Pre-Operation Inspection, Setup, Leveling, and Ground Conditions
Daily inspection
Before every shift: walk-around, fluid levels, tires, hydraulic leaks, boom wear pads and pins, wire rope (broken wires, kinks, crushed spots, end fittings), hook and latch, outrigger beams, floats and pins, anti-two-block device, load moment indicator/RCI, brakes, horn, fire extinguisher, load chart on board, and the operator's manual. Any deficiency affecting safe operation is a stop-work item, not something to monitor during the shift.
Setup and leveling
The load chart assumes the crane is level and the outriggers are fully extended on blocking that will not settle. Level within the manufacturer's tolerance (commonly about 1% of grade, checked with the machine's level or an inclinometer) before booming up. Pins in, beams fully extended, floats pinned, and mats or cribbing sized so ground pressure stays under soil bearing capacity. Ground pressure ≈ total weight (crane, counterweight, and load) ÷ total float area; a mat that quadruples the contact area cuts pressure to one-quarter.
Ground conditions
The surface you see is not the soil you load. Look for voids, septic tanks, utility vaults, backfill, and slopes. Keep back from excavations - the spoil pile surcharge and the excavation slope both reduce bearing capacity - and locate underground utilities before setting floats.
Traps
- Leveling with the boom instead of the outriggers.
- Partial outrigger extension while using a full-extension chart.
- Believing mats increase chart capacity; they only prevent settlement.
- Blocking under the beam rather than under the float.
- Setting up on hot asphalt or a bridge deck without load spread.