• Rope appearance - lubrication, kinks, cuts, breaks, corrosion, reduced diameter, broken strands of wires or other signs of wear or damage.
• A rope drum - position of cable in groove tracking, means of anchoring and drum wear or damage.
• Sheaves - alignment of ropes, guides, dead ends, wear in sheave groove.
• Hooks - cracks, twisting, straightening, hook throat opening or other signs of wear or damage, bent safety latch and broken spring.
• Slings - appropriate type of sling, legible and appropriate capacity ratings, holes, with no cuts, crushed webbing and other damages.
• Lights - burned out, broken.
• Mechanical parts and guards - loose, bent, broken, and missing.
• Rails - broken, chipped, cracked.
• Wheels - worn (showed by bumpy riding).
• Bearings - loose, worn.
• Brakes - shoe wear.
• Bridge bumpers and a trolley end stop - loose, missing, improper placement.
• Controllers and collector shoes or bars - worn, pitted, loose, broken, or faulty operation.
• Control buttons - labeled to indicate their function, properly function, immediately releases without sticking.
• A foot walk - condition of the boards, railings, and ladders.
• Gears - lack of lubrication or foreign material in gear teeth (indicated by grinding or squealing).
• A fire extinguisher must be in the crane cab.
• Make sure that no one is on or around a crane before closing the main or emergency switch, even when starting on regular duty.
• Before closing the main switch, make sure that all controllers are in the "off" position.
• Inspect oil only after opening and locking out the main switch.
• Make sure nooverhead power lines are obstructing the crane operation.

Before lifting any load you should start the crane and inspect it when it is moving. Look for:

• Smooth play out of wire rope to and from a drum.
• Sheaves turning without binding or jerking as a rope passes over them.
• Proper alignment where ropes enter sheaves.
• Ropes not rubbing on rope sheave guards.
• Rubbing, scraping, or clattering noises during operation.
• Jerky movements.
• Proper operation of controls and brakes.
• Test the limit switch. Slowly raise the hook block with no load attached to the hook. If the switch is defective, make sure the block does not strike the cable.