Why Won’t My Casket Lowering Device Brake Hold?
Updated: 1 day ago
A casket lowering device brake should engage and securely hold the device in position. If the brake will not stay engaged, begins creeping, or no longer holds the way it normally does, the device needs attention.
One important thing to understand is that a brake problem may not always show itself during an unloaded setup check.
The Brake May Hold Until Weight Is Applied
Sometimes a lowering device can be set up, locked into position and appear to hold normally while unloaded.
The problem may not become noticeable until the casket is placed on the device and additional weight is applied.
At that point, cemetery personnel may notice the device beginning to slowly creep even though the brake is engaged.
That is different from a brake that obviously will not engage at all during setup, and unfortunately it means the problem may not become apparent until the service is already underway.
Why Someone Should Stay With the Device While It Is in Use
A brake problem does not always reveal itself before the casket is placed on the lowering device.
The brake may appear to hold during setup and then begin creeping only after weight is applied. That is one reason the device should not be left unattended while it is in use.
If the brake begins to creep and no one is near the device, the movement may go unnoticed until the casket has already begun descending.
Frigid's published owner guidance specifically instructs personnel not to leave the lowering device unattended while in use, particularly around the A-head where the crank handle and brake are located.
Staying with the device gives cemetery personnel the opportunity to recognize unexpected movement immediately and maintain control if a problem develops.
What If the Brake Starts Creeping With a Casket on the Device?
If the brake begins creeping after the casket has already been placed on the lowering device, the immediate priority is maintaining control of the equipment and the casket.
In that situation, personnel may have to physically maintain pressure on or hold the brake in position until the casket and equipment can be safely managed.
That is understandable as an immediate response when the problem is discovered under load.
However, physically holding the brake should never become the normal way the lowering device is operated.
Once the immediate situation is safely completed, the device should be removed from service and the brake problem corrected before the next graveside use.
Why Does a Lowering-Device Brake Stop Holding?
A brake that no longer holds properly does not necessarily mean the entire lowering device has failed.
Common service needs can include the brake requiring proper adjustment or the brake leather/pad becoming worn enough that it needs replacement.
The exact condition should still be inspected before deciding what work is required.
The important point for cemetery personnel is that a brake that has begun creeping or requiring physical assistance is no longer operating normally.
Warning Signs to Pay Attention To
A brake problem may show up as:
the device creeping after the brake is engaged,
the brake holding while unloaded but slipping once weight is applied,
the brake handle needing to be held manually,
the brake requiring noticeably different positioning than it previously did, or
a gradual change in how securely the brake holds over time.
Those changes should not be ignored simply because the device can still be made to work.
Do Not Let Holding the Brake Become Normal Procedure
It is possible for cemetery personnel to compensate for a weak brake by physically holding it during a service.
The problem is that once that becomes routine, a repairable brake condition is being treated as normal operation.
A lowering device should be able to hold securely on its own when properly set and maintained.
If staff regularly have to hold the brake to keep the device or casket from creeping, the brake needs to be serviced.
After the Brake Is Serviced
Once the brake has been adjusted or the worn brake leather/pad has been replaced as needed, the lowering device should be tested to verify that the brake once again engages and holds properly.
The device should not simply be returned to graveside use because an adjustment or repair was made. Normal brake operation should be confirmed first.
The Bottom Line
A lowering-device brake can sometimes appear completely normal while the device is unloaded and only begin creeping after casket weight is applied.
That is one reason personnel should remain near the device while it is in use and why a brake that begins creeping should be taken seriously.
If the problem appears during a service, maintaining physical control of the brake may be necessary until the situation is safely completed. But that should be treated as an immediate response to a problem—not an acceptable long-term operating method.
A brake that creeps, requires manual holding or no longer holds normally should be inspected. The condition may require brake adjustment, replacement of worn brake leather/pad, or other brake service before the lowering device is returned to normal use.
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