🔍 Key Concepts

• Spreader bar purpose in lifting operations • Relationship between sling angle and load on the slings • How load is distributed between crane hook, spreader bar, and slings

💭 Think About

• Think about what problem a spreader bar is solving when lifting a long or awkward load with a crane. • If you attach two slings directly to the hook and a wide load, what happens to the angle of the slings and the stress on them? • Does a spreader bar change the crane’s maximum safe load, or does it change how that load is applied to the slings and cargo?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify whether a spreader bar mainly protects slings, cargo, or crane capacity. • Consider whether the bar is changing the crane’s rated capacity or simply the geometry of the lift. • Visualize how using a spreader bar affects sling angle and force distribution on the load.