ISO 23814, ISO 9927-1, ISO 9927-3 Address Crane Inspection Guidelines
April 23, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released ISO 23814:2009, ISO 9927-1:2009 and ISO 9927-3:2005, three crane inspection standards.
ISO 23814:2009 - Cranes - Competency requirements for crane inspectors specifies the competency required of persons who carry out periodic, exceptional, alteration and thorough inspections of cranes. It excludes the day-to-day inspection and checks performed by crane operators and maintenance personnel.
The standard addresses the following issues:
- Independence, impartiality and integrity.
- Technical knowledge and experience.
- Techniques for crane inspection.
- Training of crane inspectors.
The objective of this standard is to achieve a "uniformly high" competency of crane inspectors worldwide, said ISO. In some countries, there may be additional regulatory requirements that must also be taken into account.
Two other standards point out that to ensure cranes are operated safely, their proper working and operational conditions need to be maintained. Therefore, all cranes require undergoing inspections to detect deviations from safe conditions so they can be put right. The inspections are the responsibility of crane users or owners.
ISO 9927-1:2009 - Cranes - Inspections - Part 1: General specifies the inspections to be carried out on cranes excluding inspections carried out prior to first use.
It covers:
- Inspection.
- Methods of inspection.
- Inspection personnel.
- Precautions for inspection.
- Results of inspection.
ISO 9927-3:2005, Cranes - Inspections - Part 3: Tower cranes specifies the regular inspections to be carried out on tower cranes, including:
- Daily inspections.
- Frequent inspections.
- Periodic inspections.
- Thorough inspections.
The progressive introduction of standards and the regular review of existing ones will have a direct effect on general safety by reducing potential hazards, as well as helping to remove technical barriers to the international trade in cranes, according to ISO.
These standards were developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 96, Cranes, Subcommittee SC 5, Use, operation and maintenance.
Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).