5 Things You Must Know About Crane Brakes

If your business uses a crane regularly it’s important for the safety of your customers, employees, and equipment that you understand the components that make up your tools.

As with all of your machinery, cranes have unique requirements for operation and maintenance.

For safe operation, no part is more important than crane brakes for protecting your people and assets.

Let’s make sure you know the ins and outs of crane brakes.

Here we go:

1. OSHA Requires Inspections for Crane Brakes

In addition to a thorough inspection that needs to take place whenever any repair occurs that might affect safety systems, OSHA requires regular inspections as standard procedure.

2. Daily Inspections

In addition to regular inspections, OSHA requires daily inspections.

Operators are required to perform daily visual inspections of crane braking systems when used for construction. Should any deficiency be noted, it must be:

Assessed for safety
Taken offline if deemed unsafe
Repaired according to manufacturer guidelines
Inspected for proper completion of remedial action

Safe operations of your crane demand regular inspection. Even if employed for uses other than construction, the emergency brake needs to always be operational.

3. Different Brake Types

OSHA also requires that all cranes have two brake systems, a holding brake, and a control brake.

Both are essential to safe operations.

A Holding Brake holds a load to ensure safe operations. Even in the event of a power outage, a holding brake will hold the load.
A Control Brake controls the descent of the load. They slow the speed.

4. Overload Is Still an Issue

Too many owners and operators believe that since an emergency, or holding brake, is standard on all cranes, there are no issues of overload.

But improper loads, overuse, and deferred maintenance can damage your equipment and cause unsafe conditions.

5. Preventative Maintenance

Because of the OHSA regulations requiring inspection, too many industrial concerns defer maintenance of their crane brakes. Worse, if used for non-construction applications, they defer inspections too.

Waiting for an issue to crop up during a visual inspection or unrelated repair is waiting for the worst to happen.

Your manufacturer recommendations will provide valuable guidelines for the overall preventative maintenance of your crane.

Although your crane may be essential to daily operations, it’s important it is dependable and safe. In some cases, you may want to perform PM tasks more regularly if your crane is in heavy use.

This investment will improve the longevity of your equipment and reduce downtime.

Part of Your Overall Safe Operations

Your brake maintenance and troubleshooting efforts should be incorporated into standard operations. If your engineers and operators know what to look for you will save on accidents and cost.

And, as OSHA requirements demand the crane be taken offline with any issues, you will also be avoiding costly and unnecessary downtime.

Brakes are only a small part of an operations plan though. Putting it all together means getting trusted support and advice every step of the way.

Kor-Pak serves numerous industries, including steel, rail, energy (wind), mining, and oil. At Kor-Pak, we keep industries productive.

Our customers are important to us. Don’t wait to see how we can help with every aspect of your operations plan.