Loader Crane Inspections

What loader crane inspections are required?

A lorry-mounted loader crane is lifting equipment. LOLER and PUWER both apply.

The operator check happens at the start of the shift, or when someone takes the vehicle over for the first time. Defects that affect the lift have to be reported and the crane left folded until they are put right. Manufacturer maintenance still runs in the background; electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems on a loader crane do not look after themselves.

A thorough examination is a different job. A competent person examines the crane at least every 12 months if it lifts goods only, or at least every six months if it is used to lift people, unless a written examination scheme sets another interval. Lifting accessories used with it — slings, chains, shackles — sit on a six-month default. The report of that examination is not a pad of daily sheets.

These products support the recorded pre-use and intermediate checks between examinations. They are not a Report of Thorough Examination.

What should a loader crane pre-use check cover?

Do the check before the boom comes off the rest. Ground, vehicle and crane have to work as one.

The Loader Crane Inspection Books are written for that pre-use routine. The product listing covers:

• Outriggers, pads, stowage devices and rated capacity indicators
• Mast and boom structure, wire ropes, chains, lifting gear and safety catches
• High-pressure hoses, pipework, control levers and PTO interlocks

On the road that usually also means confirming the vehicle is parked and stable, the stabilisers are on sound ground, and nothing has been left bent from the last delivery. If the RCI is in alarm, or a hose is weeping, the lift does not start.

Hooks and slings are often the weak point in the system. Check them with the crane, then keep their own examination dates. A good crane on an overdue sling is still a failed lift.

How the Good to Go inspection system works

The tag belongs next to the loader crane controls, where the operator stands before they unfold the boom.

1. Complete the loader crane checklist at the start of the shift.
2. Put the top copy in the status tag so the crane shows as good to go or do not use.
3. Leave the carbon copy in the book as the fleet record.
4. Seal the tag so yesterday’s sheet cannot cover this morning’s defect.
5. After a repair, a change of lifting accessory, or a knock on site, complete a new sheet before the next lift.

Daily kits match a start-of-shift regime. Weekly kits suit a recorded weekly inspection where that is what has been set. Neither interval is the 12-month or six-month thorough examination.

Holders and the inspection station keep books in the cab or the depot so the pad is not living under a seat.

Choose the right loader crane inspection products

The printed items for this machine are the book and the poster. The rest is shared Good to Go hardware.

• Loader Crane Inspection Books – 25 Checklists — carbon-copy pre-use sheets for loader cranes.
• Create Your Own Inspection Books – 25 Checklists — blank books if a house form or an unusual crane set-up is not covered.
• Equipment Inspections – Daily Checklist Kits — select the loader crane option. Checklists, tags, seals, wallet and pen.
• Equipment Inspections – Weekly Checklist Kits — loader crane option for a weekly recorded inspection.
• Good To Go Safety Status Tag and Anti-Tamper Seals (Pack of 100) — fit at the control position.
• Weather Resistant Inspection Holder, Check Book Wallet & Pen and Equipment Inspection Book Dispenser — keep the current book in the cab or workshop.
• Inspection Information Station and Equipment User Manuals – Document Holder — depot storage for books, lifting plans and manufacturer instructions.
• Loader Crane Inspection Checklist – A2 Safety Poster — wipe-clean reminder of the daily points.

An overhead crane, excavator or telehandler has its own book. The vehicle itself is not covered by this checklist.

Who these products are for

They are for people who unfold a crane off a lorry and have to show it was checked:

• Loader crane operators on delivery, plant and construction work
• Haulage and builders’ merchants running knuckle-boom cranes
• Fleet workshops collecting books when the vehicle comes back
• Plant hire desks issuing a lorry loader with a consistent check method
• Safety managers keeping pre-use records between thorough examinations

If the same fleet also runs excavators used for lifting, keep those on the excavator book. The lifting duty is similar; the machine is not.

Loader crane inspection FAQs

How often does a loader crane need a LOLER thorough examination?
At least every 12 months if it lifts goods only. At least every six months if it lifts people, or as set in an examination scheme. Accessories are normally six months.

Is the daily book that examination?
No. The book records the operator check. The thorough examination is done by a competent person and produces a formal report.

When should the operator fill in the checklist?
At the beginning of the shift or working day, and when they first take the machine over. Record defects and do not lift until they are cleared.

Where should the status tag go?
Beside the crane controls, not only in the driving cab. The person unfolding the boom needs to see it.

Can I use the overhead crane book on a lorry loader?
No. Use the loader crane book. Outriggers, PTO and vehicle stability are part of this check.

What if the crane is used with a man basket?
That is people-lifting. The examination interval shortens and the lift must be planned as such. Do not treat it as a standard goods lift.

Free UK mainland delivery on orders over £50. Trade discounts and bespoke options are available for fleet packs or a different checklist layout.