A hoist inspection is the regular round of every hoist in a building or yard — the chain or rope, the hook, the brake, the controls and the warning labels — to catch the damage that builds up between lifts. This checklist gives each hoist its own entry with its location and number, asks only what fits its type, and lets you open a deeper covers-off block when the round is the periodic inspection. Each hoist ends in service or locked out. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
A round, hoist by hoist
Most plants have hoists scattered across bays, workshops and maintenance areas, and the inspection is a walk from one to the next. The form follows that walk: add an entry per hoist, record where it hangs and its number, and the core checks are the same each time, so a missed hook latch in one bay stands out against the rest.
If you find a hoist that is not on your list, or a concern that is not about a hoist at all, there is room for it at the end.
The type decides the questions
A hand chain hoist is asked about its load chain and hand chain. A lever hoist is asked about its ratchet and the free-chain control. Electric hoists are asked about the pendant, the emergency stop and the upper limit, and wire rope hoists about the rope, how it spools on the drum, and the lower limit. Air hoists add the supply hose and couplings.
Every hoist is asked about its hook, latch and swivel, its brake, its rated capacity marking, its warning labels and whatever it hangs from, whether a trolley, a beam clamp or a fixed lug.
Frequent and periodic inspections
In the US, hoist inspections are usually split into frequent checks, done daily to monthly by the operator or a designated person with no paperwork needed, and periodic inspections, done monthly to yearly with a written record and some covers removed. ASME B30.16 for overhead hoists and B30.21 for lever hoists, together with the OSHA rules for your industry, set the frame; the maker's manual sets the intervals and limits for each model.
Answer Yes to the periodic question on a hoist and the deeper checks appear: chain or rope measured against the maker's gauge, brake wear, the gearbox, fasteners and the electrical gear.
What is not covered
Construction personnel and material hoists — the cars that run up the outside of a building — are a different kind of machine with their own inspection, and are not covered here. Neither is the overhead crane structure itself, beyond the trolley or suspension the hoist hangs from.
Common questions
How often should hoists be inspected?
Check the hoist before use each shift, make frequent inspections daily to monthly depending on how hard it works, and make a periodic inspection with a written record at least once a year, more often for heavy use. Follow the maker's schedule and your site's rules.
Who can carry out a hoist inspection?
Frequent checks can be made by the operator or another designated person. Periodic inspections should be made by a qualified person who knows the hoist's reject criteria and can take covers off safely.
What happens if a hoist fails?
Take it out of service, lock out the power or remove the air supply, hang a do-not-use tag on it, and record it here as out of service with what was found. Add a corrective action so the repair is tracked.
Can I inspect several hoists on one form?
Yes. That is what the form is built for: one entry per hoist, so a plant-wide round is one report and each failed check names the hoist it came from.
Do I need to measure the load chain?
On a periodic inspection, yes — chain stretches and wears at the link contact points, and the maker gives a gauge length or a reject dimension. Record the measurement in the periodic block.