A steel load approaches its landing point. The crane operator is attentive, the rigging is sound. In the final correction — the last few inches of position — a worker reaches forward. The hand moves towards the load to steady it, turn it or bring it into alignment. This moment is not unusual. It is routine. And it is where hand exposure is created.
PSC Load-It® Magnetic Tools address this moment directly. The magnetic head establishes contact on a suitable steel face where a conventional hook, sling or push/pull head may lack an accessible edge or opening. The result: a controlled positioning movement with the worker's hands clear of the engagement point.
Contact on a Clean Steel Face
Broad steel surfaces — plates, structural sections, fabricated assemblies, equipment casings — rarely offer a convenient handle, opening or accessible edge for a conventional head. The magnetic head provides an additional engagement interface precisely where these surfaces present themselves: flat, firm and ferrous.
Magnetic engagement is not equivalent in every direction. Pushing against a magnetised surface is different from maintaining engagement during a guiding or pulling movement. Both are available functions, but the relevant direction, force and application must be assessed. The value is not simply magnetic strength. It is useful engagement, suitable reach and controlled positioning.
"The tool performs the contact function that would otherwise draw the worker's hand towards the pinch point or closing gap."
Six Lengths. One Consistent Engagement Interface.
Where the working reach is known and the task is repeated at a consistent workstation, a fixed-length magnetic tool offers a straightforward choice: a dedicated configuration, balanced for that specific reach, requiring no adjustment before use.
PSC Load-It® fixed magnetic tools are available in six standard lengths — the MG range. Selection follows the access geometry, the required standoff from the load, the operator's assessed working position and the available handling space. A longer pole provides greater reach but requires a larger operating envelope. A shorter configuration may suit confined access where a longer pole cannot be managed safely.
Each model in the standard fixed range carries a stated magnetic holding-force specification of 550 lb under the relevant test conditions. This figure refers to magnetic holding force only — it is not a lifting capacity, a permissible load weight or a guaranteed operating force on every surface. Confirmed lengths for each model reference are available from PSC's product documentation.
Adjustment range: 4–8 ft | Magnetic holding force: 275 lb (stated, test conditions)
Set reach before engagement. Lock mechanism before applying force. Confirm surface suitability for the magnetic configuration. Consult PSC instructions for the specific assembly.
| Consideration | Fixed-Length (MG Range) | Extendable (FG008) |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Known, repeatable — selected at purchase | 4–8 ft variable; set and lock before use |
| Setup | No adjustment; ready to use as configured | Reach must be set and locking secured |
| Stored length | Full pole length at all times | Compact retracted length for transport and storage |
| Holding force | 550 lb (stated, test conditions) | 275 lb (stated, test conditions) |
| Best suited to | Repeated tasks at consistent working reach | Variable access; multiple standoff distances |
| Both require | Task assessment · Surface verification · Operator outside hazard zone · Configuration-specific instructions | |
"The 550 lb standard and 275 lb extendable specifications refer to magnetic holding force under specified test conditions. They are not lifting capacities, permissible load weights or guaranteed operating forces on every surface."
The Complete Assembly Matters
Selecting by magnetic-force number alone is an incomplete basis for procurement. The relevant assessment covers the complete assembly: the magnet, its mounting, the head geometry, the connection method, the pole material, the grip and — for the extendable model — the extension lock and its correct operation.
PSC Load-It® magnetic tools are configured as complete assemblies, not loose components. Application suitability, documented specifications and engineering support are all part of the selection and supply process. Buyers are encouraged to assess these alongside the force figure, not instead of it.
PSC Load-It® supplements — and does not replace — the crane, lifting equipment, taglines, rigging plan and required exclusion zones. The tool addresses one specific, recurring exposure: the need for human contact at the last point of positioning.
The recurring scenario is recognisable across lifting, fabrication and maintenance operations. A load approaches its landing point, and the final correction requires contact with the steel face. A tagline cannot do it. The crane hook cannot do it. A worker's hand can do it — and this is precisely the exposure that PSC Load-It® is designed to address.
Guiding a load towards its landing point. Steadying an appropriate movement. Correcting orientation. Positioning against a reference. Helping alignment without direct hand contact at the closing gap, the pinch point or the moving edge.
"The Industrial Third Hand™" moves the contact point away from the worker's hand, to the end of a pole, at a controlled standoff, for the task that requires it most.
"Find the hand. Match the contact. Select the reach. Guide with PSC Load-It®."
For an application assessment, provide: a photograph of the task · material and surface details · the movement required (guide, steady, turn, position) · working reach and access geometry · temperature and operating conditions.
PSC Load-It® magnetic tools are available direct and through authorised distributors worldwide.
PSC reports more than 2,000 Load-It® tools deployed worldwide across lifting, rigging, fabrication, steelmaking, process plant and maintenance operations.