NCCER Crane Maintenance, Inspection & Equipment Setup 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of performing a function test at the beginning of each shift?
- To satisfy OSHA paperwork requirements only
- To verify all crane controls, brakes, and safety devices are operating correctly before any load is applied (Correct answer)
- To warm up the engine to operating temperature
- To calibrate the load moment indicator for the day's lifts
Correct answer: To verify all crane controls, brakes, and safety devices are operating correctly before any load is applied
Shift function tests verify that all controls, brakes, limit switches, and safety devices respond correctly before the crane is put under load, catching deficiencies when they can be corrected safely.
Question 2: When is a crane hook considered 'twisted' and must be removed from service?
- When the hook opening faces more than 5 degrees off the load line
- When the hook has been twisted more than 10 degrees from the plane of the unbent hook (Correct answer)
- When any twist is visible under magnification
- When the hook makes noise during rotation
Correct answer: When the hook has been twisted more than 10 degrees from the plane of the unbent hook
Per ASME B30.10, a hook that has been twisted more than 10 degrees from the plane of the unbent hook must be removed from service as this indicates yielding of the steel.
Question 3: What does 'rated capacity' on a crane load chart account for?
- Only the weight of the load being lifted
- The maximum load the crane can lift with all specified configuration and radius conditions met, including all safety factors (Correct answer)
- The load the crane has physically lifted in the past
- Theoretical maximum before the crane tips
Correct answer: The maximum load the crane can lift with all specified configuration and radius conditions met, including all safety factors
Rated capacity represents the maximum allowable lift for a specific configuration, radius, and boom angle and already incorporates the required safety factors established by the manufacturer and standards.
Question 4: During inspection, the crane's travel brake is tested and takes 3 feet to stop the crane on a level surface. What is the correct response?
- This is acceptable — all cranes require some stopping distance
- Compare the stopping distance against the manufacturer's specification; adjust or repair if out of specification (Correct answer)
- Add brake fluid and retest once
- Only use the service brake going forward
Correct answer: Compare the stopping distance against the manufacturer's specification; adjust or repair if out of specification
Travel brake stopping distance must be compared against the manufacturer's performance specification for the specific crane model; deviations require adjustment or repair before continued operation.
Question 5: What is the correct storage procedure for a wire rope that has been removed from service but is being retained for future use?
- Coil loosely and store on the ground outdoors
- Clean, lubricate, coil on a reel with minimum 18-inch diameter, and store under cover off the ground (Correct answer)
- Hang vertically to prevent kinking
- Wrap in plastic sheeting and store in any available location
Correct answer: Clean, lubricate, coil on a reel with minimum 18-inch diameter, and store under cover off the ground
Wire rope must be cleaned, lubricated, spooled on a reel of sufficient diameter to prevent kinking, and stored under cover off the ground to prevent corrosion and mechanical damage.
Question 6: When setting up a crane near an excavation, what ground condition concern is most critical?
- Mud splashing onto the crane undercarriage
- Potential for soil collapse undermining outrigger or track support due to excavation proximity (Correct answer)
- Dust accumulation in the air filter
- Uneven terrain causing slight crane lean
Correct answer: Potential for soil collapse undermining outrigger or track support due to excavation proximity
Excavations create zones of reduced soil bearing capacity near their edges; outrigger or track placement too close to an excavation edge risks soil collapse and crane overturn.
Question 7: What is the required action when a crane operator discovers a hydraulic hose with visible surface cracking during pre-shift inspection?
- Wrap the cracked section with tape and monitor for leaks
- Remove the crane from service until the hose is replaced (Correct answer)
- Reduce hydraulic system pressure by 20% and continue
- Only replace the hose at the end of the work week
Correct answer: Remove the crane from service until the hose is replaced
Surface cracking on hydraulic hoses indicates the hose wall integrity is compromised and the hose is at risk for sudden failure under pressure; it must be replaced before crane operation resumes.
NCCER Crane Maintenance, Inspection & Equipment Setup 5
What is the purpose of performing a function test at the beginning of each shift?