FAQ

Crane and hoists major inspection FAQs

What is a overhead Crane or hoist Major Inspection?

A major inspection is a requirement under the Australian Standards and Worksafe that all cranes, hoists and winches shall be subjected to a major inspection to assess their suitability for continued safe operations.

For the purpose of major inspections the age of your crane is not measured by calendar working time. It is more about the cranes class and the cycles of use and the type of use it has had over its life. The timing on a major inspection depends on certain circumstances. Design life generally is 25 years for structure and 10 years for mechanisms, unless otherwise specified.

Why do I need to complete a major inspection on my overhead crane or hoist?

A major inspection is required for your crane under Australian Standards and Worksafe, as an employer you have a duty of care under the “Occupational Health & Safety Regulations 2017” and other Worksafe codes of practice keep your cranes, winches and hoists safe to use so that they do not cause an accident and continue to operate in their respective role.

When do I need to complete a major inspection on my overhead crane or hoist?

When it is known that a crane has reached it design life. Generally Structure is 25 years & Mechanical is 10 years. AS2550.1 Section 7.3.5.

Where the manufacturer is unknown after 7 years.
Any increase in the frequency of reported defects.
When an inspection reveals significant deterioration in the crane or hoists condition.
When a secondhand crane or hoist is commissioned with no prior operation information.
If the standard to which the crane or hoist was built is unknown.

It will be a huge saving if you have had a data logger on your crane as it will then calculate the actual life of the crane, hoist and winch based on its actual class and cycles. If you do not have a data logger a general factor is applied which can take away extra years of the actual crane life, which means you may have to complete a major inspection when it really is not required.

What does (DWP) Design Work Period mean for my overhead crane or hoist and why do I need to do one?

The purpose of the DWP is to estimate accumulated duty of the crane and assess its remaining life. You will be asked to give details of its past, present and future use to enable us to complete a DWP.

The information that needs to be gathered is as listed and will include the cranes structure and mechanism and will need to be as detailed as possible.

The cranes actual class
If a class change is required
All past service reports & repairs
Cycles of use
Total operational time
Capacity of lifts in cycles
Any modifications that were done to the crane.

You will need to sign off and are responsible for this information as this will be what determines when your crane requires the major inspection.

What is involved in a major inspection for a overhead crane or hoist?

A major inspection shall involve a thorough examination of those critical components identified by the manufacturer or a competent person. They would include:

Structural, mechanical, electrical, instruments, control & operational anomalies.
Non- destructive testing of all nominated critical areas for evidence of cracking due to fatigue or excessive stress.
Components whose maintenance records indicate repeated failures.
Braking system and components
Adequacy of safety instructions and manuals for operation and maintenance
Manufacturers upgrades or modifications
Any engineers reports or incident reports that may advise of failed or critical components or areas of concern.
All safety related malfunctions and problems shall be corrected before the crane is returned to service.
Major Inspection Information for Cranes, Hoists & Winches.

Vehicle Hoist Major Inspection FAQs

What is a Vehicle hoist Major Inspection?

A major inspection is a requirement under the Australian Standards that all Vehicle hoist should be subjected to a major inspection to assess their suitability for continued safe operations.
For the purpose of major inspections the age of your hoist is not measured by calendar working time. It is more about the hoists manufacturer and the cycles of use and the type of use it has had over its life. The timing on a major inspection depends on certain circumstances. Design life generally is 10 years unless otherwise specified.

When do I need to complete a major inspection on my Vehicle hoist?

When it is known that a hoist has reached it design life generally it is 10 years.
Any increase in the frequency of reported defects.
When an inspection reveals significant deterioration in the hoists condition.
When a secondhand hoist is commissioned with no prior operation information.
Anticipated future usage for the hoist.
The capacity & viability of upgrading the hoist to the requirments of the latest
standards

What is involved in a major inspection for a Vehicle hoist?

A major inspection will involve a thorough examination of those critical components identified by the manufacturer or a competent person. They would include:

Structural, mechanical, electrical, instruments, control & operational anomalies.
Non- destructive testing of all nominated critical areas for evidence of cracking due to fatigue or excessive stress.
Components whose maintenance records indicate repeated failures.
Braking system and components.
Adequacy of safety instructions and manuals for operation and maintenance.
Manufacturers upgrades or modifications.
A report on any items that are of concern or need further scrutiny. An Engineer may need to be involved.
All safety related malfunctions and problems shall be corrected before the crane is returned to service.

Crane & Lifting inspection FAQs

1) Why do I need to inspect my overhead Cranes , Hoists, Lifting Equipment & height safety equipment?
2) Can I do my own inspections on my overhead Cranes , Hoists, Lifting Equipment & height safety equipment?
3) What is a competent person?
4) How often do I need to service my overhead cranes & hoists?
5) How often do I need to inspect and document my synthetic lifting slings?
6) How often do I need to inspect and document my Chain lifting slings?
7) How often do I need to inspect and document my Wire rope slings?
8) How often do I need to inspect and document my Spreader beams, Lifting Beams?
9) How often do I need to inspect and document my lifting fittings?
10) How often do I need to inspect and document my Height Safety Equipment?
11) How often do I need to inspect and document my Height safety rails & Lines?
12) What information do I need to document when inspecting my overhead Cranes , Hoists, Lifting Equipment & height safety equipment?
13) Do I need to Tag all my overhead Cranes , Hoists, Lifting Equipment & height safety equipment that are inspected?

Crane & Hoist Periodic third party inspection FAQs

What is a overhead crane & hoist Periodic Third-party inspection?

The Australian Standards ASS2550.1-2011 it states that each crane shall undergo a “periodic third party inspection”, this is to help provide independent advice on whether the current level of servicing, maintenance and repairs are in accordance with the Australian Standards. This should not be done by your existing service company.

How often do I need to complete a Periodic Third Party Inspection on my overhead Cranes & Hoists?

Under Australian Standards AS2550.1-2011 in appendix “F” Table “F1”a periodic third party inspection should not exceed the listed period of 52 weeks which basically means it needs to be done annually. The Australian Standards states the inspection shall ensure that the requirements of AS2550.1 clauses, 7.3.2, 7.3.3 & 7.3.5 have been completed. Please call us if you require a site visit to go through how we can ensure your cranes are being maintained, serviced and repaired to the Australians Standards and Worksafe requirements.

How does a Periodic Third Party Inspection on my overhead Cranes & Hoists work?

A review of the past maintenance service & repair records will be completed.
A veriﬁcation of the cranes class and usage will be obtained.
A thorough West Cranes inspection is completed as per AS 2550-1 Sec 7.3.3.
A report on the cranes condition after the inspection is completed shall be presented.