We've all seen Plastic Bulk Bins that mechanical contractors love. They'll buy these bins for $350 or $400 and then spend another $150 on a steel frame welded up for castors. The cost of castors are a push, so let's say they are $500 into a bin. Then they need to lift it on a jobsite. The cost to install slings occur with a crane and crew idling at $500 per hour as a minimum. So $22 for 2.75 minutes. If you do this just ten times a year and the bin last 10 years, that's $2200 in lost production compared to hooking in to a crane rated steel pallet bin. But our bins will last 30 years or more if cared for. If we don't account for inflation or buying new pallet bins, that's $6600 lost to save $500 today. Given the new purchases and inflation, I'm gonna bet that's 10k over 30 years. 

The same happens for wood boxes. People will spend a couple hours putting together a wood box. Let's suggest the materials are free. So $160 a box, with no rating. So if it fails, it will be gross negligence. So what does this do to the value of the savings? How many boxes are you gonna need to cover a 5 million dollar wrongful death? 

Economics and risk aside, it's illegal to lift unrated materials handling devices. OSHA 1926.251 requires a rating on anything that is for "Materials Handling". This assertion triggers some people. I get push back about what this means because it means everyone you know has been doing it wrong. Very true. But let me help make it clearer than my assertion that might feel "bald". OSHA writes letters of interpretation. Here's one that clears up with OSHA 1926.251(a) is pointed at. 

Under the "General Duty Clause" (Section 5(a)(1)) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers must:

furnish to each of [its] employees employment... free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm...

The construction industry recognizes the necessity for inspections of below-the-hook lifting devices. An employer who follows ASME B.30.20, specifically sections 20-1.3.1 through 20-1.3.7 and 20-1.3.9 with respect to inspections for below-the-hook lifting devices (other than for slings), would be considered to be in compliance with OSHA requirements.

OSHA goes out of it's way to avoid adopting ASME B30.20 as the code. However, they cite it as being in compliance with their intentions. They want everything rated. And why wouldn't they. Does it make any sense to lift 1000 lbs in a Styrofoam box because the slings under the box are rated for 10,000? Of course it doesn't. We need to know what the box is capable of supporting. That's where I come in. 

We have around a dozen different bins for different purposes in many sizes. There are probably 100 options in crane rated bins from Eichinger and CraneGear.net. It is more expensive to purchase a steel bin from us. Would you rather your coworkers are relying on a weld, or a nail not ripping out for their life today? If you are a rigger or crane operator, do you want to explain to a child why their parent is coming home when you lifted the plastic bin that has no rating? We often aren't serious enough about our jobs. If you have any responsibility in the decision making on crane safety, you have a responsibility to know the rating of the item. This isn't just the US. Canada has about half of it's provinces citing ASME B30.20 in their codes. This would specifically require steel, and disallow plastic and wood as an option. The ASME design criteria requires steel. You have to jump through hoops to use any metal other than steel. 

Crane Pallet bins - Get it with a ramp. Roll items in up to two pallets and 6600 lbs. 

Pall Skips - up to 9' long at 6600 lbs. Could work for trash.

Steel Pallet Bins - Same size as pallets. Taller or shorter sides. Castor ready - 3300 and 4400 lb options

Drop Bottom Bins - Crane and forklift ready. Stacks, Castors, up to 2.6 yards 4400 lbs Durable

Square Stacking Stillage - Crane Rated stacking stillages. Various sides

Round Stacking Stillage - Links on base for lifting. Quick. Large cups. Board holders available

Automatic trash Bins - rotating latch makes it so operator can dump out bin without assistance. 

Bulk Bins - Stack, dump, lifts as stack, up to 4 yards, 13,230 lbs, durable.

Forklift Tipper - Crane lifting eyes available. Rated to 3300 lbs. Various tippers are crane rated. 

Mortar Bins - Most mortar bins have no ratings. Even with lifting eyes, no rating is given. We give a rating with ours.