Keg Lifter
ERGOdynamics of Eugene Oregon has been developing a new set of keg handling tools for this small Oregon brew pub. Last Friday the GoLift GL 5 was delivered and tomorrow the keg handler will be installed at the Roseburg McMenamins brew pub. The GoLift GL5 is a compact, power lift that can be modified to meet a lot of lifting needs. Often businesses invest in these tools after a worker has been injured, but more and more business owners are thinking proactively to prevent injuries.
Lifting full kegs of beer is a cumbersome task. Not only does a full keg of beer weigh nearly 150 pounds, the keg has no handles, is slick metal and awkwardly shaped. At small brewpubs like this one, space always seems to be tight! Kegs have to be maneuvered through walkways that weave their way through equipment, barely big enough to manuever through, then placed onto shelves, into coolers and into back seats and trunks of vehicles. This activity requires twisting, bending, extended reach and overhead reaching all while supporting a heavy load. Workers are constantly at risk for lower back, upper back, shoulder and arm injuries but not any longer at his brewery that decided the GoLift was the solution.
Because the GoLift is powered by a rechargeable battery, is powerful, narrow and customizable - it was easy for ERGOdynamics to deliver the perfect lifting tool. Rather than the standard 2 swivel casters on front and 2 fixed wheels on back, the GoLift was retrofitted with all 4 swivel casters to allow the operator to maneuver the machine in all directions without turning. This feature allowed the worker to maneuver through extremely tight spaces!
The GoLift is a versatile tool and additional attachments can easily be swapped out. The keg tong and jib can be removed and replaced with a standard lifting deck for moving heavy sacks of ingredients as well as in this case the brew kettle lid lift. The lid on the brew kettle isn't terribly heavy but is quite large and awkward to safely remove in order to clean the big brew kettle between batches. The lid has a small hatch where ingredients are added so the tool simply inserts into the hatch at the raised position and safely backs away with the lid.
Brewpubs interested in purchasing this tool can contact ERGOdynamics. For more information call (541) 683-0900 visit them online at http://www.ergodynamics.net/
