Guide for overhead crane and hoist inspection companies · checked 6 November 2026
Software for overhead crane and hoist inspection companies to replace Service Fusion and SafetyCulture
Crane service companies that run Service Fusion for jobs, SafetyCulture (now Mitti) for checklists and QuickBooks Online for invoices end up typing the same crane, the same deficiency and the same scope three times. The work itself is per crane: a 10 ton double girder bridge in a fab shop on a semiannual periodic, a 1 ton jib on an annual, a hoist whose hook throat and load chain need a signed monthly record. This guide covers OSHA 1910.179, ASME B30.2 and B30.16, CMAA classes, Ontario, BC and New Brunswick rules on CSA B167, and the path from deficiency to tag-out, quote, repair, load test and invoice.
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Short answer
Overhead crane and hoist inspection companies that outgrow Service Fusion plus SafetyCulture usually look at inspection platforms built for cranes (InspectAll, CraneRep.com) or commercial service platforms (ServiceTrade), and keep QuickBooks Online for accounting. What matters is a record per crane and hoist with its own service class and inspection clock, checklists that branch for electric versus manual and rope versus chain hoists, deficiencies that turn into tag-outs and quotes without retyping, and load test certificates on file. Fieldproxy is one option. Best for processes that don't fit a template, set up for you: it is built around your crane register, inspection intervals per service class, deficiency-to-quote flow and QuickBooks Online sync.
125%
Most a rated load test may use on an overhead crane under OSHA unless the manufacturer says otherwise; test reports go on file
1 to 12 months
OSHA's periodic inspection interval for cranes in regular service; frequent inspections run daily to monthly
15% / 10°
Hook throat opening beyond normal, or twist from the plane of the hook, that takes a hook out of service
Once a year
Minimum thorough examination of a lifting device in Ontario, with a permanent record signed by the competent person
How a job runs
One overhead crane and hoist inspection job, from first call to paid
The order the work really happens in, and what has to be written down at each step so nothing is argued about later.
- 1
Build the crane register at the first visit
A plant with eight cranes is eight records, not one customer. Each bridge, gantry, jib, monorail and workstation crane gets its bay or column line, rated capacity (OSHA wants it marked on each side of the crane), CMAA class, span and runway, and every hoist on it with make, model, serial, rope or chain, hook ID and controls (pendant or radio). The service class the customer actually runs (normal, heavy or severe) sets the clock.
- 2
Set each crane's inspection clock
OSHA splits inspections into frequent (daily to monthly) and periodic (1 to 12 months). The Overhead Alliance publishes periodic inspections as annual, semiannual or quarterly by service, and hoists under ASME B30.16 follow the same yearly, semiannual and quarterly pattern for normal, heavy and severe service. A crane idle 1 to 6 months needs an inspection before use; idle over 6 months, a complete one.
- 3
Book the visit around production
Cranes are inspected when the customer can stop lifting. Booking means a date the plant agrees to, the lift or manlift needed to reach the bridge and runway, lockout of the crane's main or emergency switch, and enough techs with the right skills for the bay. A tech should not see the whole client list or next quarter's board, just the visit.
- 4
Inspect crane by crane, hoist by hoist
The checklist changes with the equipment: electric versus manual hoist, wire rope versus load chain, top-running versus underhung. Periodic items include deformed, cracked or corroded members, loose bolts or rivets, cracked or worn sheaves and drums, and brake linings, pawls and ratchets. Hooks get a throat measurement against the baseline, and ropes and chains get gauged.
- 5
Sign the hook, rope and chain records
OSHA asks for a monthly certification record on hooks and hoist chains that identifies the item, and a monthly rope inspection record with the date and the inspector's signature. The Overhead Alliance says frequent reports are kept three years. Those records are what an auditor asks for, and paper ones go missing first.
- 6
Tag out what is unsafe
Unsafe conditions found under OSHA's inspection rules must be corrected before the crane runs again. During repairs, warning or out-of-order signs go on the crane and the main or emergency switch is locked open. The customer's maintenance lead needs to know the same day which crane is down and why.
- 7
Quote the deficiencies
Each finding (worn brake, cracked festoon trolley, kinked rope, missing hook latch, bent pendant) becomes a quote line with parts, labor and access equipment. Office staff should not be copying the scope from the inspection report into a quote and then again into the repair job.
- 8
Repair or fabricate, then load test
Approved quotes become repair jobs, some with shop fabrication (new end trucks, runway stops, below-the-hook frames). OSHA confirmed in 2009 that new and altered cranes need a rated load test before use, at no more than 125% of rated load unless the manufacturer says otherwise. In BC, overhead cranes installed after 1 Jan 1999 are tested at 125% before first use and the record goes in the equipment record system.
- 9
Issue the certificate and report
The customer gets a report per crane with each deficiency, its photo and its status, plus the inspection or load test certificate. Internal notes (labor estimate, tech comments, upsell ideas) stay off the customer copy. In Ontario the annual examination record is signed by the competent person who did it.
- 10
Invoice the same week and roll the clock
The inspection, the repair and the load test each invoice from what was done in the app, and sync to QuickBooks Online with the right GST/HST or sales tax. Closing the periodic inspection sets that crane's next due date, so the recurring work belongs to the crane and survives staff changes.
What to record
The fields every overhead crane and hoist inspection job should capture
Each crane and each hoist
- Customer, site, bay or column line; crane type (top-running single or double girder bridge, underhung, gantry, jib, monorail, workstation)
- Rated capacity and where it is marked; CMAA class (A to F); span; runway and stops; year built; manufacturer
- Each hoist: make, model, serial, capacity, rope or chain, hook ID and baseline throat dimension, control type, upper and lower limit switches
- Service class the customer runs (normal, heavy, severe), frequent and periodic interval, next due date
- Jurisdiction: OSHA 1910.179, Ontario Reg. 851 s.51, BC Part 14, NB Reg. 91-191; CSA B167 edition named by that province
- OEM manual and parts list attached to the hoist, so the tech sees it on the job
Each inspection
- Type: initial, frequent, periodic, idle-crane return, post-repair
- Per item result: OK, deficiency, N/A, not accessible (with reason)
- Hook throat measured vs baseline (flag above 15%), twist (flag above 10°), latch; chain gauge reading; rope diameter and broken wires
- Brake, limit switch and controls function test results
- Photos per deficiency, inspector name and signature, date, client contact who received the report
- Internal-only fields (labor guess, notes for the coordinator) kept off the client PDF
Deficiencies, tag-outs and load tests
- Deficiency: crane, hoist, component, severity (remove from service, repair soon, monitor), photo, quote line, status
- Tag-out: tag number, time, switch locked open yes/no, who at the plant was told, cleared by and when
- Load test: reason (new, altered, repaired load-bearing part), rated load, test load and % of rated, test weights and their certification, functions tested, hold, result
- Certificate number and PDF, signed by the inspector
Rules and standards
The rules that shape the work, with their sources
| Rule | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.179(j): frequent and periodic inspections | Cranes in regular service get frequent inspections at daily to monthly intervals and periodic inspections at 1 to 12 month intervals. Functional operating mechanisms and air or hydraulic systems are checked daily. Periodic inspections add deformed, cracked or corroded members, loose bolts or rivets, worn sheaves and drums, and brake system parts. source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes (inspection (j), testing (k), maintenance (l), rope inspection (m)) |
| OSHA 1910.179(j)(2) and (m)(1): monthly hook, chain and rope records | Hooks are visually inspected daily, with a monthly inspection and certification record. Hooks over 15% beyond normal throat opening or with more than 10° twist are taken out of service and replaced. Hoist chains get the same monthly certification record. All running ropes get a thorough inspection at least once a month, recorded with the date and the inspector's signature. source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes (inspection (j), testing (k), maintenance (l), rope inspection (m)) |
| OSHA 1910.179(j)(4): idle cranes | A crane idle 1 month or more but less than 6 months is inspected before it goes back into service. A crane idle over 6 months gets a complete inspection. source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes (inspection (j), testing (k), maintenance (l), rope inspection (m)) |
| OSHA 1910.179(k): load tests | All new and altered cranes are tested before initial use. Test loads may not exceed 125% of rated load unless the manufacturer recommends otherwise, and test reports are placed on file where appointed personnel can reach them. source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes (inspection (j), testing (k), maintenance (l), rope inspection (m)) |
| OSHA interpretation, 28 Aug 2009 | OSHA wrote that rated load tests are required for new and altered cranes, and that ANSI B30.2-2005's load test provisions are not as protective as 1910.179(k), so following the ANSI text is not a defense. source: OSHA standard interpretation, 28 Aug 2009: rated load tests are required for new and altered overhead cranes under 1910.179(k) |
| OSHA 1910.179(l): repairs and tag-out | Unsafe conditions found by the (j) inspections are corrected before operation resumes, and only by designated personnel. During maintenance, warning or out-of-order signs go on the crane and the main or emergency switch is opened and locked. source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes (inspection (j), testing (k), maintenance (l), rope inspection (m)) |
| ASME B30.2 inspection types and records (as summarized by CMAA, HMI and MMA) | Four types: initial, pre-shift, frequent and periodic. Frequent: normal service semiannually to semimonthly, heavy monthly to weekly, severe weekly to daily. Periodic: annual, semiannual or quarterly. Frequent reports kept 3 years; hook, wire rope and load chain records carry the date, signature and component serial or ID. source: Overhead Alliance (CMAA, HMI, MMA), Overhead and gantry inspections 101: initial, pre-shift, frequent and periodic |
| ASME B30.16 hoists and B30.10 hooks | Frequent: normal service monthly, heavy weekly to monthly, severe daily. Periodic: normal yearly, heavy semiannually, severe quarterly. Records are required for periodic inspections, not frequent ones; an external coded mark on the hoist is accepted in place of records. source: Mazzella Companies, Lifting and rigging inspection frequencies and records guide (ASME B30.16, B30.10, B30.20, B30.9) |
| ASME B30.16: who inspects hoists, and which records stay | B30.16 calls for regular inspections by qualified persons. Frequent inspections run monthly for normal use, weekly for heavy and daily for severe; periodic inspections yearly, semiannually and quarterly. Records of periodic inspections must be kept. source: Overhead Alliance, Hoist inspections 101: covering the basics (frequent and periodic intervals by service) |
| CMAA Specification 70 service classes | Class A standby or infrequent (installation and maintenance cranes), B light (repair shops, light assembly), C moderate (machine shops; most cranes are built to C), D heavy (foundries, fabricating plants, steel warehouses), E severe (scrap yards, cement mills; 20 or more lifts an hour near capacity), F continuous severe. source: Ace Industries, CMAA duty classifications (Specification 70 service classes A to F) |
| CMAA Specification 78: who may inspect | The 2016 revision set measurable experience: a crane technician and crane inspector should have at least 2,000 hours of relevant work experience and training in maintaining, inspecting, servicing, repairing and modifying cranes. source: Wire Rope Exchange (Apr 2016), CMAA revises Specification 78 for services performed on overhead lifting equipment |
| Ontario Regulation 851, s.51 | A lifting device is thoroughly examined by a competent person before first use and as often as necessary, never less often than the manufacturer recommends and at least once a year. A permanent record is signed by the competent person. The device is marked so the operator can tell its maximum rated load. source: University of Waterloo Safety Office, Lifting devices: extract of Ontario Regulation 851, s.51 |
| British Columbia OHS Regulation Part 14 | 14.2(4) names CSA B167-96 for bridge, gantry, jib, monorail and overhead travelling cranes. 14.54.1 requires inspection by a qualified person to the manufacturer and that standard. 14.54 load tests overhead cranes installed after 1 Jan 1999 at 125% before first use. 14.14 requires inspection and maintenance records for cranes of 900 kg or more. source: WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 14: Cranes and hoists (14.2, 14.14, 14.54, 14.54.1) |
| New Brunswick Regulation 91-191 and CSA B167-08 | Operators inspect overhead cranes daily when in use and record it in the logbook. A competent person inspects every 12 months and certifies in writing. The annual inspection follows CSA B167-08 (R2015) clauses 5.5.3.2, 5.5.4.2 and 5.5.4.3, and WorkSafeNB recommends the frequency in 5.5.4.1, which rises with use. source: WorkSafeNB, Overhead hoist logbook: permanent record (Regulation 91-191, CSA B167-08 clauses 5.5.3.2, 5.5.4.2, 5.5.4.3), rev. July 2024 |
| CSA B167 editions | B167-16 (R2021) covers overhead travelling, jib, gantry and wall cranes, monorails and hoists, and excludes mobile and tower cranes and below-the-hook devices. CSA lists it as withdrawn with an update available. Provinces name different editions, so record which one each site falls under. source: CSA Group store, B167-16 (R2021): Overhead cranes, gantry cranes, monorails, hoists, and jib cranes (scope, status) |
Rules vary by state, council and contract. Checked 6 November 2026; confirm against the source for your area before relying on it.
Numbers
What crane inspection is priced at
Two public price sources, not market rates: one crane service company's published per-crane list, and a 2011 water utility bid that bundled inspection and load testing. Use them to see the price lines a contract needs (per crane by capacity, extra hoist, hourly repair) rather than as a benchmark.
| Line item | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge crane, 5 tons or less, annual inspection | $108 to $141 per crane | Mazzella published list |
| Same crane, monthly inspection | $72 to $94 per crane | Mazzella published list |
| Double girder bridge, over 5 up to 30 tons, annual | $151 to $197 per crane | Mazzella published list |
| Double girder bridge, over 30 under 40 tons, annual | $194 to $253 per crane | Mazzella published list |
| Each extra auxiliary hoist or trolley, annual | $86 to $113 | Mazzella published list |
| Jib or monorail, annual | $86 to $113 | Mazzella published list |
| Hourly rate | $115 to $150 per hour | Mazzella published list |
| Class E and F cranes, or over 40 tons | Custom pricing | Mazzella published list |
| Inspect and load test, 1,000 lb to 5 ton hoist or crane | $75 and $150 per unit (two groups) | San Antonio Water System, 2011 |
| Inspect and load test, 5 to 15 ton | $220 and $300 per unit (two groups) | San Antonio Water System, 2011 |
| Inspect and load test, 30 ton | $750 per unit | San Antonio Water System, 2011 |
| Truck-mounted crane, 1 to 6 ton, 115 units | $70 per unit | San Antonio Water System, 2011 |
source: Mazzella Companies, How much does an overhead crane inspection cost? (published price ranges per crane)source: San Antonio Water System, tabulation of bids 11-0053: annual contract for overhead hoist, crane and monorail inspection and testing (Aug 2011)
Where it breaks
Where spreadsheets and generic software fall over
History is kept per client, not per crane. Nobody can say which of a plant's nine hoists had its brake relined, or which one fails its chain gauge every year.
Each crane and each hoist is its own record with its own inspections, deficiencies, repairs and load tests. The client view rolls them up; the history never mixes them.
Recurring inspections live as a repeating job pattern on a customer or a user. A canceled job, a deleted account or a changed pattern and next year's periodic quietly disappears or runs on the wrong date. Service Fusion's own help notes that deleting a job does not stop its repeating settings.
The clock lives on the crane: service class sets the interval, and closing a periodic inspection writes the next due date. A watch list shows every crane with no future visit booked.
The inspector fills a SafetyCulture form, the office copies the deficiencies into an Excel estimate, then copies the scope again into a Service Fusion job, then again into QuickBooks. Weeks pass between the work and the invoice.
One chain of records: deficiency to quote line to repair job to invoice line. Each step is created from the last, and the invoice syncs to QuickBooks Online when the job closes.
The checklist is one long form for every crane. Manual chain hoists show electrical questions, rope hoists show chain gauge fields, and techs tick N/A forty times.
Checklists branch on the hoist record: electric or manual, rope or chain, pendant or radio, top-running or underhung. Only the items that apply show, and measurements are required fields.
A crane is tagged out on Tuesday and the plant manager hears about it on the report three weeks later. The quote to fix it is still being typed.
Choosing 'remove from service' on a deficiency creates a tag-out record with tag number and photo, notifies the site contact that day, and opens a draft quote for the coordinator.
Load test weights, percentage and functions tested sit in a tech's notebook. When an auditor asks for the test report on the crane altered last spring, nobody can find it.
Altering or repairing a load-bearing part flags the job 'load test required'. The job cannot close until the load test record (test load, % of rated, weights and their certificates, functions, result) is filled and the certificate PDF is on the crane.
Checklist
The overhead crane and hoist inspection operations checklist
Print it, or hand it to whoever runs the office side.
- Every crane and hoist on its own record with capacity, CMAA class, serial and hook ID
- Service class (normal, heavy, severe) recorded per crane and driving its intervals
- Province or OSHA rule recorded per site, with the CSA B167 edition it names
- Monthly hook, chain and rope certification records signed and dated
- Baseline hook throat dimension stored so each measurement compares against it
- Idle-crane rule handled: inspection before return after 1 month, complete after 6
- Checklists branch by hoist type and drive method
- Remove-from-service deficiencies create a tag-out and same-day customer notice
- Deficiencies become quote lines without retyping
- Altered or repaired load-bearing parts force a load test before the job closes
- Load test certificates and annual examination records stored per crane
- Internal fields hidden from the customer report
- Inspectors' experience and training hours on file (CMAA 78)
- Days from work done to invoice tracked every week
Software options
What software overhead crane and hoist inspection companies actually use
Judge each one on whether it fits the way your jobs run, not on the feature list. Bring a real job to every demo.
InspectAll
Overhead crane and hoist service providers, site crane crews and maintenance teams
Inspection platform that tracks each crane as an asset and picks the form from it. Covers frequent and periodic inspections, load testing, wire rope certification and gearbox and brake PM, and prints a certificate per crane. Positioned around OSHA 1910.179, ASME B30.2 and CMAA 75. Ask how quoting and invoicing connect.
CraneRep.com
Crane service companies and lifting equipment owners
Equipment lists with over 500 customizable components, frequent and periodic inspections, operator pre-use checks, service and repair reports, and PDF or Excel exports. Its site lists scheduling tied to service requests as an upcoming project, so check where jobs and quotes live today.
Mitti (formerly SafetyCulture iAuditor)
Teams that want checklist templates and action tracking
SafetyCulture renamed itself Mitti on 11 August 2026. Strong for forms, photos, actions and reports, with crane checklist templates. It is not a job, quote and invoice system, which is why crane companies pair it with an FSM and retype findings.
Service Fusion
Small to mid-size home and commercial service trades
Scheduling, dispatch, estimates that convert to work orders, service agreements with recurring billing, GPS and a QuickBooks integration. Built mainly for home-service trades; check per-crane asset history, branching inspection forms and how recurring jobs behave when jobs or users change.
ServiceTrade
Commercial mechanical, fire and life safety contractors running inspection-driven service
Turns inspection findings into deficiencies and repairs, with estimating, proposals, asset service history and customer portals. Not crane-specific; ask for a demo with your own hook, chain and load test forms.
Published prices, compared:source: Service Fusion help center, Deleting a job (repeating and recurring settings)source: Startland News (11 Aug 2026), SafetyCulture rebrands to Mitti
Questions to ask any vendor
- Is every crane and every hoist its own record, with its own service class, intervals and history?
- Where does the recurring schedule live? What happens to next year's periodic if a job is deleted or a tech leaves?
- Can one checklist branch for electric vs manual and rope vs chain hoists, with required hook and chain measurements?
- Can a 'remove from service' finding create a tag-out and notify the customer the same day?
- Does a deficiency become a quote line and then a repair job without anyone retyping the scope?
- Can a job that altered a load-bearing part be blocked from closing until a load test record and certificate exist?
Bring one real overhead crane and hoist inspection job. We show it running in Fieldproxy.
Get DemoHow Fieldproxy is set up for this
Overhead crane and hoist inspection on Fieldproxy: built around how you already work
A Fieldproxy setup for a crane and hoist company is built around the crane, not the client: every bridge, jib, monorail and hoist carries its own service class, inspection clock, measurements, tag-outs and load tests. Inspection, quote, repair, fabrication and invoice are one chain of records, so the scope is written once, coordinators run their own pod's board, and QuickBooks Online gets the invoice the day the job closes.
Module 1
Crane and hoist register
Contracts, standards and history all attach to a crane or a hoist, and the plant asks about 'the 10 ton in bay 3', not the account.
- Records: Customer > Site > Bay > Crane > Hoist (and below-the-hook devices if you inspect them)
- Crane fields: type, rated capacity and marking, CMAA class A to F, span, runway, year, manufacturer, service class (normal, heavy, severe), jurisdiction (OSHA, ON 851, BC Part 14, NB 91-191) and CSA B167 edition
- Hoist fields: make, model, serial, rope or chain, hook ID, baseline hook throat dimension, control type, limit switches
- OEM manual and parts list attached to the hoist; QR label on the pendant opens its history
Module 2
Inspection program per crane
The interval belongs to the crane's service class, and it must survive deleted jobs and staff turnover.
- Frequent and periodic intervals set from service class (e.g. periodic annual for normal, semiannual for heavy, quarterly for severe), editable per crane with a reason
- Monthly hook, chain and rope certification tasks where the customer contracts you for them
- Idle-crane flag: return-to-service inspection after 1 month idle, complete inspection after 6
- Statuses: Due, Booked, In progress, Done, Overdue; closing a periodic writes the next due date
- Watch list: cranes with no future visit, cranes overdue by site and by pod
Module 3
Branching inspection checklists
A manual chain hoist and a 20 ton double girder crane should not share one form.
- Checklist built from the hoist record: electric or manual, rope or chain, pendant or radio, top-running or underhung
- Required measurements: hook throat vs baseline (flag over 15%), twist (flag over 10°), chain gauge, rope diameter and broken wires
- Each item: OK, deficiency, N/A, not accessible (reason required); photo required on any deficiency
- Internal-only fields (labor guess, coordinator notes) hidden from the client PDF, which shows deficiencies
- Works offline in plants and on runways; inspector signs on the phone
Module 4
Deficiencies and tag-outs
An unsafe crane has to be stopped and the plant told now, not when the report is typed.
- Deficiency record: crane, hoist, component, severity (remove from service, repair soon, monitor), photo, measurement, status (Found, Quoted, Approved, Repaired, Declined)
- 'Remove from service' opens a Tag-out: tag number, photo of the tag, switch locked open yes/no, plant contact told, time
- Tag-out clears only when the linked repair job closes and the post-repair check passes
- Declined deficiencies keep the decliner's name and date on the crane
Module 5
Estimates from deficiencies
Estimating in Excel is where crane companies lose the most days.
- Quote built by ticking deficiencies; each line pulls parts and labor from templates (e.g. hoist brake reline, contactor kit, rope by diameter and length, hook and latch, festoon trolleys, pendant)
- Access lines: scissor or boom lift rental, after-hours or shutdown labor, travel
- Price book per customer if they have contract rates; multi-currency and GST/HST or sales tax by site
- Approval from the customer portal or email; statuses Draft, Sent, Approved, Partially approved, Declined
Module 6
Repair and fabrication jobs
Approved scope should arrive in the field and the shop exactly as quoted.
- Approved quote lines become the repair job's tasks and parts, no copy and paste
- Shop work orders for fabricators: drawing, materials, welding procedure, hours, linked to the field job
- Parts reserved from warehouse or truck stock; shortfalls create a purchase request
- Flag 'load test required' when a load-bearing part is replaced or the crane altered
Module 7
Load tests and certificates
The test report is the document an auditor asks for after an alteration.
- Load test record: reason, rated load, test load and % of rated (blocked above 125% unless manufacturer allows), test weights and their certificates, functions tested, hold time, result
- Certificate PDF from your template with crane ID, capacity, date, inspector and signature
- Annual examination record per crane for Ontario sites, signed by the competent person
- All certificates stored on the crane and visible in the customer portal
Module 8
Pod dispatch board
Coordinators each run a pod of techs and clients; techs need their day, not the company.
- Board filtered by pod; PTO greyed out; weekly hour limit per tech warns before overbooking
- Skills on each tech: load testing, electrical troubleshooting, rigging, fabrication; CMAA 78 hours and training on file
- Tech app shows only their jobs and e.g. the next 7 days; no client lifetime value or pricing
- Timesheets from job clock-in and clock-out
Module 9
Invoicing and QuickBooks Online
Work-to-invoice time is cash, and retyping into QuickBooks is where it stalls.
- Invoice built from the closed job: inspection price per crane by capacity, repair labor, parts, lift rental
- Sync to QuickBooks Online with customer, tax code and class; timesheets sync for payroll
- Dashboard: days from job closed to invoice sent, by pod
Module 10
Customer portal and reporting
Plant managers want every crane's status in one place, and the owner wants to know where the backlog is.
- Portal per customer: cranes by site, last and next inspection, certificates, open deficiencies to approve, tag-outs
- Dashboards: cranes overdue, deficiencies not yet quoted, quote approval rate, tag-outs open by age, revenue per pod
The AI agents, set up for overhead crane and hoist inspection companies
| Agent | When | What it does | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision agent | A tech photographs a hoist nameplate or a crane capacity sign while building the register | Reads make, model, serial, capacity and voltage from the photo | The hoist record filled in, flagged for the coordinator to confirm the service class |
| Voice agent | An inspector on a manlift talks through findings instead of typing, e.g. 'bay 3 main hoist, hook throat 2 and 5/8, latch missing' | Matches the crane and hoist, fills the measurement fields and splits each problem into its own deficiency | Checklist items and deficiency rows on the open inspection, ready for photos |
| Watcher agent | A crane passes its periodic due date with nothing booked, a monthly hook or rope record is missing, or a tag-out stays open e.g. 5 days with no approved quote | Checks the crane's interval, last record and linked quote | An alert to the pod coordinator with the crane, the gap and a one-click booking or quote task |
| Autopilot | A deficiency quote sits unapproved for e.g. 7 days | Drafts a follow-up to the plant contact naming the crane, the finding, the photo, and whether it is tagged out | A draft email a person approves before it sends |
| Knowledge agent | A tech asks on site, e.g. 'what is the brake air gap on this hoist?' | Searches the OEM manual attached to that hoist and its service history | The spec with the manual page, and the last time that brake was adjusted |
| Document intelligence agent | A customer emails a purchase order PDF against a repair quote | Reads PO number, lines and amounts and matches them to the quote | Quote marked approved with the PO attached, repair job created, mismatches flagged |
Straight answers
Overhead crane and hoist inspection: FAQ
What software do overhead crane and hoist inspection companies use?
Many run a general FSM like Service Fusion for jobs, an inspection app like SafetyCulture (now Mitti) for checklists and QuickBooks Online for invoices. Crane-specific platforms include InspectAll and CraneRep.com, and ServiceTrade covers inspection-driven commercial service. What matters is a record per crane and hoist with its own inspection clock, branching checklists, deficiencies that become quotes, and load test records. Fieldproxy is set up around your own crane register and deficiency-to-invoice flow.
How do I replace Service Fusion and SafetyCulture with one system?
Start from the crane register: export customers and sites from Service Fusion, then load each crane and hoist with capacity, service class and next due date. Rebuild your SafetyCulture forms as checklists that branch by hoist type. Then connect deficiencies to quotes and jobs, and turn on the QuickBooks Online sync. Run one pod on the new system first.
How often must an overhead crane be inspected?
Under OSHA 1910.179, frequent inspections run daily to monthly and periodic inspections every 1 to 12 months, depending on activity, severity of service and environment. The Overhead Alliance publishes periodic intervals of annual for normal, semiannual for heavy and quarterly for severe service. In Ontario, a lifting device is examined at least once a year.
What is the difference between a frequent and a periodic crane inspection?
Frequent inspections are visual and operational checks (operating mechanisms, air or hydraulic systems, hooks, chains, rope reeving) at daily to monthly intervals. Periodic inspections are complete inspections every 1 to 12 months that add structural members, bolts and rivets, sheaves and drums, and brake parts. ASME B30.2 also names initial and pre-shift inspections.
What records does OSHA require for crane hooks and ropes?
A monthly certification record for hooks and hoist chains that identifies the item inspected, and a monthly rope inspection record with the date and the inspector's signature. The Overhead Alliance says frequent inspection reports are kept 3 years.
When does an overhead crane need a load test?
OSHA requires new and altered cranes to be tested before initial use, with test loads no more than 125% of rated load unless the manufacturer says otherwise, and the report kept on file. OSHA's 2009 interpretation confirmed rated load tests apply. In BC, overhead cranes installed after 1 January 1999 are load tested at 125% before first use.
Which CSA standard covers overhead cranes in Canada?
CSA B167. Provinces name different editions: BC's Part 14 names B167-96, New Brunswick's logbook guidance names B167-08 (R2015), and CSA lists B167-16 as withdrawn with an update available. Ontario's Regulation 851 s.51 requires an examination at least once a year and a signed permanent record.
What are CMAA crane service classes?
CMAA Specification 70 classes run from A (standby or infrequent) through B light, C moderate, D heavy and E severe to F continuous severe. Most cranes are built to Class C. The class is a design rating; the service class the customer actually runs (normal, heavy, severe) is what sets inspection frequency.
What happens when an inspector finds an unsafe crane?
OSHA says unsafe conditions found in inspection are corrected before the crane runs again, by designated personnel. During repairs, warning or out-of-order signs go on the crane and the main or emergency switch is locked open. Your system should record the tag, tell the plant that day and open the repair quote.
What does an overhead crane inspection cost?
One crane service company publishes $108 to $141 for an annual inspection of a 5 ton or smaller bridge crane and $151 to $197 for a 5 to 30 ton double girder, with $115 to $150 an hour for repair work. San Antonio Water System's 2011 annual contract paid $75 to $750 per unit for inspection and load testing, by capacity.
Related guides
All sources on this page (23)
- source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179, Overhead and gantry cranes (inspection (j), testing (k), maintenance (l), rope inspection (m))
- source: University of Waterloo Safety Office, Lifting devices: extract of Ontario Regulation 851, s.51
- source: OSHA standard interpretation, 28 Aug 2009: rated load tests are required for new and altered overhead cranes under 1910.179(k)
- source: Overhead Alliance (CMAA, HMI, MMA), Overhead and gantry inspections 101: initial, pre-shift, frequent and periodic
- source: Mazzella Companies, Lifting and rigging inspection frequencies and records guide (ASME B30.16, B30.10, B30.20, B30.9)
- source: Overhead Alliance, Hoist inspections 101: covering the basics (frequent and periodic intervals by service)
- source: Ace Industries, CMAA duty classifications (Specification 70 service classes A to F)
- source: Wire Rope Exchange (Apr 2016), CMAA revises Specification 78 for services performed on overhead lifting equipment
- source: WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 14: Cranes and hoists (14.2, 14.14, 14.54, 14.54.1)
- source: WorkSafeNB, Overhead hoist logbook: permanent record (Regulation 91-191, CSA B167-08 clauses 5.5.3.2, 5.5.4.2, 5.5.4.3), rev. July 2024
- source: CSA Group store, B167-16 (R2021): Overhead cranes, gantry cranes, monorails, hoists, and jib cranes (scope, status)
- source: Mazzella Companies, How much does an overhead crane inspection cost? (published price ranges per crane)
- source: San Antonio Water System, tabulation of bids 11-0053: annual contract for overhead hoist, crane and monorail inspection and testing (Aug 2011)
- source: Service Fusion help center, Deleting a job (repeating and recurring settings)
- source: Startland News (11 Aug 2026), SafetyCulture rebrands to Mitti
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