The Concord, New Hampshire, Area Office has brought to our attention a potentially serious hazard existing with the use of truck cranes with possibly insufficient load capacities. The problem occurs when trucks fitted with boom cranes are not specifically designed for such applications. The only available load capacity rating in such a situation is the rating of the crane boom structure itself. This rating is inappropriate for use with a truck-crane system since it does not take into account the size of the truck, strength of the truck platform, size or presence of outriggers, and tipping moment and other engineering mechanics considerations that would be required to evaluate and rate the total truck-crane package.
OSHA 1926.550(a)(1) requires that when manufacturer's specifications applicable to a crane are not available, limitations assigned to the equipment shall be based on the determinations of a qualified engineer. These specifications must take into consideration both the vehicle and crane characteristics. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92.2-1979 National Standard for Vehicle-mounted Elevating and Rotating Aerial Devices applies to the design, construction, testing, inspection, care and use of machinery including truck cranes with extensible or articulating booms. The standard sets necessary load capacity specifications for both the crane and truck components of such units along with standards for the design and manufacture, testing and inspection, and training of operators for truck cranes.
Furthermore, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)/ ANSI B3O.22-1987 Standard on Articulating Boom Cranes sets load ratings for truck-mounted articulating boom cranes of one ton or greater capacity. ASME/ANSI B30.5-1982 Standard on Mobile and boom cranes. Load ratings where stability governs lifting performance are determined by adherence to the ANSI Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE 765a (October, 1980 Crane Load Stability Test Code.
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