Question 1

Does OSHA require crane inspections to be done by a third party?

Accepted Answer

No. OSHA requires competence, not independence — a 1993 interpretation letter states that cranes used in general industry or construction are not required to be certificated by anyone, and the competent person can be the owner's own staff (third-party certification is mandatory only for certain maritime cargo gear; some OSHA state plans are stricter than federal OSHA here). Equipment owners hire inspection companies anyway — for the expertise, and for a defensible record their customers and insurers will accept. That record is the product you sell, and it's what Core produces.

Question 2

How often do overhead cranes need inspection under OSHA 1910.179?

Accepted Answer

1910.179 divides inspection of cranes in regular service into two classes: frequent, at daily-to-monthly intervals, and periodic — complete inspections at 1-to-12-month intervals depending on activity, severity of service, and environment. On top of that, hooks, hoist chains, and running ropes each need a monthly inspection with a certification record. Most employers pair the daily/monthly cadence with an annual complete inspection at the conservative end of the 1-to-12-month band. If your customers work to ASME B30.2-2022 rather than the OSHA floor, Core handles that too: the standard defines five inspection types (initial, functional test, frequent, periodic, and equipment not in regular use) with intervals driven by service class. Core stores the cadence per asset, so a severe-service crane and a standby crane on the same site each run on their own clock.

Question 3

What records does OSHA actually require for general industry cranes?

Accepted Answer

Fewer than most people assume — and not the ones they assume. 1910.179 requires monthly certification records for hooks, hoist chains, and running ropes, each with the date of inspection, the signature of the person who performed it, and the serial number or other identifier of the gear inspected — plus rated load test reports kept on file. It requires no written record of the periodic inspection itself. Document it anyway: ASME B30.2 makes dated records of the conditions found on periodic inspection mandatory, and a complete file is what customers are paying an inspection service for. Core generates the full set from one field capture.

Question 4

What about mobile and construction cranes under 1926.1412?

Accepted Answer

Construction cranes run on a different cycle: a competent person's visual inspection each shift (no documentation required), a documented monthly inspection — items checked, results, inspector's name and signature, date — retained for at least three months, and an annual/comprehensive inspection by a qualified person, with disassembly as necessary, retained for at least 12 months. Add the event-triggered inspections (post-assembly, after repairs or modifications, after severe service, after 3+ months idle) and one crane can carry several distinct inspection duties at once. Core files each record against the asset and inspection type it belongs to, so the document exists — and is findable — when the GC or an OSHA compliance officer asks.

Question 5

Are electronic signatures acceptable for OSHA certification records?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and they have been since 1997. An OSHA interpretation letter dated October 21, 1997 accepts an electronic system in lieu of a physical signature for the 1910.179 monthly certification records, provided the system identifies who performed the inspection and constitutes their certification that the record is true and complete. Core's records carry exactly that: the named inspector, the date, and the identifier of the hook, chain, or rope inspected.

Question 6

What does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing depends on technicians, sites, and modules. The customer portal — with unlimited client logins — is included. A 15-minute call gets you a fixed quote — no per-inspection or per-certificate charges.

Crane & rigging inspections, from work order to certificate

See Core for crane & rigging

OSHA-ready certification records

Every inspection class, scheduled per asset

200 slings on site, one batch

Unlimited client portal logins

Competency rules enforced at scheduling

Certificates out, billing handed off

Frequently asked questions

See your crane & rigging workflow on Core