Overhead Crane Inspections

What overhead crane inspections are required?

A bridge, gantry or overhead travelling crane is lifting equipment. LOLER and PUWER both apply.

The operator check happens before the first lift of the shift. HSE also expects further inspections between thorough examinations where the crane is exposed to wear — on many factory cranes that is a weekly look by someone competent to do it. Results should be recorded.

A thorough examination is a separate act. A competent person examines the crane at least every 12 months if it lifts goods only, or at least every six months if it lifts people, unless a written examination scheme sets another interval. The same six-month default applies to lifting accessories. After installation, a substantial repair, or exceptional damage, the crane needs examining again before it goes back into service.

BS 7121 is the code of practice HSE points to for crane use, including pre-use checks and in-service inspection of overhead travelling cranes. These products record the site checks. They are not a Report of Thorough Examination.

What should an overhead crane pre-use check cover?

Stand at the controls and look at the crane before anything leaves the floor.

The Overhead Crane Inspection Books are written for gantry and bridge cranes. The product listing covers:

• Hoist ropes, chains, hooks and safety catches for stretch, fatigue or impact damage
• Bridge rails, beams, end carriages and anti-collision devices
• Pendant or remote controls, isolator stops and hoist limit switches

Confirm the hook latch works, the rope sits in the drum, and the travel path is clear. Try the emergency stop. If a limit switch does not cut the hoist, or the hook is opening, the crane stays locked off.

Slings, shackles and lifting beams often travel with the load. They wear faster than the crane. Check them before the lift and keep their examination dates; do not assume the crane book covers the tackle.

How the Good to Go inspection system works

The tag belongs on the control panel or at the cabin door — wherever the operator puts a hand before they take up slack.

1. Complete the overhead 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 lifting record.
4. Seal the tag so last week’s sheet cannot hide this morning’s defect.
5. After a knock, a rope change or work on the runway, complete a new sheet before the next lift.

Daily kits match a pre-shift record. Weekly kits suit the recorded intermediate inspection many crane users run between annual examinations. Neither kit is the 12-month or six-month thorough examination.

The Overhead Crane Inspection and Maintenance Station gives the workshop a wall for spare books, manuals and a dry-wipe fault list so a tagged-out hoist is not handed to the next shift.

Choose the right overhead crane inspection products

The printed items for this equipment are the book and the poster. There is also a dedicated crane station. The rest is shared Good to Go hardware.

• Overhead Crane Inspection Books – 25 Checklists — carbon-copy pre-shift sheets for gantry and bridge cranes.
• Create Your Own Inspection Books – 25 Checklists — blank books if a house form or a jib / light crane system is not covered.
• Equipment Inspections – Daily Checklist Kits — select the overhead crane option. Checklists, tags, seals, wallet and pen.
• Equipment Inspections – Weekly Checklist Kits — overhead crane option for a weekly recorded inspection.
• Overhead Crane Inspection and Maintenance Station — wall board for books, guidance and maintenance notes.
• Inspection Information Station — larger central board if the same wall also holds other equipment books.
• Good To Go Safety Status Tag and Anti-Tamper Seals (Pack of 100) — fit at the pendant, radio or cabin.
• Weather Resistant Inspection Holder, Check Book Wallet & Pen and Equipment Inspection Book Dispenser — keep the current book at the control position.
• Equipment User Manuals – Document Holder — for the manufacturer instructions and the last examination report.
• Overhead Crane Inspection – A2 Safety Poster — wipe-clean reminder of the pre-use points.

A lorry-mounted loader crane has its own book. Do not use this sheet for that machine.

Who these products are for

They are for people who lift from a runway in a building, not from a lorry:

• Overhead crane and hoist operators on a factory or warehouse floor
• Steel, fabrication and manufacturing teams running bridge or gantry cranes
• Maintenance supervisors collecting books at shift change
• Facilities teams with a single workshop crane
• Safety managers keeping pre-use records between thorough examinations

If the same site also uses a loader crane on vehicles, keep that on the loader crane book.

Overhead crane inspection FAQs

How often does an overhead 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 check book that examination?
No. The book records the operator or in-service check. The thorough examination is done by a competent person and produces a formal report.

When should the checklist be completed?
Before the first lift of the shift. Many sites also record a weekly inspection between annual examinations.

Where should the status tag go?
On the control panel, pendant station or cabin entry — where the next operator will see it before they lift.

Can I use the loader crane book on an overhead crane?
No. Outriggers and PTO are not this machine. Use the overhead crane book.

What if the crane has just been installed or repaired?
It needs a thorough examination before use where safety depends on the installation or the repair. Do not rely on a daily sheet alone.

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