Australian Standards for Lifting and Rigging Inspections
Why are regular inspections important?
Regularly inspecting your lifting and rigging equipment is the best safeguard against injury, death, property damage and ensures a safe workplace.
It is essential to conduct periodic inspections depending on the use, environment and type of equipment. These should be carried out by competent and trained personnel, as there are a variety of defects that can’t be detected by untrained workers even if they have been working in the field for many years.
Inspections are sometimes overlooked and seen as a secondary requirement or a cost to be avoided.
It is important to understand the overall risks and consequences a business could face and the benefits from carrying out regular equipment inspections outweigh the costs associated with safety.
Certags provide high-quality tags and labels that allow industrial companies to manage and coordinate up-to-date equipment inspections. Download our guide to learn more about:
- Safe operating practices
- Sling removal criteria for industry specific sling equipment
- Tagging solutions & tips for better inspection and identification
- Colour coded tagging practices for routine inspections
*The foregoing OSHA regulations are not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all applicable regulations pertaining to the designated topic. State laws may mandate different safety and maintenance standards. Accordingly, please consult applicable state laws as well as original equipment manufacturer specifications for further guidance.
To ensure safety in the workplace, Australia requires lifting, rigging and height safety gear to be inspected regularly.
Our Free Australian Lifting Equipment Inspection Standards Checklist is perfect for quickly identifying the inspection frequency required for your heavy equipment, as a printout or a handy PDF.
Regulatory Requirements
Lifting and Rigging inspection standards are regulated by OSHA and ASME to reduce the risk of injury in the workplace and guarantee a safe environment. Failure to follow safety procedures and requirements can result in the business being sued and prosecuted by authorities.
Any business operating equipment must undertake regular inspections. Frequency and standard may vary between pieces of equipment.
Slings, for example, are critical to keeping loads on overhead cranes attached, steady and balanced. Regular inspections must be carried out to guarantee their safe use while an inspection tag can help track and record inspection information/dates and outcomes.
Different equipment have specific inspection requirements as well as removal of service criteria, which must be followed strictly when carrying out an inspection.
For example; ASME B30.9 requires that in case of “Missing or illegible sling identification” the web sling has to be removed from service. Each inspection tag must show:
- Name or trademark of the manufacturer
- Manufacturer’s code or stock number
- Rated load for at least one hitch type and the angle upon which it is based
- Type of synthetic material
- Number of legs, if more than one
Consequences of not carrying out appropriate routine inspections
Apart from breaching legal requirements, failing to carry out periodic inspections can have severe consequences such as:
- Accidents and injuries
- Projects delays due to equipment failures
- Capital loss and reduced equipment ROI
- Frequent Equipment breakdowns which can result in higher costs
- Damage to assets
Inspection Checklist PDF Download
