A crane inspection on a job site is the check, before lifting starts, that a mobile crane is sound, properly set up on ground that will hold it, rigged correctly, and working inside a plan with the right people in the right places. This form follows the order a lift actually happens in, switches off the sections that do not apply today, and ends in a clear decision to lift, lift with conditions, or stop. You can fill it in here and download the record as a PDF without creating an account.
The crane is the easy part
Mobile crane accidents are rarely caused by a crane that was mechanically unsound on the day. They come from the ground giving way under an outrigger, a boom touching an overhead line, a load heavier than anyone thought, rigging used at an angle that doubled the tension, or someone standing where they should not have been.
That is why the machine itself is the seventh section of this form, not the first. Ground, set-up, the exclusion zone and the power lines come before it, because they are where lifts go wrong.
Ground, outriggers and mats
An outrigger puts a large share of the crane and its load onto a very small area. Whether the ground holds depends on what is under it — fill, a recent trench, a buried drain, a basement edge, soft ground after rain — and nobody can see that from the surface.
Outrigger mats spread the load. Their size should be worked out from the outrigger load the crane's figures give for the lift and the bearing capacity of the ground, not chosen by eye. The form asks for the ground to have been assessed and the mats sized, then checks that the outriggers are fully deployed as the load chart requires and that the crane is level.
Overhead power lines
If any part of the crane, the load or the rigging could come within the minimum clearance of an overhead line, that section of the form opens. It records the voltage, the distance, who confirmed the voltage, and which controls are in place.
Clearances are set locally. In the US the Subpart CC default for lines up to 350 kV is 20 feet, with more for higher voltages; in the UK the network operator advises and HSE guidance applies. Treat every line as live until its owner confirms in writing that it is not.
Regulations, as context only
In the US, cranes in construction fall under OSHA 1926 Subpart CC, which covers assembly, ground conditions, power lines, operator certification, signal persons and inspections. In the UK, LOLER sets the thorough examination regime and BS 7121 is the code of practice for safe use; Australia and other countries have their own. This form is built around the topics those regimes have in common. It does not certify compliance with any of them, and your lift plan and the appointed or qualified person on your job decide what applies.
Common questions
How often should a mobile crane be inspected?
There are usually several layers: a pre-use check by the operator each shift, a site inspection like this one before lifting starts or when conditions change, frequent or monthly inspections by a competent person, and a thorough examination or annual inspection by a qualified examiner. The intervals differ by country — your crane supplier and your local rules set them.
Who should carry out a crane inspection on site?
Someone competent in lifting operations — often the lift supervisor, appointed person, or a site manager with lifting training — working with the crane operator. The operator knows the machine; the site knows the ground, the services and the people.
What is a lift plan?
A written plan for a lift or a series of lifts: the load weight and dimensions, the crane and its configuration, the radius, the rigging, the ground and mat details, the exclusion zone, communication, and who does what. Complex or critical lifts need a more detailed one. The form asks whether there is a plan and whether it matches what is in front of you.
What is the difference between a signaller and a slinger?
The slinger or rigger attaches and detaches the load and chooses the rigging. The signaller — banksman or signal person — directs the operator when the operator cannot see the load or the landing area. One person can do both if trained for both, but there must be one clearly identified signaller at any moment.
Can a crane lift people?
Only in limited circumstances, in a basket designed and rated for it, when no safer method such as a MEWP or scaffold is practical, and under a specific plan with trial lifts and extra checks. The form has a gated section for it; if it applies, your local rules on personnel platforms will set more requirements than the form shows.