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Holp launches gravity stabilised Safety Fork

Holp has launched the SafetyFork, a pendulum-suspended pallet fork designed to improve load stability and reduce the risk of damaged pallets and displaced materials when handling loads with excavators on construction and landscaping sites.

Conventional rigid pallet forks transmit movements from the excavator directly to the load. On uneven ground, sudden movements or slewing can cause materials to shift or fall, particularly when pallets are unevenly loaded or damaged. The SafetyFork uses a two-axis universal joint to allow the forks to self-align under gravity, in a similar way to a suspended crane load. This helps absorb boom movements, slewing impulses and vibrations when travelling over uneven terrain, making load handling smoother and reducing the risk of materials slipping or pallets being damaged.

Designed to meet German safety requirements

The launch comes as Germany’s construction industry faces tighter requirements for operating rigid pallet forks mounted directly to excavators, following an August revision to guideline FBBAU-005 by the German Construction Industry Accident Insurance Association.

According to Holp, the revised guidance includes requirements for an additional load-capacity table for excavators fitted with rigid pallet forks, supported by extensive testing. The company says the guidance does not apply to forks whose centre of gravity remains below the attachment point on the excavator or quick-change coupler. As a result, Holp says the pendulum-suspended SafetyFork can be used with the excavator’s standard lifting-capacity table.

Adjustable suspension and folding design

The SafetyFork has a rated load capacity of 2,000kg and weighs approximately 250kg without its quick-change plate. It can be used with various rigid quick-change attachments, rotators and tiltrotators. Hydraulic centre-of-gravity compensation allows the suspension point to be adjusted to suit different load centres, including pallets carrying unevenly distributed loads. A folding mechanism lowers the centre of gravity for storage and transport, reducing the space required and making the fork easier to handle when reconnecting it to the machine. By combining gravity stabilisation with adjustable suspension, Holp aims to improve control when transporting palletised materials while reducing damage to both pallets and their contents.