Safety experts always emphasize the need for precautions. Recognition of noteworthy precautionary measures does help to lower the chances for an overhead crane failure. For that reason, use of inspections reduces the level of risk that has been linked to a given crane’s poor-performing overhead equipment.
How to maximize the value of an inspection
Never ask an employee to operate a crane that has not yet been inspected. Make sure that the inspectors look for evidence of the most common problems. That recommendation should push inspectors to keep an eye pealed for poor wiring, worn out ropes and damaged parts. Document all inspections. Get written evidence that every vital check has been completed. That should include details on the checkup that has been carried out on an inspected crane’s safety devices. One inspection of a piece of equipment before operators get asked to use it should not be deemed adequate. Pre-shift inspections can become a source of useful supplemental information. That same information can then be used to fill in any blanks in the record, or on the inspector’s official form.
What needs to be included in an operational inspection?
Unlike periodic inspections, the operational procedures used by inspectors get carried out repeatedly throughout the year. For example, some of them take place when the quality of one crane’s features must be examined. During such operational inspections, attention should be given to specific parts.
An inspected crane’s hooks, wire, ropes and load chains must be checked. Of course, an inspector should never overlook the same machine’s brakes. By the same token, sufficient attention must be given to the limit switches.
Inspectors must focus on more than parts. An operator’s safety stands at risk, if an inspector’s eyes fail to note any existing leak. Moreover, the very tiniest of parts, such as the connections and electrical components should not be overlooked. At the same time, larger components, such as the drums, bumper and structural elements should not escape the inspector’s eyes.
The vital function played by each inspector’s mouth
An operator’s safety cannot be guaranteed if an inspector sees something but says nothing. Consequently, all the inspectors should feel compelled to ask the right questions. For instance, each of them ought to seek details on the crane’s rated capacity. Does some marking indicate that capacity?
Does all the equipment at the job site have the appropriate sign or warning label? Has a given crane been equipped with critical components? Those are examples of the sorts of questions that inspectors should be asking. Such questions help to ensure acquisition of valuable components, such as weigh scales that produce informative readouts.
