As utility applications involving mobile cranes grow larger and more intricate, so does the need for rigging slings that can handle heavier and longer loads. To meet their customers' demand for higher-rated below-the-hook rigging slings, Safe Shop Tools Inc. has engineered the BoaGrip sling to a 2,900-pound rated capacity for heavier utility pole installations. The sling, introduced in December, now makes quick work of any kind of utility pole, tapered or straight, metal or wood, wet or dry.
With Safe Shop's SuperStick grippers, utility poles can be handled easily without the crew's having to clamp the truck's boom to the shaft of the pole. The slip-resistant polymer traction bars hold fast to even tapered poles, says Hale Williams, Sales Manager for BoaGrip, of Missoula, Mont. Slipped around a pole and pulled taught, the grippers are forced onto the pole's surface; the greater the force, the tighter the grip.
The squeezing action saves time and manpower, he says, because crews can pick a spot anywhere above the pole's tipping point, fasten the sling and lift without clamping. A stainless steel Double-D master link, sewn onto the lifting end of the BoaGrip, ensures the gripping surface is held flat all the way around the pole. The mechanism's inner link keeps the sling's opposing gripper surfaces separate so that the BoaGrip won't bind or bunch when pulled, according to the company.
Originally introduced in 2005 as a 2-inch sling with a rated capacity of 1,900 pounds, the BoaGrip product line grows with Safe Shop's customers' needs. The slings are now available in either 52-inch or 70-inch working lengths. “We continue to listen to our customers,” says Williams. “They're handling bigger utility poles, large transmission lines, and cell phone towers, and they've asked for larger-capacity slings.” Safe Shop Tools also makes a BoaGrip model for handling gas cylinders.
For more information, visit www.safeshop.com.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
