The Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifting system permits a lone worker, male or female, to lift heavy manhole, drain and access covers, quickly and safely. With the advent of social distancing, coupled with staff shortages due to self-isolation or illness, many providers of essential services had little option but to deploy lone workers. Time and again it was shown how using Manhole Buddy lifting equipment, an average build person could comfortably unseat, remove and replace access covers equal to their own weight, without risk to their well-being.
Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifters are inherently safer than most manhole lifting systems. Firstly, when using the cover lifting trolley, the operator stands over one metre from the raised manhole cover and the open chamber.
The Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifting system permits a lone worker, male or female, to lift heavy manhole, drain and access covers, quickly and safely. With the advent of social distancing, coupled with staff shortages due to self-isolation or illness, many providers of essential services had little option but to deploy lone workers. Time and again it was shown how using Manhole Buddy lifting equipment, an average build person could comfortably unseat, remove and replace access covers equal to their own weight, without risk to their well-being.
Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifters are inherently safer than most manhole lifting systems. Firstly, when using the cover lifting trolley, the operator stands over one metre from the raised manhole cover and the open chamber. Secondly, lifting of the manhole cover is achieved by pushing downwards on the lifting trolley handle; this action incurs minimal risk of lifting or twisting injuries. Since the wheeled trolley is akin to a lever system, only a modest physical input by the operator is required to lift a typical 50 to 60 kg manhole or drain cover.
With the Manhole Buddy MagTec magnetic manhole lifter configuration, there is no need to remove dirt and debris from the manhole cover key slots, which represents a significant time saving on every cover lifted. Similarly, there is no need to fit and secure lifting keys. For this reason, the Manhole Buddy MagTec is the fastest cover lifting method available for lifting metallic manhole and drain covers.
Manhole Buddy KeyTec uses a load spreader bar and threaded lock-down keys to make the connection between the Manhole Lifting Trolley and the drain cover surface. This traditional connection method means the Manhole Buddy KeyTec can lift any cover type with a standard key slot configuration. This will encompass solid covers, split covers, metallic and non-metallic covers and indoor covers which typically have threaded lifting points. Notably, the Manhole Buddy KeyTec load spreader bar has a rotating lifting hanger, which permits the lifting trolley to be positioned as best suits the operator, typically where it avoids obstructions such as vehicles, trees or street furniture. In this respect, Manhole Buddy KeyTec is significantly different from virtually all other key-based manhole lifters.
Manhole Buddy VacTec is a manually charged vacuum attachment, suitable for lifting smooth-faced covers and assets. Manhole Buddy ChainTec is an adjustable chain array, which finds use in applications where standard lock-down keys or magnetic attachment are not possible
All Manhole Buddy Lifting Systems operate off the same Manhole Buddy Lifting Trolley. The lifting trolley features a unique cover unseating facility, which connects most effectively with the MagTec magnet and the KeyTec spreader bar, to unseat jammed covers with minimal effort.
What size and weight of cover can the Manhole Buddy lift?
Covers in the range 820 to 850 mm wide; at the top limit, the depth of the cover becomes a contributory factor. Depending upon the equipment configuration, maximum lifting is in range 105 kg to 130 kg. Since the device is ‘powered’ by the operator, we ‘say’ an average-build person can comfortably lift covers equal to their own weight, all day long.
How safe is the Manhole Buddy cover lifter?
From a construction perspective, the product has been fully tested and certified to the limits advised in its User Guide; the product has been sold worldwide for over 10 years so the concept and functionality are well proven. From a user perspective, crucially the Manhole Buddy distances the operator from the danger areas in the vicinity of the drain cover, so traditional risks of slips, trips and trapped fingers or feet are eliminated. Secondly, traditional musculoskeletal risks are largely eliminated as lifting is achieved by a downward input from the operator.
What are the limits of the Manhole Buddy magnetic manhole cover lifter?
The MagTec magnet is limited to lifting iron and steel covers – it won’t lift stainless steel or non-ferrous alloy items. Because there is no need to use the key slots in the cover (or clean them out) it is a much faster method of lifting manhole covers. In addition, the freedom to place the magnet at any point on the cover, allied to the high leverage facility on the Manhole Buddy lifting trolley, means jammed covers can be ‘cracked’. Safe and secure lifting of metallic covers is well proven and the User Guide outlines a simple technique for confident lifting of heavy covers. Some large metallic split covers may be challenging with the Manhole Buddy magnet option and for these we would recommend the alternative KeyTec lifting set, using the same Manhole Buddy lifting trolley.
How does the Manhole Buddy compare with a Hydraulic manhole cover lifter?
Whilst the Manhole Buddy is quite a unique concept (being a human ‘powered’ lifter) there are a wide range of hydraulic manhole cover lifter designs in the marketplace, with differing capacities and functions. Generally, the Manhole Buddy is superior in its portability, speed of deployment and user safety. Its lifting limits, in terms of cover size and weight, meet the requirements of the majority of users, be they water engineers, surveyors, maintenance teams or security staff. A hydraulic cover lifter will be superior for much larger or heavier covers – certain hydraulic lifters are able to span wide covers and the power of hydraulics can raise 250+ kg covers.
What is the single stand-out feature of a Manhole Buddy cover lifter?
Subject to cover width, all four Manhole Buddy lifting attachments permit 360 degree access for lifting, due to the presence of a swivel at the trolley connection point. Contrast this with probably every other key-based lifter, where the orientation of the key slots in the cover dictate how the equipment is attached. This usually results in only two lifting positions, 180 degrees apart, being available. In the working environment, where access can be limited by anything from a vehicle, a tree, street furniture or even a pothole, these two possible positions may be impossible to use. The potential 360 degree access offered by the Manhole Buddy makes it more likely the cover can be accessed.
The Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifting system permits a lone worker, male or female, to lift heavy manhole, drain and access covers, quickly and safely. With the advent of social distancing, coupled with staff shortages due to self-isolation or illness, many providers of essential services had little option but to deploy lone workers. Time and again it was shown how using Manhole Buddy lifting equipment, an average build person could comfortably unseat, remove and replace access covers equal to their own weight, without risk to their well-being.
Manhole Buddy manhole cover lifters are inherently safer than most manhole lifting systems. Firstly, when using the cover lifting trolley, the operator stands over one metre from the raised manhole cover and the open chamber.
