Guide

The scope of inspection for lifting appliances

For cranes, forklifts and platforms, inspection is a whole in which capacity, brakes, safety devices and operator competence are tested together.

How often

For this equipment family the inspection interval is one year unless the relevant standards set a different period. Where a standard sets a shorter interval, the shorter one applies; where the manufacturer's instruction requires more frequent checks, that is followed. The validity of an inspection depends less on its interval than on what the report contains.

Equipment and person together

Inspecting a lifting appliance is not only about the machine. A legible capacity plate, the load chart present in the cab, and the operator being competent for that appliance are links in the same chain. A crane that passed inspection is not safe with an unauthorised operator.

Devices tested

Overload limiter, limit switches, brake holding, emergency stop, hook safety latch, rope and chain wear. Each is reported as its own line; a blanket "conforms" hides the inspection itself.

Its relation to the daily check

The annual inspection does not replace the daily visual check. The in-depth yearly inspection and the short look at the start of each shift complete one another.

In Optifora

The periodic inspection module records the equipment, sets its interval by family, reminds you as the date approaches, and attaches the report to the equipment's record. Equipment past its date appears separately in the list and counts as high risk in the assessment.

  1. Add the equipment to the inventoryRecord it with its serial number, location and family; equipment not in the inventory does not get inspected.
  2. Set the intervalSet the interval by family; where the manufacturer's instruction is more frequent, take that as the basis.
  3. Confirm the authorised personConfirm in advance that the person doing the inspection is authorised for that equipment.
  4. Have the inspection doneHave it done against its criteria; record the result as conforming or non-conforming.
  5. Attach the reportAttach the report to the equipment's record; tie any non-conformity to a corrective action.
  6. Put the next one in the calendarEnter the next inspection date; if the equipment changes, set the interval again.

Manage this in Optifora

Optifora is not a single program but a compliance platform assembled from modules. The catalogue states which module is ready today and which is on the roadmap.

See what Optifora is