Crane Rated Lifters Explained

In construction we have rules that govern what a crane rated lifter is and how they are designed. The rules have been around since 1970. But they are so misunderstood that large contractors doing a billion dollars a year struggle to understand it. I'm hoping to clarify it in as condensed as I can. If what you are lifting is the load, like a bundle of 2x4's, then the straps are fine and they govern the ratings. But if you put those same 2x4's in a container, now the container needs to be rated. It's pointless to strap up a container that can fail.
OSHA 1926.251 addresses this need clearly with catchall language. An example of changes surrounding this are with Knaack and their tool boxes. You can now add crane lifting points on their boxes to achieve a rating. Without the lifting points, what guidance do you have that the box can be lifted and choked? How much load can you do that with? When will their spot welds suffer if you choke the boxes? And there lies the question and why the guidance of needing a rating is critical to everyone on the jobsite. If you don't know what it can lift, then you can't lift it. It needs to go in a container that is rated in order to be hoisted by a crane. This isn't new. it's a 1970 rule. People have been asking OSHA about this rule since 1973 from what I can see. They have been getting the same answer over and over since then. It's time we hear them.