The basics
What it is
Aerial devices, digger derricks, boom trucks and cranes.
Under the ANSI standard the owner has four inspections to cover. The operator does the frequent one before first use each day, a walk-around and a function check from the lower controls. A qualified person does the periodic one, which goes into the structure, the pins and bearings, the hydraulics and the covers the operator never lifts. After 15 years of service there is a major structural inspection, with a load test. And any accident or overload calls for a post-event inspection.
Cranes and boom trucks have their own rules. Boom trucks and cranes used in construction work are covered by OSHA's crane standard, 1926 Subpart CC, with some exclusions, and the ASME B30 books are the industry reference. Digger derricks have their own ANSI standard, A10.31. Which book applies depends on what the machine is and how it is used, and we will read the ID plate before we quote.
The walk-around finds what you can see. This finds what you cannot.
The point
Why it matters
Failures happen where nobody is looking.
Most of what fails on a boom fails out of sight: a cracked weld behind a cover, a worn pin, a rotation bearing with loose bolts, a cylinder that drifts or a holding valve that is tired. A crew that works the controls every day gets used to the machine and stops noticing slow changes. A fresh set of eyes with a checklist catches them.
It is also the paper that backs you up. When a customer, an insurer or an inspector asks when the boom was last looked at and by whom, the answer is a signed report, not a memory.
One more thing. The inspector is only part of it. Under the standard, items found go to a qualified person who decides if each is a safety hazard, and unsafe items get fixed before the unit works again.
Who it is for
Who needs it
Anything with a boom and a person or a load on the end.
- Bucket truck fleetsInsulated or not. The periodic inspection applies either way.
- Digger derrick ownersUnder A10.31, with an auger and winch line on top of the boom checks.
- Boom truck and knuckle-boom crane ownersAnnual comprehensive inspection under OSHA 1926.1412, plus the monthly and shift checks your people already do.
- Rental and sales yardsA unit going out the gate should have a current report and the manuals on board.
- Buyers of used unitsGet the periodic report and the dielectric record before the money moves. No records means start from zero.
Boom lifts and scissor lifts fall under other ANSI standards, A92.5 and A92.6. Tell us if you run those. They are a different inspection.
The checklist
What gets checked
Three equipment types, three lists. The crew works from the one that fits your unit, plus the maker's manual.
Aerial devices, per A92.2
- Structural members for deformation, cracks and corrosion
- Pins, bearings, shafts, gears, rollers, locking devices, chains, sprockets, wire and synthetic ropes and sheaves for wear, cracks and distortion
- Hydraulic and pneumatic relief valve settings, and hydraulic oil level
- Fittings, hoses and tubing for leaks, bulges and abrasion
- Pumps, motors, valves, cylinders and holding valves for leaks, noise, sticking and drift
- Filters for cleanliness and metal or debris in the system
- Electrical systems for wear and deterioration, including the parts a daily check misses
- Performance test of every boom movement
- Bolts and fasteners for condition and tightness; welds as the maker specifies
- Decals and markings legible and in place
- Vacuum prevention system on Category A units
- If insulating, the insulating parts inspected and electrically tested
Digger derricks, A10.31
The inspection list for derricks is in A10.31 and the maker's manual. This is the usual ground.
- Everything above that applies to the boom and hydraulics
- Auger drive, gearbox and mounts
- Winch, load line, hook and latch
- Stabilizers, outriggers and their pads
- Insulating boom section and load line arrangement, if rated
- Load chart and capacity decals present and readable
Cranes and boom trucks, OSHA 1926.1412
Annual, at least every 12 months, by a qualified person. Disassembly as needed.
- Boom, jib and structure for deformed, cracked or corroded members, loose or failed fasteners, and cracked welds
- Sheaves and drums for cracks and wear; pins, bearings, shafts, gears and rollers
- Brake and clutch parts; safety devices and operational aids for proper operation
- Power plant for safety-related problems; tires for damage or wear
- Hoses, fittings and tubing for leaks and abrasion; pumps, motors, valves and cylinders
- Outrigger and slider pads for wear or cracks
- Wiring for cracked insulation or loose, corroded terminals
- Decals, seat, steps, ladders, handrails and guards
- A functional test of the equipment as configured
Intervals
How often
The standard gives a window. Heavy use near power lines pushes you to the short end.
| Inspection | Who does it | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Frequent, A92.2 and A10.31 | The operator, or an authorized person | Daily before first use, and each shift on multi-shift trucks. The standard allows daily to monthly depending on the item. |
| Periodic, A92.2 and A10.31 | A qualified person | Every 1 to 12 months, set by the owner from use, severity of service, environment and the maker's manual. Twelve months is the outside limit. |
| Major structural, A92.2-2021 | A qualified person | After the first 15 years of service, then every 10 years, or as the maker directs. Adds a load test and a close look at structure and welds. |
| Post-event | A qualified person | After an accident or an event that overloads or stresses the unit. Rotation bearing and its fasteners get extra attention. |
| Crane shift check, 1926.1412 | A competent person | Visual, before each shift the equipment is used. |
| Crane monthly, 1926.1412 | A competent person | Monthly, documented. The record is kept at least 3 months. |
| Crane annual, 1926.1412 | A qualified person | At least every 12 months, with disassembly as needed. |
| After repair or modification | A qualified person | Before the equipment is used again, under 1926.1412 for cranes. |
For aerial devices OSHA 1910.269(p) and 1926.959 also require a thorough visual inspection of the critical safety components before use on each shift. Those are the parts where a failure means free fall or free rotation of the boom. Where the maker's manual asks for a shorter interval, the manual wins.
The rulebook
Standards the work follows
Different machines, different books. The crew works from the right one.
- ANSI/SAIA A92.2Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Aerial Devices. Frequent, periodic, major structural and post-event inspections, records, owner and user duties.Current edition is 2021. Check for a newer one.
- ANSI/ASSP A10.31Digger derricks. Owner duties, inspection and test intervals set from the maker's guidance.
- OSHA 1910.67 and 1926.453Aerial lift rules that point to ANSI A92.2.
- OSHA 1910.269(p) and 1926.959Pre-shift visual inspection of critical safety components on mechanical elevating and rotating equipment.
- OSHA 1926 Subpart CC, 1926.1412Crane inspections: after modification and repair, each shift, monthly and annual. The crane standard carves out vehicle-mounted aerial devices, and digger derricks used for utility work, so those run on A92.2 and A10.31.
- ASME B30.5 and B30.22Mobile and locomotive cranes, and articulating boom cranes. B30.5 excludes digger derricks.
- ANSI A92.5 and A92.6Boom lifts and self-propelled platforms. Not covered on this page.
- Manufacturer's manualIt names extra items and shorter intervals. Where it is stricter, it governs.
The route
How a job goes with Convoy
One call covers it. We manage the job from the first call to the signed report.
List the units
Make, model, serial number and type for each. Photos of the ID plates speed things up. Add any known trouble.
We schedule the work
Aerial devices and cranes are different skills. We send an inspector who works on that kind of equipment, to the yard.
Inspection day
Covers open, controls worked, findings written as they are found. The qualified person says which findings are safety hazards.
Fix, sign off, record
Anything that has to be fixed gets quoted and scheduled. The signed report is filed against the unit and the next due date is set.
The paperwork
What you get back
A signed report for each unit. Not a sticker on its own.
- Unit identification: unit number, make, model, serial number
- Date, the name of the person who did it, and what standard and edition they worked to
- Every item checked, with the result: pass, repair needed, or watch
- Which findings the qualified person called safety hazards, and what was done about each
- Results of the boom movement and function tests
- For crane work, the signed annual record with items checked and findings
- Any dielectric test report that rode along (see the dielectric page)
- Next due date, entered on your list
A92.2 asks for written, dated and signed reports of periodic inspections and tests. Editions we have seen set the retention at five years, or longer where regulations require. Check the current edition for your unit.
Straight answers
Questions we get
If your question is not here, send it.
Is a daily walk-around enough?
No. The operator's check is the frequent inspection, and it is required, but it does not open covers or measure wear. The periodic inspection is a separate, deeper look by a qualified person.
Who counts as a qualified person?
The ANSI definition is about knowledge, training and experience with the equipment. The standards committee has said in its published interpretations that it does not require a particular certification, so the owner makes the call on whether a person or company meets it. The people we send do this kind of work, and you are free to ask about their training and experience.
My truck is 12 years old. When is the major structural inspection?
After the first 15 years of service, then every 10 years, or as the maker says. It adds a structural load test to the periodic inspection. It does not replace the annual.
Does this replace the DOT annual?
No. The DOT annual covers the truck as a vehicle: brakes, steering, tires, lights. The boom is not on that list. Most fleets book the two together. See DOT annual inspections.
What if something fails?
A qualified person decides whether the finding is a safety hazard. Unsafe items are repaired or replaced before the unit goes back to work. We can handle the repair. See mobile repair and hydraulics.
Need ANSI aerial lift and crane inspections? Get a quote.
Tell us what you run and where it sits. We come back with a price and a plan. A rough list is fine.