CF ChatterFix
Safety Inspection

Overhead Crane & Rigging Inspection

Cranes and rigging fail in one direction: the load comes down. Hooks open up under sustained overload, wire rope breaks wires internally where nobody can see, and slings get cut on sharp edges during a single lift. There is no partial failure and no warning stage that operators reliably notice, which is why the inspection is specified against measurable limits — throat opening, broken wires per lay — rather than against judgement.

Interval Monthly
Est. Duration 1.5 hrs
Steps 5
Applies To Automotive & Metal Fabrication

The Procedure

The steps ChatterFix schedules for this PM. Every step is a checkable item on the work order — a technician can speak their way through it without touching a keyboard.

  1. Inspect hooks for throat opening, twist and cracks against the limits
  2. Check wire rope or chain for broken wires, stretch, kinking and corrosion
  3. Test upper limit switch, brakes and emergency stop under no load
  4. Inspect slings and below-the-hook devices; remove damaged gear from service
  5. Confirm rated capacity markings are legible on crane and rigging

Why This PM Exists

Cranes and rigging fail in one direction: the load comes down. Hooks open up under sustained overload, wire rope breaks wires internally where nobody can see, and slings get cut on sharp edges during a single lift. There is no partial failure and no warning stage that operators reliably notice, which is why the inspection is specified against measurable limits — throat opening, broken wires per lay — rather than against judgement.

What Skipping It Looks Like

Damaged gear stays in the rack because it still lifts. Slings with cuts, hooks missing safety latches, chains with stretched links — all of it works until the day it does not, and it fails under load with people underneath. This is the least ambiguous fatality risk in a fabrication shop.

Setting the interval

Monthly for the documented inspection, with a pre-use check by the operator before every lift. Frequency scales with duty class and severity of service, and any gear involved in a shock load or overload comes out of service immediately for examination rather than waiting for the next cycle.

Equipment This Covers

Common Questions

How often should this PM run?
Monthly. Monthly for the documented inspection, with a pre-use check by the operator before every lift. Frequency scales with duty class and severity of service, and any gear involved in a shock load or overload comes out of service immediately for examination rather than waiting for the next cycle.
How long does it take?
Budget about 1.5 hours for a technician working to the standard procedure. ChatterFix uses that estimate for capacity planning, then learns your plant's actual time from completed work orders.
What happens if we skip it?
Damaged gear stays in the rack because it still lifts. Slings with cuts, hooks missing safety latches, chains with stretched links — all of it works until the day it does not, and it fails under load with people underneath. This is the least ambiguous fatality risk in a fabrication shop.
Can I use this checklist in ChatterFix?
Yes — this exact procedure ships in the Automotive & Metal Fabrication industry pack. Pick your industry at signup and it is scheduled on the right assets automatically, with no configuration.

Related Procedures

Stop Retyping Your PM Library

This procedure — and every other PM for your industry — is already built into ChatterFix. Pick your industry and it lands on the right equipment, on the right interval, in about three minutes.