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Mobile Crane Inspection Guidelines for the Compliance Officers |
Printing Instructions
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Mobile Crane Inspection Guidelines
for OSHA Compliance Officers
1.0 Introduction
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Modern Ringer Crane
500-Ton Capacity |
Over the past few decades, there has been a significant
increase in the cost of cranes due in part to improved engineering design and
specific job site requirements.
Today, manufacturers design and build stronger and lighter
cranes in response to specific industry needs. Speed, utility, capacity, and
reach (radius) have been improved to the point that the crane has become an
indispensable workhorse for construction. Therefore, a more thorough
understanding of cranes, their capabilities and limitations is critically
important for everyone involved in construction today. The crane can perform
safely and economically when operated within the design parameters set by the
manufacturer.
Due to significant advances in lifting technology, crane
operators, site supervisors, safety professionals, and OSHA compliance
officers need to keep abreast of modern crane technology and changes in operating
procedures to help them recognize problems before potentially unsafe
conditions lead to accidents that result in injuries and/or fatalities, as
well as equipment damages.
With these factors in mind, the need for a better
understanding of crane
operations and the implementation of appropriate maintenance schedules is
evident in preventing accidents.
A recent study by Don Dickie, a recognized
crane authority with the Construction Safety Association of Ontario, indicates
that although mechanical failures represent only 11% of the causes of crane
accidents, they usually result in the major accidents involving injuries,
fatalities, substantial material costs, and usually spectacular media
coverage. Studies and analyses of crane accidents
involving mechanical failure show they are frequently due to a lack of
preventive maintenance or adequate training and/or experience on the part of
the personnel involved. It is important that not only crane operators but also
other personnel working with cranes receive training in crane operations.
Cranes and associated rigging equipment must be inspected regularly to
identify any existing or potentially unsafe conditions. In addition,
preventive maintenance must be performed as required by the crane manufacturer
and/or the supplier to ensure safe crane operation. The inspections performed
by OSHA compliance officers and/or other safety professionals also can play an
important role by identifying hazards as well as safe crane operations.
This report addresses major issues related to the crane itself and provide
some basic information on crane capacities and inspection criteria for OSHA
compliance officers. Since it would be difficult for a single report to fully
address all types of cranes available in today's market, two types of cranes
typically found on construction sites are discussed in this report. Some of
the issues encountered during inspections cover the following three areas:
- Basic Crane Operations – Lifting principles/mechanics
and some operational criteria.
- Typical Crane inspection Checklist – Listing of critical
items and components recommended for periodic inspection.
- Regulations – Federal OSHA regulations and
applicable ASME/ANSI and PCSA standards.
This report also contains general guidelines for crane inspections, as well
as some suggested operational considerations and inspection items recognized
by a number of construction companies.
Cranes are designed for both general use and for specific purposes. Similar
to the vast automobile industry, crane manufacturers produce similar models
or types of cranes for the same purpose, often with different sizes of the
same model of crane. Each type, model, or size of crane manufactured, may have
different operating controls and require specialized operator training,
individualized inspection criteria, and different preventive maintenance
schedules.
Two commonly used cranes, a hydraulic rough terrain crane and a crawler
lattice boom friction crane, are shown as examples for developing this
document. There are several significant differences between these two cranes,
primarily in boom hoist and load line controls. The somewhat smooth operation
of the boom control adjustments on the hydraulic cranes may suggest falsely to
the novice operator or inspector that it is a simple crane to operate. On the
other hand, the lattice boom friction cranes' movement in its boom, or its
adjustment in load position tend to be a little jerky requiring more skill and
experience to operate smoothly. Another clear difference between the two types
of cranes is their load charts. Due to the fixed boom length, the lattice boom
friction crane has a somewhat simplified load chart. This requires extensive
motion control and an anticipation of boom movement to accurately lift or
place loads. Conversely, the hydraulic crane's load charts are more extensive
or complicated due to the variations in boom length thus requiring more
training in the multiple charts available. The differences between these two
types of cranes are significant enough to require specific training on each
type of crane. Crane operators cannot be expected to be totally knowledgeable
and proficient in the operation of the many diverse types of cranes available today. They cannot be expected to
move from one type of crane to another without adequate education and
training on the specifics of each piece of equipment.
Variety of Crawler Rough Terrain (R/T) Crane
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Operator's View Lattice Boom |
Mobile Crawler Crane |
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