A periodic hoist inspection is an examination of a hoist, carried out at set intervals by an authorised person, to check that it works safely. In Turkey, lifting equipment, monorail hoists included, must by law have a periodic inspection at least once a year. Maintenance is the regular work that keeps the hoist in good condition between these inspections.
In this article we explain what the regulation requires, who can carry out the inspection, how the load test works and which points the operator should check every day, with a checklist.
The legal basis is the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment (İş Ekipmanlarının Kullanımında Sağlık ve Güvenlik Şartları Yönetmeliği, Official Gazette 25.04.2013, no. 28628), issued under Turkey's Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331. The "Lifting and Conveying Equipment" item in Annex III of the regulation sets the periodic inspection intervals and the standards to be followed during inspection.
So installing a monorail hoist and then using it for years without inspection is both dangerous and against the law. After a workplace accident, the periodic inspection report is one of the first documents you will be asked for.
The inspection is carried out by the authorised persons defined in the regulation: mechanical engineers, technical teachers who graduated in mechanical or metal education, and mechanical technicians and higher technicians. On electric hoists, authorised persons from the electrical field also take part to inspect the electrical installation. The inspection is usually done by accredited inspection bodies or by authorised engineers in this field.
Any non-conformity found is written into the report, and the hoist should not be used until it has been put right.
The periodic inspection is done once a year, but most faults can be caught early with a quick daily check. The person who will use the hoist should look at the following at the start of every shift:
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Hook | Cracks, a widened throat, and the safety latch in place and working |
| Chain or wire rope | Bending, crushing, wear, broken wires, rust, knots |
| Brake | No slipping while the load is held in the air |
| Limit switches | The hook should stop automatically at its highest and lowest points |
| Pendant | Buttons work in the right direction, the emergency stop cuts all movement, the cable is undamaged |
| Noise and smell | No unusual noise, vibration or burning smell |
| Beam and end stops | End stops in place, no visible bending of the beam and no loose connections |
If you find any problem, do not use the hoist. Hang a "faulty, do not use" tag on the pendant and tell the person in charge.
Maintenance intervals depend on how heavily the hoist is used and on the manufacturer's instructions. In general, these tasks should be done regularly:
Parts replaced during maintenance should be original or of equivalent quality. We supply chains, wire ropes, hooks, brakes, contactors, pendants and similar parts from stock as part of our service and spare parts support. You can also browse our pages for spare hoist chains, wire ropes and crane hooks.
If you see any of these signs, stop the hoist without forcing it and call for service. For safe use, see also our article on hoist safety rules.
Regular maintenance stops a problem that a small brake adjustment would fix from turning into a motor or gearbox failure. When a hoist on a production line breaks down without warning, the downtime often costs more than the repair. For the parts and general layout of a monorail hoist, see our guide what is a monorail hoist?
Under the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment, lifting equipment must be inspected at intervals of no more than one year. If a standard or the manufacturer gives a shorter period, that period applies.
The authorised persons defined in the regulation: mechanical engineers, technical teachers who graduated in mechanical or metal education, and mechanical technicians and higher technicians. Authorised persons from the electrical field also take part for the electrical checks.
For hoists, the static test load is usually at least 1.25 times the rated load and the dynamic test load at least 1.1 times. The exact values are set by the relevant standard and the manufacturer's instructions.
No. The regulation requires the hoist to be inspected after installation and before it is used for the first time.
When elongation and wear go past the manufacturer's limit, or when the chain shows crushing, bending or cracks. A chain is never repaired by welding or by joining it to another chain.
We explain what a monorail hoist is, how it works, its parts and types, and how to choose the right model, all in one place.
Read more: What Is a Monorail Hoist? Types, Parts and How to Choose One →Why can two monorail hoists with the same capacity have very different prices? We explain the eight factors that set the price and how to get the right quote.
Read more: Monorail Hoist Prices: 8 Factors That Determine the Price →We compare chain and wire rope hoists in a single table and explain, with examples, which one is the better choice for which job.
Read more: Chain Hoist or Wire Rope Hoist? Choosing a Monorail Hoist →The load, the lifting height and the beam length. Send them on WhatsApp or give us a call and we'll come back with a model and a price.
