While all hoists are designed to do the same thing – lift and lower loads – certain situations will call for a more specialised version of this lifting equipment.
The food and beverage industry is particularly safety and hygiene-conscious, as it creates products that people will ingest. Any equipment used in this sector, particularly that which comes into, and/or is above exposed food and beverage products, is required to leap over a very high regulatory bar.
Case in point: food grade hoists – a material handling solution designed specifically for businesses that deal in food.
What are food grade hoists?
Food grade hoists are hoists designed with food safety in mind, allowing your businesses to maintain the hygienic standards required to deliver safe, high quality food products.
Food grade hoists tend to feature easy-to-clean, moisture-resistant and corrosion-resistant surfaces, such as stainless steel, and utilise food-grade lubricant. This ensures food and beverage products aren’t contaminated by materials dropping from the hoist, and that the equipment continues to operate as it should in rooms that are regularly sanitised by water and chemicals.
Strict cleaning and maintenance schedules apply to food grade hoists to ensure that appropriate levels of sanitation are maintained.
When do I need a food grade hoist?
Food grade hoists are utilised by any business involved in food handling. This covers a range of food and beverage businesses, including slaughterhouses, the dairy industry, food processing plants, food and beverage factories and commercial kitchens.
As a general rule, any business that deals with exposed food produced for human consumption will be required to choose a food grade hoist, though rules and regulations can differ from region to region, so you should always check your responsibilities with the relevant local authority.
It’s important to note that food grade hoists are distinct from clean room hoists, which represent an entirely different category.
Clean room hoists are designed to maintain the integrity of filtered and purified air in an enclosed environment. They are built to a higher standard – and are therefore more expensive – than a food grade hoist, but they may not offer the moisture resistance that food grade hoists do, as they are often built for dry, clean and carefully controlled areas. Clean room hoists tend to be utilised in laboratories and precision manufacturing settings.
What type of food grade hoists are available?
Food grade hoists come in a number of forms. They can differ in how they operate, such as manual, air-powered and electric hoists. They can differ in the materials used, such as chain hoists vs wire rope/cable hoists.
Then there are the range of different duty classifications of food grade hoists, which describe the load capacity of the item and how much it can be used over a given period of time.
Helping New Zealand manufacturers safely solve their lifting challenges with the best local and global solutions
At Stratalign we’ve spent years helping Kiwi businesses identify and secure the lifting equipment they need. Our team has the knowledge and expertise you need to identify the ideal food grade hoist for your situation – the type that can make your food and beverage business safer, more efficient and more productive.
We offer a complete range of food grade hoists, including manual, air-powered and electric hoists in wire rope or chain versions, all of which are certified to AS 1418.1.
