Crane hook inspection under ASME B30.10: intervals, removal criteria and records
ASME B30.10 sets frequent and periodic hook inspections by service class, thirteen removal criteria including 10 percent wear and a 5 percent throat opening increase, and written records for periodic inspections. What each tier covers and who signs off.
By Hovermarks team
Quick answer. ASME B30.10 inspects hooks at two tiers set by service class. Frequent: monthly for normal service, weekly to monthly for heavy, daily to weekly for severe, with no written record required. Periodic: yearly for normal service, semi-annually for heavy, quarterly for severe, with written records required. A hook comes out of service on any removal criterion, including wear over 10 percent of the original section, any visible bend or twist, or a throat opening increase over 5 percent (no more than 1/4 inch), and returns only when a qualified person approves it.
The hook is the one component every lift passes through, and it is inspected less carefully than the crane it hangs from. A crane can carry a current periodic inspection while the hook on it has opened, twisted or worn past its limit, because the hook's condition is recorded, if at all, as a line on the crane's sheet rather than against the hook itself.
What B30.10 covers
ASME B30.10 applies to hooks used on cranes, hoists and below-the-hook lifting devices: shank hooks, eye hooks, self-locking hooks, latched hooks, and grab and sorting hooks. It sits alongside B30.2 (overhead and gantry cranes), B30.9 (slings) and B30.20 (below-the-hook lifting devices). Where the crane standard tells you when to inspect the crane, B30.10 tells you what a hook must look like to stay in service.
Service class decides the interval
B30.10 sets the interval by how hard the hook works, not by the calendar alone.
| Service | Frequent inspection | Periodic inspection |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Monthly | Yearly, equipment in place |
| Heavy | Weekly to monthly | Semi-annually, in place unless conditions call for disassembly |
| Severe | Daily to weekly | Quarterly, and the detailed inspection may call for non-destructive testing |
Frequent inspection is a visual check by a designated person, including watching the hook in operation. Periodic inspection is a closer examination by a designated person, and it is the tier that needs a written record. Most fleets mix all three classes: the same building can run a lightly used maintenance hoist and a production crane in severe service, and each hook carries its own clock.
The removal criteria
A hook is removed from service when it shows any of these:
- missing or illegible manufacturer's identification or rated load marking
- excessive pitting or corrosion
- cracks, nicks or gouges
- wear over 10 percent of the original section dimension of the hook or its load pin, or the manufacturer's limit
- deformation: any visible bend or twist from the plane of the unbent hook
- throat opening: any increase over 5 percent, not exceeding 1/4 inch (6 mm), or the manufacturer's limit
- a self-locking hook that does not lock
- a damaged latch, or one that does not close the throat
- damaged, missing or malfunctioning attachment and securing means
- thread wear, damage or corrosion
- evidence of heat exposure or unauthorized welding
- unauthorized alterations such as drilling, machining or grinding
The throat opening criterion only works if the original dimension was recorded. A hook whose new throat opening was never measured cannot be judged against a 5 percent limit, which is why the measurement belongs in the hook's record from its first inspection.
Where OSHA fits
For overhead and gantry cranes, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.179 lists hooks with deformation or cracks among the items for daily visual inspection and monthly inspection with a certification record: a dated, signed record identifying the hook. B30.10 is the consensus standard OSHA inspectors and insurers read alongside it, and its removal criteria are the stricter reference.
The record problem
B30.10 asks for a written periodic record per hook, a service class per hook, and a baseline throat measurement per hook. On paper those live on three different sheets, or on the crane's sheet with no hook identity at all. When a hook moves to another hoist, its history does not move with it.
Where Hovermarks fits
Hovermarks gives each hook its own QR-tagged identity, with its service class, rated load and baseline throat opening held against it. Frequent and periodic inspections run as configurable checklists on a phone, a failed criterion raises a defect against that hook, and the periodic record B30.10 requires is attached to the hook rather than to whichever crane it was on that month. The crane and rigging solution shows the workflow.