NCCCO Overhead and Gantry Crane Operations — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to OSHA 1910.179(b)(2), what information must be legibly marked on each side of an overhead or gantry crane?
- The maximum rated load capacity (Correct answer)
- The crane manufacturer's name and model number
- The installation date and last inspection date
- The operator's certification number
Correct answer: The maximum rated load capacity
OSHA 1910.179(b)(2) requires that the rated load be legibly marked on each side of every overhead and gantry crane. This ensures operators and riggers can immediately identify the crane's capacity limit without consulting documentation.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a bridge travel end limit switch on an overhead crane?
- To slow the bridge to creep speed before stopping at a programmed position
- To prevent the crane bridge from traveling past the end of the runway (Correct answer)
- To trigger an alarm when the crane approaches another crane on the same runway
- To automatically park the crane at a designated maintenance position
Correct answer: To prevent the crane bridge from traveling past the end of the runway
Bridge travel end limit switches cut power to the bridge drive motor before the crane can overrun the end of the runway beam. They are a last-resort safety backup to operator awareness, not a positioning device.
Question 3: Per ASME B30.2, a periodic inspection of an overhead crane in regular service must be conducted at intervals not exceeding:
- 90 days
- 6 months
- 1 year (Correct answer)
- 2 years
Correct answer: 1 year
ASME B30.2 requires periodic inspections at intervals not exceeding one year for cranes in regular service. Frequent inspections (daily/weekly) are also required, but the formal periodic inspection covering all structural, mechanical, and electrical components must occur annually.
Question 4: Which ASME standard specifically governs below-the-hook lifting devices used with overhead cranes?
- ASME B30.5
- ASME B30.9
- ASME B30.20 (Correct answer)
- ASME B30.26
Correct answer: ASME B30.20
ASME B30.20 covers below-the-hook lifting devices such as spreader bars, lifting beams, and vacuum lifters. B30.5 governs mobile cranes, B30.9 covers slings, and B30.26 covers rigging hardware.
Question 5: An overhead crane operator inadvertently activates the upper limit switch during hoisting. What is the correct immediate response?
- Continue hoisting slowly to confirm the limit switch is functioning correctly
- Stop all crane movement and call for maintenance before doing anything
- Lower the hook immediately, and treat the upper limit switch as a safety backup rather than a routine stop (Correct answer)
- Reverse bridge travel direction to clear the limit switch fault
Correct answer: Lower the hook immediately, and treat the upper limit switch as a safety backup rather than a routine stop
The upper limit switch (ULS) is a last-resort safety device, not a normal operating stop. The correct response is to immediately lower the hook. Using the ULS routinely as a stop point causes premature wear and leaves no backup if two-blocking occurs.
Question 6: After a major repair to a load-carrying structural member of an overhead crane, what action does ASME B30.2 require before the crane is returned to service?
- A visual inspection by the certified crane inspector only
- A load test at 100% to 125% of rated capacity (Correct answer)
- Submission of repair records to OSHA within 30 days
- A functional test at 50% of rated capacity only
Correct answer: A load test at 100% to 125% of rated capacity
ASME B30.2 requires a load test — typically at 100% to 125% of rated capacity — after major repairs to structural components. This verifies that the repaired crane can safely handle its rated load before personnel are exposed to suspended loads beneath it.
NCCCO Overhead and Gantry Crane Operations
According to OSHA 1910.179(b)(2), what information must be legibly marked on each side of an overhead or gantry crane?