Five ways to make lifting heavy objects easier - and save money!

Reducing Injuries with the Grabo

Lifting on a construction site is practically unavoidable, and it's always heavy items! Over 30% of construction workers will suffer from back pain from strenuous lifting at some point in their career, and this is one of the biggest causes of days off work for this industry. The Grabo is designed to help take the pressure off the lower back and ease those heavy lifts up to 170kg. 

Improve safety with the Grabo

When lifting heavy objects, you are sometimes faced with risking workers' safety. Items need to be lifted, and unfortunately, sometimes, the right people for the job may not be available for any reason. Lifting overhead especially is putting workers' safety at risk. The Grabo allows you to lift overhead with ease and stability, knowing that it can quickly be regained by giving the green button short bursts if the suction does start to go. 

Save money with the Grabo

Not only is this lifting tool great for on-site efficiency and for improving safety, but it’s also cost-cutting. When ordering materials, weighty slabs, often you need to factor in the idea of some being broken. Whether this is by items cracking and breaking when they are being cut or dropped, it happens. Using the Grabo to lift heavier items reduces the risk of them breaking, saving you money in the process.

Where can I get a Grabo?

The Grabo was created to help all construction workers and tradespeople with heavy lifting to make their workday quicker, easier and more efficient. Since launching, the Grabo has taken the construction industry by storm and is now a must-have tool on site. To find out more about the Grabo, click here, or here to find your closest authorised Grabo dealer.

Innovative ways to use the Grabo

The Grabo is the perfect tool to aid lifting, especially within the tiling and landscaping trades. Still, there’s so much more that can be done with it, making it the ideal and must-have tool for anyone who undertakes regular, heavy lifting tasks within their day-to-day routine. 

Road Maintenance Works:

When working in road maintenance, you can be expected to install and remove heavy objects, such as kerbs and paving slabs, on a day-to-day basis. However, one job that you might forget about is the repairing and replacement of such items. Instead of smashing up individual bits of rubble to make the removal a bit easier, use the Grabo to safely lift out the broken part, making the task quicker, easier, and safer for all involved.

When handling kerbstones, in particular, there’s a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs. Since kerbstones are predominantly made of concrete and weigh around 67kg each, consistent and repetitive lifting of kerbstones can damage the back. Using the Grabo to help install and remove these items can help reduce the risk of developing any MSDs. 

Household Appliances:

If you’ve never had to before, I’m sure you can imagine how tricky it is to pick up a fridge or a washing machine, no matter how much manpower you have. However, lifting household appliances with the Grabo is a breeze! Fridges, freezes, washing machines, and even some heavy wooden items such as bookcases can easily be lifted and transported in and out of properties when using the Grabo. 

A fridge-freezer can weigh anywhere between 50kg to well over 100kg. With the Grabo’s ability to lift up to 170kg and attach itself to multiple materials, it’s the perfect tool to have to hand if you’re looking to move house or just fancy a change-up in your layout. 

Window Installation:

Although the Grabo powerful, it has been specifically designed to protect and lift the most delicate of materials, including glass. By using multiple Grabos on both sides of the windows, you will be able to confidently lift, pass over, and install windows, with fitters having a secure grip from both sides of the glass. 

Makeshift Hoist:

Sometimes, lifting with just a handle isn’t quite enough, and you need some extra support, such as a hoist. If you didn’t know, the Grabo comes with a strap with four places for attaching, which can be used for handheld support or can be used with another mechanism to help lift a heavy object.

To help combat back pain caused by repetitive, heavy lifting, the NHS has suggested that using a hoist is a great option to reduce the risk. 

The Grabo:

The Grabo was created to help all construction workers and tradespeople with heavy lifting to make their workday quicker, easier and more efficient. Since launching, this innovative power tool has taken the construction industry by storm and is now a must-have tool on site. To find out more about the Grabo, click here, or to find your closest authorised Grabo dealer, click here. 

What can I use a Grabo for? 5 things you didn’t know you could lift with a Grabo

The Grabo is the perfect tool to aid lifting, especially in tiling and landscaping trades. You may have seen it in action lifting heavy paving slabs or laying porcelain tiles. However, there’s so much more that can be done with it. The Grabo is a must-have tool for anyone who undertakes regular, heavy lifting tasks within their day-to-day routine, as it makes heavy lifting easier, safer and reduces the risk of back pain. 

If you’re in the market for a vacuum suction lifter tool and asking yourself ‘what can I use a Grabo for’, then here are 5 things you didn’t know you could lift with a Grabo!

Broken Kerbs & Paving slabs

In the road work maintenance industry, you can be expected to install and remove heavy objects, such as kerbs and paving slabs, on a day-to-day basis. However, one job that you might forget about is the repairing and replacement of such items. Instead of smashing up a slab to make the removal a bit easier, use the Grabo to safely lift out the broken kerb or paving slab, making the task quicker, easier, and safer for all involved.

Kerbstones

Similarly, when road maintenance workers are handling kerbstones there’s a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs. Since kerbstones are predominantly made of concrete and weigh around 67kg each, consistent and repetitive lifting of kerbstones can damage the back. Using the Grabo to help install and remove these items can help reduce the risk of developing any MSDs. The Grabo can lift up to 170kg, so you’re covered for most heavy construction materials.

Household appliances

If you’ve never had to before, I’m sure you can imagine how tricky it is to pick up a fridge or a washing machine, no matter how much manpower you have. However, lifting household appliances with the Grabo is a breeze! Fridges, freezes, washing machines, and even some heavy wooden items such as bookcases can easily be lifted and transported in and out of properties when using the Grabo. 

A fridge-freezer can weigh anywhere between 50kg to well over 100kg. With the Grabo’s ability to lift up to 170kg and attach itself to multiple materials, it’s the perfect tool to have to hand if you’re looking to move house or just fancy a change-up in your layout.

Windows & glass panels

Although the Grabo is powerful, it has been specifically designed to protect and lift the most delicate materials, including 6mm glass or thicker. By using multiple Grabo's on both sides of the windows, you will be able to confidently lift, pass over, and install windows, with fitters having a secure grip from both sides of the glass. For more delicate glass panels and windows, you may consider the Ottovac by Grabo.

Large heavy objects that need a hoist

Sometimes, lifting with just a handle isn’t quite enough, and you need some extra support, such as a hoist. If you didn’t know, the Grabo comes with four lifting eyes for attaching to other accessories such as the Erguo S1, helping you to lift heavy objects more easily.

To help combat back pain caused by repetitive, heavy lifting, the NHS has suggested using a hoist is a great option to reduce the risk. 

Where can I get a Grabo?

The Grabo was created to help all construction workers and tradespeople with heavy lifting to make their workday quicker, easier, and more efficient. Since launching, this innovative power tool has taken the construction industry by storm and is now a must-have tool on site. Find out more about the Grabo or find your closest authorised Grabo dealer.

The Science of Lifting Heavy Objects

Lifting heavy objects requires skill and strength, and when your job requires lifting on a regular, repetitive basis, it's something that you need to get to grips with and understand how to lift correctly. 

When lifting heavy items, your body will be using a series of muscles, mainly the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and abdominal muscles, which should be used instead of the commonly mistaken back, or posture muscles. This applies to most types of lifting as they are the muscles that will give you stability for your movements. In order to avoid major injury, you just need to remember to lift with your legs, not your back.

The importance of lifting correctly:

As many of us know, lifting incorrectly can lead to injuries with both short and long term effects, resulting in a loss of work. One of the long-term effects of lifting incorrectly can be a lower back injury caused by putting strain on the low back structures, which over time can result in serious injuries, including Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Injuries can include muscles, nerves, tendons, joinery, cartilage, and spinal discs. If not treated properly, the injury could persist and continue to get worse, meaning that if your trade requires lifting, you may be unable to perform critical parts of your role. Possible MSDs from improper lifting include:

Injury can be caused incredibly quickly if you're not following proper lifting practices, by something as simple as twisting oddly or lifting an item over your head, which is why you need to be sure you are lifting correctly every time. 

How can the Grabo help and prevent injury?

Repetitive lifting within construction is a common part of a job description, meaning that you need to ensure strict adherence to lifting techniques when manual handling. The Grabo helps minimise any strain that your body may face when lifting. Utilising a product like the Grabo is considered good practice to ensure that the risk of repetitive lifting injuries is minimised. This is due to the vacuum created between the suction cup and the product. The Grabo supports better body positioning when lifting, enabling you to carry the weight close to the body and near waist height (the best way to carry anything), rather than away from the body and with outstretched arms, which is often the only option when carrying material by its edges alone. Using the Grabo correctly in this way reduces the effect of the weight on your body and muscles.

The Grabo:

The Grabo is the world's first portable electric suction cup and vacuum lifter. It has taken the construction industry by storm, quickly becoming the most desirable tool to have on-site. To learn more about the Grabo and the Grabo Pro, and see how they can help your daily working life, get in touch today.

How Does a Vacuum Lifter Tool Work?

What is a vacuum?

Thinking back to our school days now. A vacuum is a space in which there is no matter, or the pressure is so low that any particles in the space do not affect any processes. It's done by removing all the air from between two spaces, reducing the pressure between the two, which essentially makes them create a bond so strong that they stick together. Vacuum lifters utilise this process with suction pads to create a solid seal to attach and lift.

Traditional vacuum lifters

Traditional (or manual) vacuum lifters create the vacuum through a lifting tube or manual pumping. Although these work, many things make them unreliable. There's a chance that the suction could break or that the seal isn't strong enough, resulting in possible injury for the person carrying, as well as the possibility of a loss of income if an item breaks during a fall. 

A traditional vacuum can lift a good list of materials, including metal, glass, concrete, and plasterboard. 

Electric vacuum lifters

Electric vacuum lifters work the same way as the traditional ones, but the vacuum is created by a motor, rather than manually. This enables a constant pumping action to be maintained, making it work on many porous materials, as well as serving as a safety net ensuring maximum suction. The Grabo Pro has unique technology to ensure that after the complete seal has been created on the item you're lifting, the motor will turn itself off to conserve battery power but automatically turns itself back on when the pressure starts to drop. Small additions like this make the electric counterpart the overall better choice. 

The Grabo is also able to lift up to 170kg, covering a much broader range of materials, including both porous and non-porous materials, as well as riven slabs. The motor makes it possible to attach the vacuum onto uneven surfaces due to the extra power that the traditional ones lack. 

Where can I get a Grabo?

The Grabo is the world's first portable electric vacuum lifter and has taken the construction industry by storm, quickly becoming the most desirable tool to have on-site. Learn more about the Grabo and the Grabo Pro, and see how they can help your daily working life.

Find your closest authorised Grabo dealer here.

How do you lift Paving Slabs?

If you're looking at doing a spot of outdoor renovation or you're a landscaper who needs a new, efficient and safe way of lifting paving slabs, then this one's for you. 

Manual Lifting Techniques: 

Paving removal can be done manually, but if you’ve been in the landscaping game a while then you might be wondering if there are better alternatives. General construction work of all kinds, by nature, involves plenty of lifting and carrying, meaning that you can be at risk of injury. This is due to the high chance of heavy materials, supporting loads in awkward positions, carrying heavy loads on uneven grounds, and more often than not having to repeat these same tasks multiple times. 

So, what can you do to prevent this when lifting heavy items, such as paving slabs? Introducing the Grabo, a portable electric vacuum lifter. 

Lifting paving slabs with the Grabo: 

The Grabo can lift porous and non-porous material, so it's the ideal solution for landscaping tasks. Follow these few simple steps to lift and place your paving slabs with ease.

  1. Ensure your Grabo battery is fully charged. 
  2. Secure your Grabo onto your paving slab by turning on the green button. When you hear a change of note in the motor, that's when you'll know it's ready. When using the Grabo Pro, the motor will automatically turn off when the suction has reached the correct level and automatically turn back on if the pressure is dropping. 
  3. Lift your paving slab with the Grabo securely attached to the material, and place it down in the desired place. Release the Grabo by pressing the red button. 
  4. If you've put the slab in the wrong place, repeat steps 1-3 to readjust your placement. 

The Grabo:

The Grabo is the world's first portable electric vacuum lifter and has taken the landscaping and construction industry by storm, quickly becoming the most desirable tool to have on-site. Learn more about the Grabo and the Grabo Pro, and see how they can help your daily working life. 

The best way to lift plasterboard

Although plasterboard may not be the heaviest item to lift, the positions it needs to go in can make the job stressful and draining. In fact, in a research observation completed by the UK Government, they found that experienced carpenters rated lifting, carrying and holding plasterboard in an overhead position as the most tasking of all jobs they needed to undertake to complete a job. As well as this, plastering tasks are one of the most hazardous in terms of the potential for musculoskeletal disorders.

There are a few ways to combat the risks of lifting plasterboard, especially when at a height. Following proper lifting techniques, including not lifting anything over 20kg, undertaking the appropriate Health & Safety training, and operating training for MEWPs are all great solutions, but now there’s a new solution.

How Can The Grabo Help?

The Grabo's strong suction offers many more options for stability, especially when climbing up ladders or onto scaffolding and stilts to install plasterboard. With the Grabo holding up to 75kg of plasterboard, you’ll have a free hand for stability when climbing up ladders, making the job much safer. Having a central location for pressure from the Grabo means that you will no longer have to over-extend or twist yourself around to ensure that it is secure in all corners. 

How To Use The Grabo:

  1. Slide the power switch at the base of the tool to turn it on. An LED light will indicate how much battery you have left, and you should ensure that it is adequately charged before beginning and lifting tasks.
  2. Position the Grabo flush against the surface of the item you want to lift. On some surfaces, particularly textured, you may want to apply some pressure initially to help create the seal.
  3. Press the green button to turn on the motor and create a tight seal against the item you’re looking to lift. The seal will be made immediately, but you should leave it for 5 seconds to create the maximum seal to ensure a safe lift. You’ll know when the full seal has been made once the needle on the gauge stops moving or by listening to the note of the motor. With materials like plasterboard, due to its porosity you will need to keep the Grabo motor running to maintain its grip on the board. 
  4. Once you have lifted the item and are finished, press the red button to break the seal and release the item.

The Grabo:

The Grabo has quickly taken the construction industry by storm! Initially created to help construction and tradespeople with heavy lifting, it’s fast found its place across multiple industries, improving day-to-day job efficiency. To find out more about the Grabo, click here, or find your closest authorised Grabo dealer.

How To Carry and Install Porcelain Tiles Safely Using The GRABO

Porcelain tiles are favoured by many and work well in multiple areas throughout your home, indoors and outdoors. Due to the fewer air pockets they hold, their dense nature means that they wear well and can handle a lot of footfall, making them the ideal selection for indoor flooring tiles and not just in your bathroom! 

How To Carry Porcelain Tiles Safely:

Porcelain tiles are notably heavier than your standard tile, which is why they are more durable and favoured by professionals. Lifting these dense slabs can be difficult, especially if you’re working on a job independently, which is where the Grabo comes into play. Designed to make heavy lifting easy, the Grabo will allow you to easily carry your tiles from one location to another, making it the ultimate lifting tool for porcelain tile installation. 

Installing Porcelain tiles inside:

What you’ll need:

  1. Prep your surface

Before you start, you need to ensure that your surface is clean and dry and free of dust, grease, and loose material. It’s also vital that you ensure the area is level. 

2. Cutting your Tiles.

As porcelain tiles are denser, they are trickier to cut, so we’d suggest using something a bit stronger than your standard score and snap cutter. We would recommend a good quality diamond blade for this job to not damage the tiles in the process. This is best done before you start moving any of the tiles.

3. Lay your adhesive.

Using a notched trowel, spread the tile adhesive over the surface with the smooth side of the trowel. Then with the ridged side of the trowel, start to run it over the adhesive to create ridges, which helps with the overall adhesion.

4. Laying your Porcelain Tiles.

Once you’ve laid the tile adhesive, lift your first tile using the Grabo for stability and place it firmly into the adhesive. Twist the tile to bed it into the adhesive. Repeat this process with the next tile, and use spacers to ensure they are neat and even. During the laying process, it’s a good idea to use a spirit level to check that they are all even, as it’ll be a lot trickier to replace later on when the adhesive is dry. If you need to lift and replace a porcelain tile, you can use the Grabo to do so without ruining the placement of the other tiles. Remove any adhesive on the tiles with a damp cloth. Leave them for 24-48 hours to dry.

Installing Porcelain tiles outdoors:

What you’ll need:

  1. Prep your Surface

Firstly, mark out the area that you’re looking to patio and dig out the area, clearing all roots, topsoil and vegetation. You’ll need to dig at least 200mm down. Once the space is dug out, they then lay a sub base of MOT Type 1 and then compact. Once you’ve done this, get your rake and comb over the soil to make it level. Get your garden roller to compact the ground below. To ensure that the surface you're applying the porcelain tiles to is secure, you’ll now need to lay down a further layer, known as a mortar, which should be one part cement to four parts sharp sand. 

2. Lay your cement base.

Using your trowel, spread your cement across the area that you’re laying. 

3. Prime Your Slabs

When working with porcelain slabs outdoors, you want to ensure that they are as secure as possible, so we recommend using a slurry mixture on the back of them, known as back-buttering, before laying the slab.

4. Laying your Porcelain Tiles.

Lift your first tile using the Grabo for stability and place it firmly into the mortar bed. Using a rubber mallet, tap the slab into the mortar. Repeat this process with the next tile, and use spacers to ensure they are neat and even. During the laying process, it’s a good idea to use a spirit level to check that they are all even, as it’ll be a lot trickier to replace later on when the mortar is dry. If you need to lift and replace a porcelain tile, you can use the Grabo to do so without ruining the placement of the other tiles. 

Using The Grabo:

The Grabo was created to help all construction workers and tradespeople with heavy lifting to make their workday quicker, easier and more efficient. Since launching, the Grabo has taken the construction industry by storm and is now a must-have tool on site. To find out more about the Grabo, click here, or find your closest authorised Grabo dealer.