I am an inspector. Machines often must be disassembled to inspect critical parts. Rotek bolts rarely ever retorqued as specified . Internal parts within telescopic boom also cannot be inspected without disassembly. Engineers are not going to take apart machine . A good crane mechanic is best to preform these inspections in concert with an engineer /inspector. To often a guy in a suit comes and does a visual never actually physically looking at machinery by removing covers or going underneath machine. I work in NYC very strict here but they still overlook internal boom parts.
I am also an inspector, inspect ladder trucks for fire departments around the north east. We perform full inspections, load test, visual, ndt, water pressure test, timing, etc. It’s hard to believe some of these other companies which just sit on a tablet and do nothing.
Any time you see powdery rust and or cracked paint around bolt heads or nuts or washer that means they are loose and moving. Any 10 year old kid that has grown up tinkering with their own skate board can tell you that.
bob wernert reality is that most business will rather see the world burn before they do any preventive maintenance. Sad because doing things right would be cheaper in the long run.
This last week I witnessed one of these in action removing a tree from across the street. While hoisting a trunk across an open road way, the operator allowed two vehicles to pass under the boom. After looking up operator requirements, I am shocked to find that Texas does not require license to operate this kind of crane. There were several permit violations with other aspects of the operation, but the city this occurred in is complacent in letting businesses violate code and permitting laws. In my life time we will see a residential crane failure resulting in by standard loss of life with a boom crane.
I love the calming music being played as workers get konked over the head, maimed, decapitated and crushed to death. Thanks RU-vid!! Keyboard Carpenters.
In Belgium where I was working a yearly inspection was done, but how. A chap came along in the evening inspected the hook and the bolt is was attached to the cranes and gave some remarks like it needs a new split pin singed of and that was it. Never looked at how the mounting on the trucks was or any other thing. Me the mechanic made sure all that was good and inspected everything every 3 months. Sadly when I was out because of an operation for six months no-one did this, I told the bosses that it was no good and afterwards it needed repairs which were costly. Lack of maintenance never comes cheap.
That gas tank equalisation line needs a skid plate please. Get a road sign and drill/tap it into the underbody to protect that. I’d be surprised if you even noticed when that got ripped off by a rock, speed bump, or any other road debris. Please brother 👍
If the equipment servicing firm wasint permitted or qualified to do an ultrasonic inspection, what do people expect them to do? immediatly replace the whole crane every time the turret section has cracks in it? All they were allowed to do was visually inspect it.
As usual, the beginning story of the crane failure was the inherent problem of this model & make of the crane, along with overloading. So the engineer knowing that particular manufacturer of the failed crane has a history of cracking in the turret, then it's imperative the engineer do his job for safety sake, and get a crane mechanic to take a closer look at the area known for failure. BUT NO. Time is money. People and equipment can be easily replaced, but the operation of the crane puts money in the pockets of the company that own or rent the crane. So, as long as the crane moves, it's making moola. Just like the auto manufacturers knowing there are defects in the vehicles they produce. If a certain make & model is a hot $eller, they continue to push the vehicle out the doors to reap the profits up front, and crossing their collective fingers and toes, deal with properly fixing them miles and years down the road at the sacrifice of some vehicle owner's or passengers paying the ultimate price with their lives. The Wall $treet people want $tock price re$ult$, not proper safety results. Many crane failures, along with vehicle accidents, and pedestrian accidents can be prevented IF human failure can be minimized. Good luck with that folks.
So, here's my question: If I take a piece of equipment to a licensed engineering firm, who then certify it as safe (when it isn't) who is at fault? Me for using a substandard company? The Company for not doing a proper inspection? The licensing system for not revoking a license to the firm?
