Overhead Crane Inspection Checklist for Owners

Most owners hire a qualified third party to inspect their overhead cranes — and then have no independent way to judge whether the inspection is thorough enough. This checklist gives you a plain-language owner-side audit tool grounded in CSA B167 Part 6.

Use it during the next inspection visit, or against the last report your provider handed you. If any item is missing, ask why.

Pre-visit — what the provider should have reviewed

• Prior inspection reports and outstanding deficiencies
• Manufacturer manuals and service class (CMAA A–F)
• Recent load-test records and hoist rope logs
• Any modification, repair or overload event since the last inspection

Frequent inspection (daily / shift)

Confirm your operators are documenting — not just performing — these checks each shift:

• Operational controls, e-stop and limit devices
• Wire rope, hook, latch and load-bearing components
• Brakes, warning devices and any air / hydraulic systems
• Housekeeping around runways and under the load path

If sign-offs aren't being retained, you have a compliance gap regardless of how strong the annual program is.

Periodic inspection (monthly to quarterly)

Verify the provider is checking and documenting condition of:

• Structural members — bridge, end trucks, trolley frame, runway
• Hoist gearing, drums, sheaves and load brake
• Electrical — festoons, conductor bars, collectors, controls
• Lubrication and fastener torque per the manufacturer's schedule
• Runway alignment, rail wear and end stops

Comprehensive annual inspection

The annual report should include, at minimum:

• Written scope covering every applicable CSA B167 Part 6 item
• Measured wear data (rope, hook throat, brake lining, rail head)
• Photographs of noted defects, not just line items
• A prioritized deficiency list with recommended corrective action
• A statement of the crane's fitness for continued service

Load testing and post-modification testing

• Load tests after installation, major repair, or modification affecting load-bearing structure
• Test loads and procedure documented per the manufacturer or CSA B167
• Independent verification when the modification was performed by the inspection provider

Records the owner must retain

CSA B167 puts the recordkeeping obligation on the owner, not the contractor. Keep:

• All inspection and load-test reports for the life of the crane
• Operator training and re-qualification records
• Modification, alteration and repair documentation
• Rope replacement history and hoist duty logs where practical

When to bring in an independent consultant

Bring in an independent review when: a report reads as a clean bill of health but you've had recurring in-service failures; a repair-vs-replace decision is looming; a modernization is being scoped by the same firm that would sell you the new gear; or a new inspection provider is inheriting a crane with no history.

CAG doesn't perform inspections — we design and audit inspection programs and review the service contracts your vendor bills you against. Start with our Overhead Crane Inspection Guide, or send the last three annual reports and one representative periodic report to advice@craneadvisorygroup.ca for a second set of eyes.