Preventive Maintenance Only Works If You Do It
Posted by proforma on June 30, 2009
Are you following correct preventive maintenance schedules for your equipment? When was the last time you checked that it’s being done? This incident involving a crane boom reminds us of the potential dangers inherent in not following the manufacturer’s directions.
The crane manufacturer’s recommendation was for the pedestal-bearing base bolts,during initial assembly, to have lock-tite applied on the threads before the bolts were torqued to 460 ft-pounds. After that, the base should be taken apart and inspected every 600 operating hours.
In this instance, the rig crew started experiencing problems with the crane boom slew jamming, so decided to inspect it. They discovered 30 bolts that were outright loose, another 30 percent sheared off from contact with the inspection hole, and a grooved path cut into the top plate. Bolt holes were cracked and bearings and rails badly worn. A potentially catastrophic failure of the pedestal system was averted.
Filed Under: Workplace Safety
