Abstract: A lifting device for polyethylene barrels comprises a pair of arms each having a sleeve for engaging over the fork of a fork lift truck. A cross bar interconnects the arms and is adjustable in length in conjunction with the adjustment of the spacing between the forks of the forklift truck. On the forward end of each end is mounted an arcuate gripper pivotal about a vertical pin on the respective arm. The gripper comprises a horizontal band having a sharpened upper edge with the band curved around a center of the barrel. Each gripper is rotated by a spring in a direction to open forward ends of the gripper to an increased spacing so that the forward ends can be moved forwardly to engage around the barrel and then each gripper pivots about the vertical pin to face the center of the barrel and to engage the barrel under the bead at the upper end of the barrel.