Crane inspection and maintenance should be a regular part of the on-site crane operation to ensure maximum safety. Regular inspection and maintenance of cranes are required by relevant authorities such as OSHA, ASME, and CMAA.
These authorities even offer checklists to help crane operators ensure they’ve covered everything. Crane operators can use checklists such as OSHA’s Overhead Crane Pre-Operational Checklist and DOT NY’s Crane Preventive Maintenance Checklist.
Cranes are responsible for lifting extremely heavy loads regularly, which leads to wear and tear. Without routine inspection and maintenance, the risk of failure increases significantly. So, without further ado, these are the crane components that should be inspected regularly:
1.Crane Controls
Crane controls and functions for speed, smooth operation, and limits of motion should be inspected regularly before operation. Crane controls and functions are a crucial part of the operation and it’s important to ensure their safety.
For instance, crane hooks should be checked for deformation or any cracks, and functional operating mechanisms should be checked for any maladjustment. Similarly, hydraulic and air system parts like valves, lines, drain pumps, tanks should also be checked regularly.
2.Ropes and Hoist Chains
Ropes and their end connections should be checked regularly for broken strands and signs of wear. Ropes snapping and breaking can lead to loads dropping from the crane, causing significant damage.
Similarly, hoist chains and their end connections should be inspected for any distortion, excessive wear, or any twit that might interfere with proper crane operation. If these components are stretched beyond their limits, crane accidents take place.
3.Lubrication of Moving Parts
All types of cranes have moving parts, and regular inspection needs to ensure that all these moving parts are lubricated properly to ensure smooth and safe operation. Therefore, it is no surprise that lubrication of moving parts in the crane operation is such a safety priority.
4.Warning and Indicator Systems
Crane safety is incomplete without warning and indicator systems. Typically, these include anti-two-block warning systems, wind speed indicator, load indicators, load moment indicators, and rated capacity indicators.
Regular inspection should be carried out to ensure these warning systems and indicators are running smoothly. Since these warning and indicator systems are crucial to preventing crane disasters, their regular inspection and maintenance are crucial to crane safety.
Regular maintenance of these parts could involve replacing certain ATB parts as well as other components such as cable, cable reels, control boxes, sensors, or displays.
At Crane Warning Systems Atlanta, we offer crane safety equipment as well as replacement parts required for regular maintenance. As the national distributor of RaycoWylie equipment in the US, CWSA has been crucial to making crane operations safe all over the US for years now.
Contact now to learn more or get a free quote for your crane safety equipment or parts needs.
Find out more about ATB Systems here.
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