Overhead cranes are an impressive piece of industrial machinery. The largest payload ever lifted by an overhead crane was over 20,000 metric tons. While your equipment might not have that lifting power, it still needs to be operated safely.
Load testing is an integral part of keeping your crane well-maintained and in safe working order. But what is load testing, and how is it relevant to your equipment? This informative guide has all the information you need.
Load Testing Defined
Load testing is the process of inspecting a crane’s lifting abilities to ensure all parts are in working order. This is often done by lifting a load or applying pulling pressure to the crane using load testing tools. The performance results are then analyzed.
This simulates actual day to day crane lifting operations. It is essential to get load testing done on all overhead cranes. Chain hoist, electric hoist, and engine hoist cranes should also be load tested before use and at regular intervals.
Each of your crane’s components will be evaluated during the load test. If any of these individual components fail, your crane as a whole will fail as well.
Why Should I Get My Crane Load Tested?
Getting your crane load tested is imperative to protecting the safety of your employees. If your crane isn’t load tested, it is more prone to failure. In the case of industrial machinery, most failures are catastrophic. Loss of life and limb can occur.
Load testing for overhead cranes and hoists are also required by law. If your company is caught operating a crane without first having a load test, you can face a hefty fine or other penalties.
Contacting a professional is usually your best bet if you don’t have the right load testing tools on hand at your facility. You can get your crane load tested as part of your regular crane inspection routine.
If your crane fails the load test for whatever reason, it is far better than failing in the field during normal operations. Load tests act as a buffer for the safety of your employees and the wellbeing of your equipment.
You should conduct load tests regularly following local, state, and federal laws. You can contact OSHA for more details about load testing standards and any other laws applicable to your industrial equipment.
Can Your Overhead Crane Pass the Test?
If your overhead crane is unable to pass a load test, it should not be used in day-to-day operations. Load testing is an integral part of maintaining safety in the industrial workplace.
Without load tests, there would be many more deaths and injuries attributed to cranes. The lifetime of overhead cranes would also decrease as well due to an increase in mechanical breakdowns. Get your overhead crane load tested today!
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