Pre-Operation Inspection and Maintenance
What this domain tests
This domain tests the daily walk-around, functional checks, and the judgment to tag a machine out of service rather than “work around” a defect.
Inspection scope
- Structure: boom sections, turret, frame, outrigger beams and pins, pads, welds, and the fiberglass insulating section for cracks, gouges, moisture, or contamination.
- Wire rope: broken wires, kinks, crushing, corrosion, and end connections; hook latch present and working.
- Auger and Kelly bar: teeth, pilots, pins, retainers, and freedom from cracks.
- Fluids, hoses, leaks, tires, lights, horn, backup alarm, two-block prevention, emergency stop, and load moment device.
- Functional test at low speed before loading: boom, winch, auger rotation, outriggers, and controls.
Maintenance and testing
Follow manufacturer intervals for lubrication, torque checks, wire rope replacement, and auger tooth wear. The insulating boom section must be kept clean and dry and tested per manufacturer and employer requirements; a cracked or contaminated section is removed from service.
Worked example
During the walk-around you find a gouge through the gel coat into the fiberglass boom section. The correct action is to tag the machine out of service and report it. Taping or painting over the damage does not restore dielectric integrity, and the exam treats that as a critical error.
Traps
Inspecting only the auger; overlooking worn outrigger pins; operating with a disabled two-block device; and accepting a hook with a missing latch because “it still lifts.”
Key points
- Complete a documented walk-around before every shift.
- Inspect the fiberglass boom for cracks, gouges, and contamination.
- Check wire rope and hook latch against removal criteria.
- Function-test controls, alarms, and two-block at low speed.
- Tag out and report defects; do not tape over damage.