“Part of being successful is about asking questions and listening to the answers.”
Celebrity chef Anne Burrell’s words segue well from her field of work to the lifting and rigging business, especially when it comes to reassembling used and disassembled equipment.
To make sure you get the best value for your purchases of used lifting and rigging equipment, you have to know the right questions to ask and the answers that would give you peace of mind.
In this article, we’ll answer the following questions:
- What qualifications are needed to reassemble a portable gantry crane?
- Which tests shall a reassembled portable gantry crane undergo?
- Is mixing capacities of cranes, trolleys and hoists acceptable by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards?
What Qualifications Are Needed to Reassemble, Inspect, and Load Test a Portable Gantry Crane?
Does someone who assembles and disassembles portable gantry cranes and equipment need to be qualified as the OSHA 1926 standard states, even though this will be used in a general industry environment, which falls under OSHA 1910?
The short answer is yes.
Someone who assembles and disassembles portable gantry cranes and equipment needs to be qualified under the CMAA 78-2 Technical Qualifications standard. After the installation, the portable gantry crane needs to be inspected by a qualified person, undergo operational tests by the qualified person, and receive a load test unless a qualified person deems otherwise.
According to CMAA 78-2 Technical Qualifications, a crane technician is any person engaging in repairing, troubleshooting, maintaining, servicing, and functional testing of cranes. This is including, but not limited to, top-running and under-running bridge and gantry-type single or double-girder overhead travelling cranes, and associated hoisting equipment.
A crane technician MUST be qualified under the CMAA 78-2 Technical Qualifications standard.
ASME B30.2 Overhead and Gantry Cranes, which was updated in 2022, states that “new, reinstalled, altered, repaired, and modified equipment shall be inspected prior to initial use to verify compliance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 2-1.”
What Tests Should a Reinstalled Portable Gantry Crane Receive?
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers state: “New, reinstalled, altered, repaired, and modified cranes shall be tested by a designated person prior to initial use to confirm that the crane performs in compliance with the provisions of this Volume.”
These cranes shall receive two types of tests:
- Operational
- Load
Operational Tests
These tests shall include, as applicable, the following functions:
- Lifting and lowering
- Trolley travel
- Bridge travel
- Hoist limit devices (switches)
- Trip settings
- Actuating mechanism of the upper limit device
- Bridge / trolley travel-limiting devices, if provided
- Locking and indicating devices, if provided
- Wind speed indicators for proper operation in accordance with the device / crane manufacturer’s or qualified person’s recommendations
Also, “Operational Testing of altered, repaired, and modified cranes may be limited to the functions affected by the alteration, repair, or modification, as determined by a qualified person.”
Load Tests
According to the standard, new, reinstalled, altered, repaired, and modified cranes “shall be load tested prior to initial use. Reinstalled, altered, repaired, and modified cranes shall be tested “unless otherwise determined by a qualified person.”
In addition to those guidelines, the standard lists several other points of emphasis for load testing overhead cranes:
- Load testing of altered, repaired, and modified cranes may be limited to the functions affected by the alteration, repair, or modification, as determined by a qualified person.
- The replacement of load chain and rope is specifically excluded from this load test; however, an operational test of the hoist shall be made in accordance prior to putting the crane back in service.
- If a load test is conducted, the load shall be not less than 100% of the rated load of the crane or hoist(s), whichever governs, or more than 125% of the rated load of the crane or hoist(s), whichever governs, unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer or a qualified person.
- If a load test is conducted, the person conducting the load test shall prepare a written report of the load sustained during the test and the operations performed during the test. Reports shall be placed on file.
- If a load test is conducted, operations shall be performed as outlined below or as modified by a qualified person.
- Hoist the test load a distance to ensure that the load is supported by the crane and held by the hoist brake(s).
- Transport the test load by means of the trolley for the full length of the bridge.
- Transport the test load by means of the bridge for the full length of the runway in one direction with the trolley as close to the extreme right-hand end of the crane as practical, and in the other direction with the trolley as close to the extreme left-hand end of the crane as practical.
- Lower the test load, and stop and hold the load with the brake(s).
Is Mixing Capacities of a Crane, Trolley and Hoist Acceptable by OSHA Standards?
Say you have a 2,000-lb jib crane, and want to use it with a 1,000-lb trolley and 3,000-lb hoist. If all components are clearly tagged with their capacities, what is the maximum capacity that can be applied during a lift?
It is acceptable to use cranes with trolleys and hoists of different capacities. However, the operator must be trained to determine the maximum load for the system and not exceed the lowest-rated component. In the example above, the lowest-rated component and maximum capacity for all components is the 1,000-lb trolley.
How Can Mazzella Help You with Your Overhead Cranes?
Overhead Crane Manufacturing
Mazzella is a leading manufacturer of world-class overhead cranes with nearly 70 years of experience. We engineer and build custom solutions ranging from light-duty, economical cranes up to large capacity, high-duty cycle cranes with welded plate-box girders.
Mazzella provides all types of overhead crane systems, including, but not limited to:
- Bridge cranes
- Gantry cranes
- Workstation cranes
- Jib cranes
- Monorail cranes
We have on-staff engineering and computer-aided design (SolidWorks) capabilities to build customized indoor cranes and runway systems to a lifting capacity in excess of 150 tons.
Our work is done in full compliance with standards from the CMAA (Crane Manufacturers Association of America, Inc.), NEC (the National Electrical Code), OSHA and ASME. We have extensive electrical / control engineering capabilities, as well as AWS certified welders (AWS D1.1 and D14.1).
Crane Service
Additionally, we are an industry leader in hoist and overhead crane services. Our highly trained service staff specializes in solving complex problems in emergency situations. We find creative solutions to even the most challenging overhead crane service requirements. Our personalized approach to overhead crane and hoist maintenance is just one of the many benefits of our service team.
Mazzella strives to minimize your downtime. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we work on all makes and models of cranes and hoists. Mazzella has over 100 full-time technicians ready to answer the call at a moment’s notice.
Each of our trucks has a scissor lift, diagnostic equipment, tools and many of the parts that your crane or hoist needs to get back up and running. We carry VFDs (variable frequency drives), radio controls, contractors and much more!
Other Services
As a one-stop shop for your lifting and rigging needs, Mazzella has a diverse range of products and services that can help you execute safe overhead lifts, including:
- Overhead cranes and hoists
- Rigging inspection services
- Rigging training
- Hardware
- Lifting slings
- Crane rope
- Engineered below-the-hook lifting devices
At Mazzella, we have more than 30 locations across the United States — fully stocked with different sizes and configurations of rigging products for your next project.
Call us at 800.664.3380 or click here if you need to speak with one of our Crane Specialists!
Overhead Cranes & Material Handling
We are a leading manufacturer of world-class overhead cranes with over 65 years of experience. We engineer and build custom solutions ranging from light-duty, economical cranes up to large capacity, high-duty cycle cranes with welded plate-box girders.
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