The Little Known Variety of OSHA Inspections

Is There More Than One Crane Inspection Required?

YES!!! OSHA 1910.179 is not rocket science but you’ve got to read the whole thing.

I recently worked with an attorney and tried to explain the various requirements for OSHA crane inspections. It seemed the more I explained, the more I could see her eyes glazing over. What was as plain as day to me was evidently as clear as mud to her.

you are here.jpg

The good news is that some things are just more apparent when put into a graphic. It’s a lot like the “You are Here” sign at DisneyWorld. Once you see where you are in the big picture, it all starts to fall in place.

After spending some time with a mind mapping program, I think I’ve put together something that will help both the crane veteran as well as the layman.

OSHA Crane Inspections Distilled into Three Groups

I’ve determined that it all comes down to three inspection groups.

  1. One-Time Inspections

  2. Recurring Inspections

  3. Special Case Inspections

One-Time Inspections

This is the initial inspection provided by the OEM Crane Builder prior to turning the crane over to the crane buyer. Per OSHA, the inspection criteria is the responsibility of the OEM and the inspection documentation must be filed with the owner’s manual for the life of the crane.

Recurring Inspections

FULL CRANE INSPECTIONS

This is the segment that most people think of when they refer to crane inspections. It includes Periodic, Frequent and Functional (Pre-shift) inspections.

Here are a few miscellaneous facts regarding crane inspections;

  • Crane inspection does NOT have to be performed by a professional crane inspection company, but they DO have to be performed by formally trained persons. This means Techs that have had classroom training, have been tested and have received a certificate of completion.

  • In my experience, the most common inspection plan has an outside inspection company performing the “Periodic” inspection and trained in-house staff performing the “Frequent” inspections. Remember, even the “Frequent” inspections still require formally trained techs.

  • Be aware that even the “Functional” or “Daily Pre-shift” inspection requires formal inspection training, albeit a much shorter training program. It should be noted that OSHA requires that all persons operating an overhead crane be formally trained and certified. Part of this training should include the “Functional” inspection duties that must be performed prior to the start of the shift.

  • Inspection documentation requirements;

    • Periodic inspection- “Shall”

    • Frequent inspection- “Should”

    • Functional/Pre-shift inspection- “Should”

HOOK & ROPE/LOAD CHAIN INSPECTIONS

This is the segment that receives the most OSHA violations because almost nobody does these inspections. For some reason, I find even plants with otherwise excellent safety programs are unaware of this requirement.

OSHA mandates that Load Hooks and Wirerope/Load Chain SHALL be inspected monthly. These inspections must be performed by a formally trained person. The inspection requires an inspection form that is dated and signed by the inspector.

  • Inspection documentation;

    • Hook inspections- “Shall”

    • Rope/Chain inspections- “Shall”

  • Frequency- Monthly

  • Skill level- Formally trained and certified

  • Tools required-

    • Ruler

    • Calipers

    • A detailed hook and rope specific inspection form

  • Record keeping

    • A formal inspection storage location and filing system

Special Case Crane Inspections

This segment covers special inspections for cranes with substantial mods, standby cranes, and cranes not in regular use.

OSHA EOT Overhead Bridge Crane Inspection Requirements per OSHA 1910.179

OSHA EOT Overhead Bridge Crane Inspection Requirements per OSHA 1910.179

There is a whole lot of information that I purposely did not include in this graphic. My first version was so detailed that even I got lost in the maze. I then deleted a lot of the detail and instead added the chapter and verse notation. In other words this is a “Big Picture” document that explains the inter-relationships between the various inspections as well as a “cheat sheet” that will tell you where to find the details.

To download a one-page PDF of the above mind map, click here.

OSHA Crane Inspection Mind Map

Any additions, corrections, or suggestions are welcome.

Larry@OverheadCraneConsulting.com, 574-210-8612


Larry Dunville