As stated above, cranes are carefully designed, tested, and manufactured for safe operations. When used properly they can provide safe reliable service to lift or move loads. Because cranes have the ability to lift heavy loads to great heights, they also have an increased potential for catastrophic accidents if safe. operating practices are not followed.

Accidents can be avoided by careful job planning. The person in charge must have a clear understanding of the work to be performed and consider all potential dangers at the job site. A safety plan must be developed for the job and must be explained to all personnel involved in the lift.

Before operations begin for the day, a walkaround inspection needs to be conducted to ensure that the machine is in proper working condition. Only qualified and properly designated people shall operate the crane.

Regular inspections are important, they provide a means of detecting potential hazards or conditions that could contribute to a sequence of events leading to an accident. Safe, reliable, and the economic operation of lifting equipment, cannot be ensured without regular safety inspections and thorough preventive maintenance programs. A thorough inspection program can forecast maintenance needs or potential equipment failures or malfunctions. The lack of such a program could result in serious deterioration of the equipment which might lead to excessive replacement, or repair charges, as well as an increased potential for accidents.

Due to the wide variation of conditions under which a crane may operate, it is impossible for the manufacturer to determine inspection intervals appropriate for every situation. Inspection intervals recommended in manufacturer's publications represent minimum intervals for average operating conditions. More frequent inspection intervals should be required if use and site conditions are severe and warrant it. Inspections are also designed as maintenance checks and/or as a verification that proper repairs or modifications of equipment have been completed which, if not checked could affect capacities as well as personnel safety. Since the initial load rating for cranes was determined and set under ideal conditions, inspections are required by manufacturers to guarantee optimal operating efficiency and capacity as determined by the load charts.

The American National Standards Institute, ANSI B30.5, 1968, and OSHA both require inspections be divided into two categories: frequent and periodic. In addition to the performance of these regular inspections, equipment is required to be inspected and tested to ensure that it is capable of safe and reliable operation when initially set or placed in service and after any major repairs or any design modification.