
With a brief glance, scrap and material handlers can look like those arcade cranes that grab at stuffed animals. Except while those arcade cranes make it frustratingly difficult to grab the intended object, the real machinery makes it easier to get a job done. Scrap and material handlers shift around debris and construction material that far outweigh what a person could lift alone. As with all heavy machinery, safety should be paramount. ASME B30.25-2018: Scrap and Material Handlers proposes safety guidelines to help operators of scrap and material handlers with this objective.
ASME B30.25-2018 covers many aspects of scrap and material handlers. The construction, installation, operation, inspection, and maintenance of scrap and material handlers consisting of a base, an operator’s station in a revolving upper structure, and a front section that is used for lifting materials are all looked at through the lens of ASME B30.25-2018. Crawler mounted, wheel mounted, rail mounted, or material handlers on a pedestal base, all fall under the guidelines of this volume of ASME B30. ASME B30.25-2018 also refers to hydraulically operated scrap and material handlers mechanized by electric motors or internal combustion that swing, lift, and lower scrap material. With the help of ASME B30, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides guidelines that support safety against threats to life, limb, and property. It is also notable for giving guidance to manufacturers, owners, employers, users, and others responsible for its application, and it gives assistance to the government in regard to development and implementation of safety standards.

The origins of ASME B30.25-2018 can be traced back over a hundred years ago. In 1916, an eight-page document entitled “Code of Safety Standards for Cranes” was created. From there iterations and changes to the ASME B30 standard took place. In 1998, the first edition of ASME B30.25 was delivered. ASME B30.25-2018 changes some of the language from the previous edition to better match up with the way the industry considers the machinery. There have also been some small editorial changes to assure this volume of the standard is up to date.
ASME B30.25-2018 is a volume of ASME B30. ASME B30 has 32 volumes that give safety guidance on cableways, cranes, derricks, hoists, hooks, jacks, and slings.
ASME B30.25-2018: Scrap and Material Handlers is available on the ANSI Webstore. It and other ASME B30 standards are part of the ASME B30. Construction Package.