Inspection of Lifting Equipment

The periodic inspection of lifting equipment is an inspection activity that verifies, from the viewpoint of an independent third party, the load-bearing integrity, the mechanical soundness and the functionality of the safety devices of machinery used for lifting, carrying and handling loads, together with its associated equipment. Over its service life a lifting system fatigues under the effect of static and dynamic loads, repeated loading-unloading cycles, corrosion and wear; micro-cracks may appear in the load-bearing steel structure, broken wires and loss of cross-section in ropes and chains, opening of the hook throat, and loss of function in the brake and safety devices. Periodic inspection identifies these degradation mechanisms with measurable criteria before a failure occurs, and establishes whether the equipment can still safely carry its declared safe working load (SWL/WLL).

The inspection is typically carried out with a three-stage approach. In the first stage, documentation and identification are reviewed; the manufacturer's operating manual, previous inspection reports, modification and maintenance records and the load capacity plates are examined. In the second stage, the equipment is subjected to a comprehensive visual and functional examination in the unloaded condition: the load-bearing girder and connections, wheels and rails, hook and rope/chain equipment, brake system, limit switches, overload protection and emergency stop device are checked in operation. In the third stage, a static and/or dynamic load test is applied with a reference load exceeding the declared capacity, in order to verify the actual behaviour of the system.

Measuring equipment with traceable calibration is used in the technical application. The load test is performed with certified test weights or water/sand bags, or with the aid of a calibrated load cell (dynamometer); the test load is generally determined according to the relevant standard as a defined multiple of the safe working load (in the order of 1.1–1.25 times, depending on the application). In steel wire ropes, the number of broken wires per unit length, diameter reduction, crushing, corrosion and deformation are evaluated according to the criteria of TS ISO 4309; in lifting chains, link elongation and wear are measured with a caliper; in hooks, the increase in throat opening and deformation in the shank area are checked. On critical load-bearing welds and in areas of high stress, non-destructive testing methods such as magnetic particle (MT) or liquid penetrant (PT) may be brought in as complementary techniques where cracking is suspected.

The scope and the interval of the inspection vary with the type of equipment. Overhead and gantry (travelling) cranes, jib and mobile cranes, tower cranes, chain hoists and electric hoists, forklifts and stacking machines, goods lifts and lifting accessories such as slings, ropes, chains and eyebolts each have their own evaluation criteria. In Türkiye, the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment (İş Ekipmanlarının Kullanımında Sağlık ve Güvenlik Şartları Yönetmeliği) requires periodic inspection of lifting and handling equipment at least once a year unless otherwise stated; where the conditions of use are severe, or where the manufacturer or the relevant standard requires a shorter interval, the period is shortened accordingly. The inspection is performed by an authorised engineer, taking into account the actual working conditions to which the equipment is exposed.

At the end of the evaluation, each finding is reported against the accept/reject criteria defined in the relevant standard and regulatory provisions. Non-conformities are classified according to their severity; whether the equipment can be used safely, and under what condition or after which corrective action it may be used, is clearly stated. The periodic inspection report issued constitutes an official document that satisfies the employer's obligation under occupational health and safety legislation and forms fundamental evidence in the prevention of occupational accidents. TÜV AUSTRIA SILA KALİTE performs the periodic inspection of lifting equipment as an accredited Type A inspection body under TS EN ISO/IEC 17020, independently and impartially, and documents the results with a traceable inspection report.