Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) administers guidelines for the safe operation and use of overhead cranes and gantry cranes in regulation 1910.179. OSHA 1910.179 covers machines that lift and lower a load moving it horizontally, with a hoist or hoisting mechanism, as an integral part of the machine. The regulation covers fixed or mobile cranes that are manually driven or power driven. The regulation covers a variety of overhead and gantry cranes, including cab-operated, floor-operated, overhead traveling, remote-operated and power-operated cranes. OSHA 1910.179 covers items such as the definitions and terms of overhead and gantry cranes, the application or use of cranes, the inspection of cranes, the maintenance of cranes and the handling of a load.
Crane Application & Use
All of the hoist and crane manufacturers such as Coffing Hoists, Budgit Hoists, Harrington Hoists, J.D. Neuhaus and Shaw-Box that we sell manufacturer hoists and cranes to meet the OSHA 1910.179 requirement that all new overhead and gantry cranes constructed and installed on or after August 31, 1971 shall meet the design specifications of the American National Standard Safety Code for Overhead and Gantry Cranes, ANSI B30.2.0-1967. The regulations cover guidelines on common items found in hoists and cranes such as trolleys, brakes, control voltage, pendant push buttons, radio controllers, sheaves, hooks and warning devices.
Inspection
OSHA 1910.179 covers the inspection of hoists and cranes, and prior to initial use all new and altered cranes shall be inspected to ensure compliance with OSHA 1910.179. Inspection procedure for cranes in regular service is divided into two general classifications based upon the intervals in which inspection are to be performed. The intervals in turn are dependent upon the nature of the critical components of the crane and the degree of their exposure to wear, deterioration, or malfunction. The two general classifications of inspections are either "frequent" or "periodic". Frequent inspections are daily intervals. Periodic inspections are monthly to annual intervals depending on the frequency and use of the hoist and crane. Frequent inspections include checking items such as hooks, chain, deterioration or leakage in air systems and all functioning and operating mechanisms such as brakes. Periodic inspections are typically performed by a crane or hoist inspector and involve a review of a narrow set of deficiencies in the equipment. Please visit the hoist inspections page for more information on our hoist and crane inspection offerings.
Maintenance
OSHA 1910.179 covers the maintenance of hoists and cranes. OSHA 1910.179 states that a preventive maintenance program based on the crane manufacturer's recommendations shall be established, and the product manuals and literature that are included with your product typically include the preventative maintenance procedures for your equipment. Preventative maintenance items include items such as critical parts, rope, limit switches, brakes, pendants and hooks. Always read and follow the product manuals and literature that comes with your equipment. Please visit the hoist maintenance page for more information on our repair service offerings.
Load Handling
OSHA 1910.179 covers the handling of a load, including how to lift, lower and move a load, as well as the regulations to never lift a load more than its rated capacity unless additional steps found in OSHA 1910.179 are followed. Load handling also includes additional employer and employee safety obligations such as avoid side pulling and that employers shall require that the operator avoid carrying loads over people.
This summary is for informational purposes only. Always refer to the OSHA 1910.179 regulations to ensure proper compliance for overhead and gantry cranes. For more information on OSHA 1910.179 and a complete overview of the OSHA 1910.179 regulations, please visit OSHA's website at www.osha.gov.