Recently there’s been a sharp rise in thefts of construction and gardening tools. This is usually where tools are either taken from a vehicle or stolen out of a garage or garden.

The tools are then sold on either on social media or to pawn brokers for a profit.

Not only is it really inconvenient when your tools get pinched, but it also can cause a massive financial issue, even if you are insured. You may find that you have a drastic loss of earnings whilst you are obtaining new tools, especially if there is a wait-time on some specialist equipment. Also you may find that after an insurance claim they will increase your premiums for the following years.

So, what can you do to help protect your gardening and construction tools?  Well one option is to install some high-quality CCTV and most importantly some good signage that acts as a deterrent to would-be thieves. Next you need to make sure that you have good insurance that covers both your tools and loss of earnings. Shop around to get the best price on this but try not to compromise on cover level. Lastly keep a digital log of all the serial numbers of your tools, that way if they do get stolen you can give those numbers to the police and have more of a chance of recovering these if the thieves try to sell them on.

Whether you are lifting a load onto moving skates to move across a room, or you are lifting it on a sling, the load has to be secured in order to carry out the lift safely. This should be a point that is covered in the training of any members of staff, when they join the company or when you are refreshing their training.

If you are lifting a load in a lifting sling, it needs to be the right size of sling in order to hold the load and allow it to be secured effectively. You can then go about using anything else you might need to hold it in place, like netting or ratchet straps. These should also be used if you are transporting a load on a vehicle, to secure it down. If you are lifting a load by hand, make sure everyone is taking the weight equally and the load is safe.

A bridge crane, or overhead crane as it might be known, allows loads to be moved along parallel beams in a straight line direction. This lets you move loads easily and much more quickly than you could if you had to life manually. What is important is to maintain your crane to the highest standards, to avoid the need for buying a new one prematurely.

If you are the owner of a bridge crane, then make sure you buy it in good condition. You can get used cranes that are still in excellent condition, so this shouldn’t pose and problems for you.

You must carry out a daily inspection on your crane, checking all safety equipment is present and correct, and examining the hoist to make sure it is suitable for the lifts you will be carrying out.

You must also carry out regular, thorough inspections on your crane and keep all paperwork up to date.