps were not manufactured properly.
All Lift-It slings are marked with date of manufacture and are individually serialized so that users and inspectors will have an exact idea of how long our slings have been in service. Our rationale was that despite appearances slings may be removed from service and destroyed as many are very inexpensive when compared to the cost of the items they handle. Simply stated, sling retirement may be an excellent form of cheap insurance. Another perspective may be to consider the cost of failure.
When slings are stored for extended periods in conditions that do not exactly duplicate optimum storage conditions, sling strength may be affected. An example would be when slings in Eastern Washington (desert conditions) are stored outside in metal containers. Those slings can take on spring steel qualities and recoil to assume their wrapped condition. After many years slings stored inside under conditions that DO NOT EXACTLY DUPLICATE optimal storage conditions, can begin to exhibit a gummy or sticky finish.
We have on a couple of occasions pulled slings to destruction that were kept in optimum storage conditions: dry, dark, cool and free of mechanical and environmental damage. In all instances the slings broke above the 5/1 design factor. Both slings were approximately eleven years old.
The salient difference in the destruction tests done by Lift-It and the testing done in the erroneous 1990’s article is that the Lift-It test slings were never used for lifting or subjected to any form of degradation.
Under these conditions, the independent variable, time was indeed isolated.
In the early nineties when the non-scientific study results were published I was assailed by webbing and yarn producers. I was informed on more than one occasion that synthetic fibers DO NOT lose strength strictly as a function of time. On one particular occasion, a fiber producer was extremely profane in making his point based upon extensive testing in oxidation chambers. Those results contradicted the incorrect conclusion made in the erroneous article.
Time, as independent variable, DOES NOT affect sling strength. Other variables such as storage and exposure to chemical, environmental and mechanical forms of damage do affect sling strength.
Always remember, sling design factors apply only to newly manufactured and unused slings.

Sincerely,

Mike Gelskey, SR.
CEO-Lift-It Manufacturing Company, Inc.

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It was a pleasure to present for the AWEA-O&M and Safety Seminar for the fourth consecutive year. Everything was first cabin, as usual and Hotel Del Coronado was a delightful location for the conference.

Another power conference requested a presentation on Cost Effective Excellence in the context of sling and rigging activities. For thirty-three years I have presented a simple message: rig right to go home at night.

I was informed prior to the other conference that while my message on sling and rigging safety was greatly appreciated, my presentation should really focus on cost saving measures. The need for efficient operations is now more important than ever.

One of the worst accidents in the history of the rigging world occurred on 2012 Easter Sunday morning. Two deaths, multiple injuries and BILLIONS of dollars in damages occurred after a scheduled maintenance operation went wrong and a 550 ton plant component was dropped.

Cost Effective Excellence is NOT Dropping Loads presented specific steps to employ for a substantial return on investment. If you are interested in saving hundreds of thousands of dollars, while protecting lives, limbs and property, our presentation provided the basis for attaining that objective.

Our presentation will enable you to stop throwing hard earned money away as a dollar saved is just as important as the dollar earned.

Contact me to arrange for your presentation of Cost Effective Excellence is NOT Dropping Loads and receive the platform to provide awareness, action and effective techniques to prevent accidents and save money.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Gelskey, Sr.
Chief Executive Officer

View my Google+ Profile Here

 I thought it was 3 strikes, you’re out?

A one strike, you’re out rule would result in a catastrophic outcome if your team was down by 1, bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th and it was game seven of the world series.

Thankfully the rules for baseball are different than the rules for sling inspection, but many don’t see it that way.

 The use of damaged slings and rigging equipment results in catastrophic  events that could play out if this gear is not inspected by informed and educated educated sling inspectors. There is zero tolerance for defects for synthetic slings.

 Make the investment to enroll your inspector and provide education in proper sling inspection systems, techniques and removal from service criteria. If you don’t have a designated inspector, now is the time to act!

 Stay ahead of the curve ball and win not just the game,  but the world series when it comes to your people going home to their loved ones each and every night.

 Register for the November 12 & 13 “Competent Sling & Rigging Hardware Inspector” class today and receive  a 15% discount by mentioning this special promotion.

 Further details can be found on our website www.lift-it.com or click here to register now!