Overhead Crane (CMAA-spec) Weld Repair Testing Requirements

[KurtSauer]

Does anyone know if there is a regulatory requirement for NDT testing of repair or renovation welds for overhead and jib crane structural components, either in CMAA (I don't find any there in the obvious places) or from OSHA or other sources? Obviously, NDT testing is recommended to insure that the repair/renovation is proper, and to limit exposure (liability), but I am looking for regulations/specficiations that require the testing. Thanks.

 

[vpl]

Well here's where you find the Code of Federal Regulations:

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html

There were some interesting hits using "crane, non-destructive testing" as a search. Whether they would apply to you depends on your industry.



Patricia Lougheed

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[unclesyd]

Aside from the information posted above by vpllook for "under hook" devices in the reference. ANSI did have jurisdiction over such device and had very specific guidelines.

Working under the A?NSI guidelines we had to essentially become a repair facility for a number of devices used for lifting. At the time it was dictated that one follow the manufacturers procedures right, wrong, or indifferent.

All our welding was done by Sec IX welders with MT in lieu of the PT called for by some manufacturers.

 

[KurtSauer]

Thansk to both of you for the info. Not much I've found thus far in ANSI, and as usual Federal Docs. are difficult to search (and even more difficult to understand once you find the item you're loooking for!), but I will keep at it.

 

[unclesyd]

If I recall there is no direct reference to a specific procedure for anything in the standards. Everything in the way of repair refers to the OEM. In short it says that the OEM should make the repair and as it was explained to me "they are the only ones that know the requirements for repairing the equipment and know what they are doing". To get around this you can request a welding repair procedure from the OEM and hopefully they will provide one. In all cases I've been involved in the repair procedure was actually the production procedure. Another approach would be that they send a person to supervise the repair, probably for a fee.

I've seen four or five OEM weld procedures and all but one required PT, the other specified MT.

Just a word of advice if it has to do with any lifting device in an industrial setting make a concerted effort to follow the standards and if this is not possible use the best available engineering practices. This in your case would mean do NDT on the weld. I'll tell you that NDT is a very small price to pay compared to the consequences of failure.

 

[KurtSauer]

unclesyd:

couldn't agree more with the last statement. In my case at hand, it is a third party not wanting to spring for the NDT, and the Onwer (my client) looking for a way to force them via regualtion/requirements/specification.

I htink I've onvinced the Owner, as you say, that it is a small price to pay for peace of mind and reduction of liabilitiy, plus avoidance of legal ramifications, to have the NDT performed on their own.

Thanks.

 

[unclesyd]

I don't know if the rules have changed since I was involved in such, but I would still want to know if the contractor doing the repairs has written permission of OEM to do the repair. In the same chain of thought did the welder have certification from some recognized authority.
Just for a little CMA. I would try to ascertain this information. I always get leery when someone tries to get out of any NDT, especially something like PT.

Anecdotal:
This concerns fork trucks which fall under the same umbrella as lifting devices. There was an serious injury at a guest operation involving one of our fork trucks that had been legally modified and tested as per the OEM. Operational problems caused the accident. This didn't stop OSHA from raking us over the coals and the thing that saved us was the records of the modification which included MTRs, Welder Certification, the OEM prints, NDT of the welds, and records of the operational test. OSHA actually did an audit of all our repairs to all the fork trucks and lifting devices. They especially went after the stacker cranes.
In the subsequent civil deposition on our part all we did was to lay out the records that we had presented to OSHA. The lawyers took a few notes and left. We still caught a small percentage of the blame for not having anything in writing that stated not to operate the fork truck in this manner.