Daily safety checks are vital for safety in an industrial environment. Safety checks are necessary to help prevent crane-related deaths, which average around 42 per year, besides injuries.
Completing daily visual overhead crane inspections is an essential aspect of maintaining a safe overhead crane. Learn how to do this here correctly.
What’s Included in Overhead Crane Inspections?
To do a thorough inspection of your overhead crane, you’ll want to check for signs of heat damage and wear and tear on your equipment. Also, check the surrounding floor area to be sure it is clear of obstacles and debris.
Test the controls and make sure they don’t get stuck or set off warning alarms. Be sure that nothing is in the way of moving parts or close enough to become entangled. There should be no loose wires or broken parts, and all labels must be firmly affixed.
Hooks should not be bent, misshapen, cracked, or show other structural damage. It’s also essential that all safety guards are correctly installed. Parts should not scrape or grind against each other and should be able to rotate a full 360 degrees.
You should not see any leaking oil or hydraulic fluid, hook drift, or jams that happen on the overhead track. Make sure hydraulic, and air brakes work as intended.
Ropes and chains should be free of breaks, tears, kinks, or signs of noticeable heat and stress damage. Check each link and inspect all the way around, not just from one direction.
Tools for Completing the Inspection
During your inspection, you can use several tools to help it go smoothly and save time. Here are three tools:
Daily Inspection Form
The daily inspection form will help you remember each overhead crane part you need to check. During the inspection process, you can refer back to it as many times are you need to ensure you don’t miss something.
If you’re not sure what to include on the inspection form, ask if there’s one already available. You could also have an experienced coworker help you create the list or download a pre-made list from a reputable site.
Specialty Software
There’s a special software for crane inspections, so check with your company to see if they use it. If not, it might be something to suggest.
Good crane inspection software will help you know what you need to check for your specific equipment. It can help you generate checklists and track inspections that you have already completed.
Mobile Apps
Mobile apps that run specialized crane inspection software add an extra layer of convenience. You can carry a cell phone with you and run through your inspections without bringing a bulky laptop.
Mobile apps remove the need for having to transfer data recorded on paper into your computer database.
Best Practices and More
If you’ve found this article about overhead crane inspections helpful, feel free to check out our other blog articles.
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