Hitch-free hitching
February 1st 2008

A number of safety alerts have been issued by the HSE in connection with quick hitches, and there is increasing concern in the construction industry, as well as with manufacturers and other organisations.

Hill Engineering believes it has a potential solution.

The advanced design of its fully automatic 'Safety First' Auto-Loc quick hitch enables the operator to visually confirm from the excavator cab that the bucket or other attachment is securely locked in position.

As the Hill Auto-Loc hitch is fully automatic in its operation, there is no requirement for the operator to leave the cab, to remove or insert safety pins, when changing from one attachment to another. This eliminates the risk of the safety pin being inserted incorrectly or not being inserted at all.

Hill Engineering says the Auto-Loc design goes beyond the BS Standard in that it ensures that attachments can only be released when the boom is in a safe working position.

Safety features include a check valve fitted to the ram and a certified lifting eye fitted as standard. A further option is the fitting of a non-removable safety pin.

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