Cranes and hoists carry the heaviest, most dangerous loads on jobsites and in plants. When inspections slip, loads drop, workers get hurt, equipment breaks, and operations shut down without warning. A solid inspection program catches problems before they turn into tragedies.
1 Follow regulatory and manufacturer inspection schedules.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) require two levels of inspection: frequent and periodic. Frequent inspections run daily to monthly and target hooks, hoist chains, wire ropes, controls, limits, and brakes. Periodic inspections happen every few months to once a year and cover the full system — structure, trolleys, and electrical components. Build your written safety plan around the OSHA standards and ASME requirements for your industry and follow every manufacturer's recommended schedule. (See OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, and ASME B30 series.)
2 Walk around the crane before every shift.
Before the first lift, walk the crane or hoist and look for leaks, loose or missing fasteners, bent parts, and cracked welds. Check hooks for bends, twists, deep nicks, or a broken safety latch. Scan wire rope for broken wires, birdcaging (a bulging, cage-like section of rope), crushing, or rust. Check chains for stretched links, which signal an overload. Pre-shift walkarounds catch the worst defects before a load ever leaves the ground.
3 Test controls, brakes, and safety devices before every lift.
From a safe position, run each motion control without a load. Watch for smooth starts and stops and no unexpected drift. Test limit switches, travel stops, emergency stops, and warning horns or lights. Then lift a small test load just off the floor and confirm that the hoist and travel brakes hold it steady without slipping. Pull any unit from service immediately if controls stick, the crane moves on its own, or any safety device fails.
4 Inspect slings, rigging hardware, and lifting points.
Before rigging, check wire rope, chain, and synthetic slings for cuts, broken wires, burns, chemical or heat damage, and missing tags. Inspect shackles, hooks, eyebolts, and spreader bars for cracks, wear, corrosion, and signs of bending or stretching. Confirm that lifting lugs, padeyes, and other engineered lift points match or exceed the load weight and rigging angles. Pulling a damaged sling before a lift takes seconds. Investigating a dropped load takes much longer.
5 Adjust inspection frequency to match crane work.
Normal-duty cranes may only need periodic inspections once a year. Heavy-duty and severe-duty cranes often need them several times a year. Cranes that run in hot, dirty, corrosive, or outdoor environments need more frequent and more detailed inspections than those in clean indoor spaces. Schedule an extra inspection for any crane that sat idle for a month or recently underwent a major repair or modification. Match your schedule to the crane's actual conditions, not just the calendar.
6 Pull unsafe equipment from service and document everything.
When you find broken wires, bent hooks, worn brakes, or any other unsafe condition, lock out or tag out that crane, hoist, or rigging immediately. Keep it out of service until a qualified person repairs it and confirms it operates safely. Record every periodic inspection — note the date, the inspector's name, the equipment ID, and each problem found and corrected. Good records support OSHA compliance, reveal patterns like repeated wear on the same part, and prove that trained people completed inspections on time.
Need more help with crane and hoist safety?
Download DWC’s free publications — Cranes and Derricks in Construction (English/Spanish) and Warehouse Equipment Inspections Guide and Checklists (English) — or stream our free online safety videos on cranes, derricks, and hoists.
Contact an Occupational Safety and Health Consultation (OSHCON) Program consultant for free, confidential, on-site help identifying and eliminating hazards and complying with OSHA standards at OSHCON@tdi.texas.gov or 800-252-7031. More workplace safety resources and training programs are available at www.txsafetyatwork.com.