What is the number one component on an overhead crane inspection that gets missed the most?

This is a question that had crossed my mind while trying to come up with an idea to write a presentation for the CCAA Spring Conference in San Diego. I had an idea in my mind of the answer to this question. I decided to ask as many people that I could on this subject. I started with inspectors and then moved on to managers. This is what I found in my small assesment.

What is the number one component on an overhead crane that gets missed the most during an inspection?

1.Wire Rope

2. Pattern Sheave Wear

3. Coupling Lubrication

4. Brake Adjustments

5. Load Hook Wear

6. Load Block Cracks and Wear

7. Wire Rope Terminology

8. Sheave Wear Under and on Sides of Wire Rope

9. Wire Rope Wraps on the Drum

10. Load Chain Wear

11. Regulations

In the crane industry, how do we limit the amount of missed discrepancies during an inspection? I believe it can be done in three ways.

1. Continual Training

To keep inspectors up with the latest regulations that tend to change every year, inspectors need refresher training on the codes at least once a year. They should also be getting training on various equipment direct from the manufacturer. There are many hoist manufacturers that provide technical training on their equipment and components on your site or at the factory. Contact your hoist manufacturer or a crane training company to help you with this.

2. Culture

Culture is something that takes a long time to develop. So if you don't have it in your company now then NOW is a good time to make that change. To create a culture of safety awareness, and inspection mindedness it needs to start at the top. Like everything, it will trickle down to affect everyone. Don't just relay information and tell people to take inspections seriously. You take it seriously. Talk about inspections at every safety meeting. Discuss why it is important to you and them. Explain the consequences of missing components on inspections. Pick a component during the safety meeting to discuss the proper inspection procedure. Don't just relay the information but get everyone involved and ask their opinion on it. Make it an ongoing discussion.

3. Senior Field Personnel

Another key to producing good inspection results is having the right inspectors out there. Only use inspectors who have demonstrated a excellent knowledge in the field. They should have a high amount of field hours. I would say 4,000 hours is a good amount of time to have under your belt before you become an inspector. Those hours should consist mostly of troubleshooting and installing crane components. This will help them greatly when it comes to narrowing something down on a crane inspection.

When training your personnel you should refresh them on certain component requirements. Especially on the components listed above. It is key to keep inspectors up to date on the updated regulation requirements

 

Load Hook

• Discard Load Hook if...
• Throat Opening is stretched 5% or not over 1/4 inch.
• No Degree of twist.
• Saddle Wear of 10% or more`

 

Wire Rope

•  A minimum of two wraps must be on the drum at its lowest point.
•   The three parts of the wire rope from largest to smallest is the Core (D),           Strand (F), and Wire (E). Always remember that a wire rope with one bad wire is acceptable but a wire rope with one bad strand is not. The wire is the smallest component of the wire rope and it is what makes up the strand.
• Depending on what state you live in you are only allowed a certain number of failed wire rope parts. By OSHA standards you are required to change the wire rope once you have 12 randomly distributed broken wires in one lay or 6 broken wires in one strand of one lay.

·         What is a wire rope lay? A lay is the distance it takes for the wire rope to make a complete revolution around the core of the wire rope. In California by CALOSHA standards you are only allowed 6 randomly distributed broken wires in one pay or 3 broken wires in one strand of one lay.

There is no point doing an overhead crane inspection if it is not going to be accurate. To ensure you’re getting an accurate inspection you need to ensure that you are creating a culture that takes inspections to a higher level, you need to continually provide training for

 all personnel who will be inspecting the overhead cranes. Start with something during all your safety meetings about one overhead crane component. This will help create a culture of mindful inspectors. At the same time if your information is new and pertinent then it will also keep your inspectors up to date on all the new codes and regulations.

What do you feel gets missed the most on overhead crane inspections?

What is a good way to keep your inspector from preventing these mistakes?

As a crane owner what do you expect from your inspection company and how do you know your getting a good inspection?

2011 Changes in ASME B.30.2

Last year ASME changed several parts of the B.30.2. Listening to potential clients has led me to believe that many crane companies are either unaware of the changes or are not making their personnel aware of these changes. I would like to think that the crane industry has a high level of integrity, and holds safety of crane operators as a number one priority. When I am out visiting potential customers and introducing Konecranes to them, I am astonished many times by what the competitor considers passing by their crane service provider. Because of this I wanted to make as many people as I could aware of the changes that went into effect in 2011 for the ASME B.30.2. The last time it was revised was in 2005.

Major changes have been added to the Chapter two sections for Inspections, and Testing. This section was revised for easier understanding and interpretation. Let’s just go over these changes. We will review them in order of the sections to keep this as simple as possible. This will also be a refresher for me since it has been awhile since I reviewed these changes.

1.13.3 Basic Controls (Figs 2-1.13.3-1 through 2-1.13.3-4) used during crane operating cycle shall be located within reach of the operator while at the operating station and labeled as to designated function and direction of movement. (The 2005 version simply stated that they had to be labeled.)

 2-1.14-3 This section they changed the terminology. It previously used the term minimum breaking strength. The new terminology is minimum breaking force. (a) The hoisting ropes shall be of a recommended construction for crane service. The total load (rated load plus weight of load block) divided by the number of parts of line shall not exceed 20% of the minimum breaking force of the rope. They also added this to the list of definitions. ASME defines minimum breaking force as the minimum load at which a new and unused wire rope will break when loaded to destruction in direct tension.

Chapter 2-2 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance has been revised greatly. They re-titled the chapter Inspection and Testing. Under the inspection section they have added a section titled Initial Inspection. Inspection classification and Inspection records was removed and they have now made a section in the beginning of the chapter for General topics of Inspections and Testing. The Maintenance section has been completely removed. They are focusing only on inspections. The same goes for the Rope Inspection section. This section was revised by removing the sections for Rope Maintenance, and Rope Replacement.

 I think this is a good idea because it was too much information in once section and there really needs to be separate sections for inspections and maintenance since they are completely different. This allows for easier understanding and also easier to navigate the regulations. As far as I could tell I did not see any major changes, but just how they worded the same information. I completely agree with what ASME has done. Finding regulations on cranes is hard enough, and then when you have to interpret them as well it can be confusing with all the different information. It always seems that the information is scattered about and it is up to you to figure out what is important. Now it is a little easier because it is more organized in a way that keeps the reader focused on the issue instead of having to continually re-read and search for the right info. There still needs to be some form of training on these changes at least on an annual basis. Ask your crane service company about the overhead crane training that they provide to the technicians and inspectors that come to work on your equipment. You always want to make sure you have a company that invests in their own people. When you get that, you will always get a reliable person working on your equipment.

How Much Can I Pick Up With My Crane?

As a certified crane operator instructor I have given many classes and I am always asked questions that become repetitive. I think those are the questions that need to be shared the most. Like, What is wrong with side pulling?, or Why do I have to inspect my crane so often? These are important questions and definitely should not go unanswered. There is one question that I get more than any other. I get this question in my training classes, I got it when I was a crane technician, and I get it as a consultant to my customers. How much can I pick up with my crane? Every time I am asked this I answer it the same way, You can lift whatever the lowest capacity rating you have on your crane system. Once I state this, I always get the counter question of, I thought there is a safety factor built into my crane? Well, yes there is but that don’t mean your crane was designed for lifting your rated capacity plus the safety factor percentage. In this post I will try to explain what the correct answer is, and then I will do my best to explain to you this safety factor.

The regulations set forth by OSHA clearly says that you are not to pick up more than the rated capacity of the crane. OSHA 1910.179 N states that The crane shall not be loaded beyond its rated load except for test purposes as provided in paragraph (k) of this section. Not only can you not exceed the rated capacity of the crane, but you also have to factor in the lowest rated capacity of the device your using to lift with. If you have a below the hook device you have to subtract the weight of the device from the rated capacity of the crane. Then if the rated capacity of the device is smaller than the rated capacity of the bridge or hoist then you cannot exceed the capacity of the device.

You should never pick more than the rated capacity unless it is for a load test which will be conducted at or near 125% of the rated load. So many factors go into the design of a crane that you would have to look at the safety factor of all your components. You would have to look at the wire rope, the motors, bearings, sheaves, drums, wheels, rails, hoisting speeds, and beam and steel sizes.

Now when you try to figure out what is your cranes safety factor, you have to be careful as to whether your crane manufacturer built the crane based on CMAA standards or FEM standards. So it is important to know what the difference is between the two standards. CMAA is the Crane Manufacturers Association of America and FEM is Federal European De La Manutention. This is the standards for design and manufacturing internationally of overhead traveling cranes. FEM specifications are written based on the input from the World’s largest crane companies. Then of the CMAA specifications are written based on the input from the largest American crane companies. FEM will separate each main part of the crane (hoist, trolley, and bridge). However CMAA groups them together as one structure and machinery. I think the problem you can have with this is that with FEM you can get an under and over designing of certain components because it does not always take into account the entire crane system as CMAA does. CMAA safety factor for the wire rope is 5:1 for standard cranes, and 8:1 for molted metal cranes. However, FEM safety factor for the wire rope of 3.6:1 and up to 9:1 depending on the crane group the crane is classified in. There are 6 classes of cranes for FEM and for CMAA. These different classifications were designed to allow for the most economical crane to be specified.

FEM         1Bm    1Am    2m    3m    4m    5m
CMAA      A        B         C      D      E      F
These classifications are based on the usage of the crane. They are similar to each other but different enough that it can put your cranes in different classifications.

FEM    Life in Hours
1Bm     0-1,600hrs
1Am    1,600-3,200hrs
2m       3,200-6,300hrs
3m       6,300-12,500hrs
4m       12,500-25,000hrs
5m       25,000-50,000hrs


CMAA   Life in Hours
A             0-1,250hrs
B             1,250-2,500hrs
C             2,500-5,000hrs
D             5,000-10,000hrs
E             10,000-20,000hrs
F             20,000-40,000hrs



Typically with the FEM standards you are getting a heavier duty hoist than with the CMAA standards. FEM also factors their calculations using the long ton while CMAA goes by the short ton. The difference is 220lbs per ton. This does not seem like a lot but when you are comparing a heavier capacity hoist it is a drastic difference. For example if your crane is a 30 ton hoist, CMAA standards will build the crane for 30 tons. Likewise that same hoist by FEM standards will be built for an additional 6,138lbs.

You also have to consider the deflection of your bridge beam when factoring in what your crane can pick up. When a load test is conducted on your crane deflections are measured. CMAA has an allowable deflection of live load tolerance. However FEM has no such rule. If we go by CMAA standards the standard allowable deflection is .1125% of the span of the bridge. A good rule to go by that I always used as a technician to find an acceptable tolerance is, Jib cranes tolerance is the span/150 or 450 depending upon the span. A single girder crane has an allowable tolerance of the span/603 and double girder cranes have a tolerance of the span/888. These tolerances are based on 100% of the rated capacity.

In the end the crane operator is the one who is responsible for the lift. It is the operator’s responsibility to know what the capacity of the crane and any lifting devices. If the operator has any doubts to the safety of the lift then they should not lift the load. Anytime that the lift is going to be at near capacity it is a good practice to test the brakes. The operator tests the brakes by raising the load only a few inches off of the ground and applying the brakes. There should be no drift in the hoist motion when the operator is not raising or lowering the load. This is an excellent safety measurement and should be used.

Many factors are taken into account when considering the safety factor for your crane. There are so many different parameters that get you to your true safety factor that you would have to re-engineer the entire crane to figure out what it truly is. Once true stress is calculated at its maximum on all load bearing components and the usage of the crane is calculated then the true safety factor can be calculated. The standards are guidelines to help with the design of the crane. However, they also give limits and requirements for most vital crane components. Although cranes may be built according to CMAA standards, all electric hoists are designed and rated according to FEM standards. These standards are in place to make the operator and those working around the crane safe. Be safe and never exceed the capacity of the crane. Ensure your crane operator has been properly trained and your equipment is being inspected as well as maintained with a through preventive maintenance program.

New OSHA Standards on Slings

New OSHA standards have improved the regulations for slings. This new revision to the regulations requires that all slings regardless of the material require permanently affixed identification tags. This revision is part of the Standards Improvement Project Phase III. This project is to improve and streamline OSHA Standards. There are so many standards out there that the rules are so confusing, or duplicate what has already been said somewhere else and even written a different way causing much inconsistency. Many regulations are even outdated and should not apply in today’s world. This improvement project will help employers to understand the regulations better. Through better understanding employers will work safer, and be in compliance. After reading the revised regulations I think they did an excellent job at rewording much of the regulations but they did a poor job at duplicating the same message in every section. Every sections still tells you that you have to have a capacity label on anything. I would think it would be easier to read if they had a section for all lifting equipment that stated what is required for all devices regardless of what they are made of. This would save a lot of time reading the same thing over and over again every time you come to a different section.


There are several new changes to sling capacity labels and shackle markings that took effect on July 8th 2011. Previously many slings had a load capacity chart if it was a synthetic sling, or if it was a wire rope sling it had no rated capacity at all.

The new major changes are as follows….

• Remove load capacity tables for slings that were in the previous OSHA standards


• Sling Markings- Employers now must use only slings with permanently affixed identification markings that show the maximum load capacity for each sling


• Shackle Markings- Required to have rated capacity label on shackle






Much of the original regulations have stayed the same but they have also been reworded so it is easier to understand. I have the entire set of regulations that have been revised. I separated them based on what the regulations were about and compiled them together for easier reading.






• Employers must not load a sling in excess of its recommended safe working load as prescribed by the sling manufacturer on the identification markings permanently affixed to the sling.


• Employers must not use slings without affixed and legible identification markings.

Alloy chain slings also have their own specific regulations…



• Employers must permanently remove an alloy steel-chain slings from service if it is heated above 1000 degrees F. When exposed to service temperatures in excess of 600 degrees F, employers must reduce the maximum working-load limits permitted by the chain manufacturer in accordance with the chain or sling manufacturer’s recommendations.


• Effect of wear. If the chain size at any point of the link is less than that stated in Table N–184–1, the employer must remove the chain from service.


• Employers must ensure that chain and chain slings:


• Have permanently affixed and legible identification markings as prescribed by the manufacturer that indicate the recommended safe working load for the type(s) of hitch(es) used, the angle upon which it is based, and the number of legs if more than one;


• Not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load as prescribed on the identification markings by the manufacturer; and


• Not be used without affixed and legible identification markings.


• Employers must note interlink wear, not accompanied by stretch in excess of 5 percent, and remove the chain from service when maximum allowable wear at any point of link, as indicated in Table G–2 in § 1915.118, has been reached.

Wire rope slings have the most significant change in the entire revisal. Prior to this wire rope slings did not require a capacity label. Here are the revised regulations for wire rope slings.



• Wire-rope slings—(1) Sling use. Employers must use only wire-rope slings that have permanently affixed and legible identification markings as prescribed by the manufacturer, and that indicate the recommended safe working load for the type(s) of hitch(es) used, the angle upon which it is based, and the number of legs if more than one.


• Employers must ensure that wire rope and wire-rope slings:


• Have permanently affixed and legible identification markings as prescribed by the manufacturer that indicate the recommended safe working load for the type(s) of hitch(es) used, the angle upon which it is based, and the number of legs if more than one;


• Not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load as prescribed on the identification markings by the manufacturer; and


• Not be used without affixed and legible identification markings.


• When U-bolt wire rope clips are used to form eyes, employers must use Table G–1 in § 1915.118 to determine the number and spacing of clips.


• Employers must apply the U-bolt so that the ‘‘U’’ section is in contact with the dead end of the rope.

You never see natural or synthetic fiber-rope slings used today in the crane industry. There still are regulations for them since you may see them used in manual lift with shackle blocks.



• Natural and synthetic fiber-rope slings— Sling use. Employers must use natural and synthetic fiber-rope slings that have permanently affixed and legible identification markings stating the rated capacity for the type(s) of hitch(es) used and the angle upon which it is based, type of fiber material, and the number of legs if more than one.

§ 1915.112 Ropes, chains, and slings.



• Manila rope and manila-rope slings. Employers must ensure that manila rope and manila-rope slings: Have permanently affixed and legible identification markings as


prescribed by the manufacturer that indicate the recommended safe working

load for the type(s) of hitch(es) used, the angle upon which it is based, and the number of legs if more than one; Not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load as prescribed on the identification markings by the manufacturer; and Not be used without affixed and legible identification markings as required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

Shackles and hooks get overlooked more than any other lifting device or rigging attachment. Shackles and hooks still have strict regulations in place to keep workers safe and prevent any accidents. Below is the rewording of the up to date regulations 1915.13 Shackles and Hooks.



• Shackles. Employers must ensure that shackles:


• Have permanently affixed and legible identification markings as prescribed by the manufacturer that indicate the recommended safe working load;


• Not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load as prescribed on the identification markings by the manufacturer; and


• Not be used without affixed and legible identification markings.





The last updates the regulations received were for the general rigging equipment for material handling. This is for any piece of rigging to ensure that all below the hook devices and any material handling equipment not covered in the previous regulations will be covered here in this last set of regulations. The regulation below is the 1926.251 rigging equipment for material handling.



• Employers must ensure that rigging equipment:


• Has permanently affixed and legible identification markings as prescribed by the manufacturer that indicate the recommended safe working load;


• Not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load as prescribed on the identification markings by the manufacturer; and


• Not be used without affixed, legible identification markings.


• Employers must not use alloy steel-chain slings with loads in excess of the rated capacities (i.e., working load limits) indicated on the sling by permanently affixed and legible identification markings prescribed by the manufacturer.

• Employers must not use improved plow-steel wire rope and wire-rope slings with loads in excess of the rated capacities (i.e., working load limits) indicated on the sling by permanently affixed and legible identification markings prescribed by the manufacturer.


• Wire rope slings shall have permanently affixed, legible identification markings stating size, rated capacity for the type(s) of hitch(es) used and the angle upon which it is based, and the number of legs if more than one.


• Employers must not use natural and synthetic-fiber rope slings with loads in excess of the rated capacities (i.e., working load limits) indicated on the sling by permanently affixed and legible identification markings prescribed by the manufacturer.


• Employers must use natural- and synthetic-fiber rope slings that have permanently affixed and legible identification markings that state the rated capacity for the type(s) of hitch(es) used and the angle upon which it is based, type of fiber material, and the number of legs if more than one.


• Employers must not use shackle with loads in excess of the rated capacities (i.e., working load limits) indicated on the shackle by permanently affixed and legible identification markings prescribed by the manufacturer.



Below the hook devices are the most overlooked part of any inspection on a crane, especially when they are not stored on the crane itself. What you have read are all of the new regulations and the revised wording of the OSHA regulations on slings. It is very important to understand what codes your equipment fall under. If you are unsure contact your service provider and they will go over with you any regulations that you would like clarification on.



It is vital to stay up to date with the changes that occur every year. Keeping up to date is very hard and can be time consuming especially when you have other task that are not crane related. This is why it is beneficial for any company to have a inspection outsourced to professionals who inspect cranes and below the hook devices on a daily basis. When looking for a crane company to service your cranes, pick one that has an extensive training program for their technicians and inspectors so that you can be assured that your getting an accurate inspection that will include covering any new codes that have come out for the new year.

CAL OSHA Title 8 Article 100 Cranes and Hoist Inspection and Maintenance

When do you inspect your crane? Annually? Quarterly? Monthly? Daily? Answer: all the above. Daily visual inspections by the operator or other qualified person is a must for all crane owners. You can catch most issues in the daily operations check. Any day something can happen to the hoist that you may not even know about wihout doing an inspection. It could be as simple as the safety latch not working properly. Catching this prior to the use of the equipment can be vital in preventing an accident. CAL OSHA also requires you too perform periodic inspections four times a year. The annual inspection is included in the four periodic inspections. So your required to perform your daily inspections, three quarterly inspections, and your annual inspection. Each one being more thorough than the previous. So how do you know if this is even enough for your equipment? Perhaps your equipment is in a factory that runs 24-7. CAL OSHA helps break this down for you as well. If you run your equipment for more than 750 hours between your quarterly inspections than you need to perform a heavier inspection schedule. So if you have a crane that runs 24-7 for seven days a week then you would need to perform a quarterly inspection every month, and an annual inspection every 4 months. When am I required to perform load test on my equipment? Article 99 section 5022 explains that before initial use all new cranes are required to have a proof load test. They are then required to be proof tested every four years. Any major modifications or repairs require a new proof load test. Often I hear from people, I am not going to do an inspection on this unit because we do not use it often or have not used it in a long time. if this is your idea of saving money think again. If you do not use your equipment for 6 months, you are required to perform all test as if it was a brand new unit. therefore you would be required to perform an annual inspection and a proof load test again. If you don't use a piece of equipment for a month you are required to perform a thorough inpspection on the unit prior to use as well. Save money and time by doing your inspections and load test annualy. It will only cost you more down the road.