Inspection and Maintenance
Inspection questions test frequency, scope, and documentation. Know the tiers: pre-shift or daily inspection by the operator, periodic inspections at intervals set by the manufacturer or standard, and post-assembly or post-repair inspections before returning to service. Understand that inspections cover wire rope, hook and latch, sheaves, boom sections and pins, outriggers, limit devices, brakes, and safety decals-and that defects are classified so the machine is either removed from service or documented for continued use.
Key concepts: wire rope removal criteria (broken wires, kinking, crushing, corrosion, diameter reduction), hook deformation and latch function, and the requirement that safety devices be functional before operation. Know that records matter and that a machine with an unresolved safety-device defect must not be operated.
Traps: treating a daily walk-around as a substitute for a periodic inspection; returning a machine to service after repair without inspection; ignoring a hook latch that does not close; and assuming wire rope damage is acceptable if it is not in the load zone. Questions also test who performs which inspection-operator versus qualified inspector.
Rule of thumb: any defect affecting a safety device, wire rope integrity, or hook function means out of service until corrected and re-inspected. When in doubt, tag it and report it.
Worked example: during a pre-shift check the anti-two-block device fails to actuate. The machine is removed from service and the device repaired; a post-repair function check is documented before the next lift.