A Google search for goods hoists will typically bring up Chinese suppliers whenever they have their Google AdWords running. Some business owners who already import other products from China might wonder whether it would be a good idea to import the goods hoist and then find someone who is prepared to install it for them.
There are four major issues with this approach.
- Unless you are already familiar with goods hoists and their requirements, managing the project becomes very risky, time-consuming, and frustrating for most business owners.
- SANS 1545-5 is quite a unique regulation. To date, we haven’t seen or heard of a SANS 1545-5 compliant Chinese goods hoist. There is a chance that the Department of Labour or the municipal building inspectors will never find out about your unit. However, the disruption to your business if you do get caught will be significant.
- Sooner or later, parts on your goods hoist will need to be replaced. If you use forklifts, the risk of damaging your goods hoist during loading and unloading increases significantly. When a component has to be replaced, very few businesses can afford to wait for imports even when that component was already stocked in China. When the component still has to be manufactured, then the lead time becomes extremely problematic. Additionally, the transport bill is also going to be particularly expensive.
- A local installer who is prepared to install something that doesn’t comply with the law is either unaware of the regulations in the industry they operate in (which is very concerning), or doesn’t really care about following the regulations which are primarily aimed at safety. If they aren’t concerned about that, is the hypothetical company or individual really worth partnering with for a potentially dangerous application like this, especially with such risk for you personally?
The reality is that the unique South African goods hoist market is too small to be of much interest to companies in China. While it is certainly possible to import a non-compliant goods hoist, it is unlikely that everything will work out in the long run.
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