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A crane is designed to lift and lower a load and move it horizontally. Overhead and gantry cranes have a horizontal bridge across which a trolley and hoist travel. Materials being moved by overhead cranes are attached to a hoisting mechanism on the trolley. These cranes are useful in general machine shops, fabricating assemblies, printing operations, and warehousing. They can be purchased “as is” or custom-built by the manufacturer.
Scope
The OSHA rule applies to overhead and gantry cranes, including semi-gantry, cantilever gantry, wall cranes, storage bridge cranes, and others having the same fundamental characteristics. These cranes are grouped because they all have trolleys and similar travel characteristics. The rule covers the safe operation of overhead and gantry type cranes by setting down manufacturer’s design criteria, as well as the safe procedures employers must follow pertaining to crane and rope inspections, equipment maintenance, load handling, and operator training.
Regulatory citations
- 29 CFR 1910.179 — Overhead and gantry cranes
Key definitions
- Crane: A machine for lifting and lowering a load and moving it horizontally, with the hoisting mechanism an integral part of the machine. Cranes whether fixed or mobile are driven manually or by power.
- Designated: Selected or assigned by the employer or the employer’s representative as being qualified to perform specific duties.
- Hoist: An apparatus which may be a part of a crane, exerting a force for lifting or lowering.
- Hoist chain: The load bearing chain in a hoist.
- Hoist motion: That motion of a crane which raises and lowers a load.
- Load: The total superimposed weight on the load block or hook.
- Load block: The assembly of hook or shackle, swivel, bearing, sheaves, pins, and frame suspended by the hoisting rope.
- Overhead crane: A crane with a movable bridge carrying a movable or fixed hoisting mechanism and traveling on an overhead fixed runway structure.
- Rated load: The maximum load for which a crane or individual hoist is designed and built by the manufacturer and shown on the equipment nameplate(s).
- Side pull: That portion of the hoist pull acting horizontally when the hoist lines are not operated vertically.
Caution
Case 1: A warehouse employee was unloading coils from a truck using an overhead crane and was injured when his finger was crushed between the rigging coil tongs and the coils that were being picked up by the rigging.
Case 2: An employee was using a hoist and two hooks to lift an axle onto a stand when the axle shifted and contacted the employee’s right little finger, partially amputating it.
Case 3: A warehouse employee was attempting to move a piece of carbon steel with a crane when the steel fell off the crane hook and landed on his left hand, resulting in a pinky fingertip amputation.
Case 4: A warehousing employee was operating an overhead crane to lift a forklift battery for cleaning when his left middle finger was caught in the crane clamp, resulting in a left middle fingertip amputation.
Summary of requirements
In general, the standard requires covered employers to:
- Ensure proper design specifications are followed during installation. Make sure that cranes constructed after August 31, 1971, meet the design specifications of the ANSI/ASME standard Safety Code for Overhead and Gantry Cranes, ANSI B30.2.0-1967. The most recent revision of this standard is the 2022 edition.
- Verify that cranes that are modified are re-rated. Make sure that the modifications and the supporting structure are checked thoroughly for the new rated load by a qualified engineer or the equipment manufacturer. Test the crane and display the new rated load on each side of the crane.
- Allow only designated personal to operate a crane. There aren’t any specific requirements in the standard for employee training. However, there is the requirement that only “designated” employees can run the crane.
- Verify that proper maintenance procedures are being followed. This includes preventative maintenance and adjustments and repairs.
- Perform frequent inspections. Perform frequent and periodic inspections as necessary to ensure the safety of employees and the facility. The intervals in turn are dependent upon the nature of the critical components of the crane and the degree of their exposure to wear, deterioration, or malfunction. Frequent inspection is usually done on a daily to monthly interval. Some items that need to be inspected include:
- Operating mechanisms for excessive wear or improper adjustment.
- Air or hydraulic system lines, tanks, valves, pumps for leakage or deterioration.
- Crane hooks for deformation or cracks. A visual inspection on these hooks is required daily and a written monthly inspection must also be done and kept on file.
- Hoist chains for wear, twisting, distortion. A visual inspection on these chains is required daily and a written monthly inspection must also be done and kept on file.
- Rope reeving for noncompliance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Perform periodic inspections. These inspections are done at 1 to 12 month intervals. This is more of a complete inspection and includes the frequent inspection requirements in addition to looking for the following:
- Deformed, cracked, or corroded members.
- Loose bolts or rivets.
- Cracked or worn sheaves and drums.
- Worn, cracked, or distorted parts such as pins, bearings, shafts, gears, rollers, locking and clamping devices.
- Excessive wear on brake system parts, linings, pawls, and ratchets.
- Load, wind, and other indicators over their full range, for any significant inaccuracies.
- Gasoline, diesel, electric, or other powerplants for improper performance or noncompliance with applicable safety requirements.
- Excessive wear of chain drive sprockets and excessive chain stretch.
- Electrical apparatus, for signs of pitting or any deterioration of controller contactors, limit switches and pushbutton stations.
- Inspect the wire rope. In addition to the frequent and periodic inspection requirements listed above, all the wire rope on the crane must be inspected at least once a month with an certification record prepared showing the exact ropes inspected and the name of person doing the inspection. Keep the record on file. Wire rope installed on a crane that has been idle must be inspected before the crane is used.
- Handle the load. Never load the crane beyond its rated load except for test purposes. Use only the load block hook to lift the load and not the hoist chain or rope. Attach the load to the load block hook by use of a sling.
- Move the load. Balance the load in the sling, verifying that the rope is not twisted or kinked. Do not use the crane for side pulls unless a responsible person authorizes it. Do not carry loads over people. Test the brakes each time a load approaching the rated load is handled (raise the load a few inches and then apply the brakes). During a multi-lift operation (two or more cranes are lifting a load) one qualified person must be in charge and analyze the operation and instruct personnel in proper positioning, rigging of the load, and movements to be made.
- Test the hoist limit switch. Test the upper limit switch (at the beginning of each shift) under no load. If not operating properly notify the appointed person.