Crane Inspection & Load Testing

Crane inspection services in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and across the UAE — third-party inspection and load testing of mobile cranes, tower cranes, pedestal cranes, overhead cranes and lifting accessories by an ADNOC approved, ISO 17020 accredited inspection body listed on the Abu Dhabi City Municipality Approved Third Party Inspection Bodies register. Last reviewed: August 2026.

Cranes and lifting equipment degrade continuously in service, and the defects that matter — fatigue cracking at structural connections, wire rope deterioration, worn hook throats, failed overload protection — develop out of sight of daily operation. Independent inspection at defined intervals is both the means of finding them and the mechanism by which UAE regulators require compliance to be demonstrated.

Accreditation and approvals

ITMAD is accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 as an inspection body and is listed on the Abu Dhabi City Municipality register of Approved Third Party Inspection Bodies — the approval Abu Dhabi clients are required to verify before accepting an inspection certificate. ITMAD is also an ADNOC approved inspection contractor, and certificates are accepted on ADNOC group projects onshore and offshore. Inspection is carried out to satisfy the requirements of OSHAD in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Municipality, and MOHRE under UAE Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 and subsequent ministerial decrees.

Crane types inspected

• Mobile cranes — all-terrain, rough-terrain, truck-mounted and crawler cranes to ASME B30.5 and EN 13000
• Tower cranes — fixed and climbing configurations to ASME B30.3 and BS 7121
• Pedestal and offshore cranes — fixed and slewing pedestal cranes on offshore platforms and vessels, to API 2C and ASME B30.5
• Overhead and gantry cranes (EOT) — bridge, gantry and jib cranes to ASME B30.2 and BS 7121
• Forklifts and MEWPs — counterbalance, reach and telehandler forklifts, and mobile elevated work platforms
• Lifting accessories — wire rope slings, chain slings, synthetic slings, shackles, hooks and rigging hardware to ASME B30.9 and LEEA standards

What the inspection covers

• Review of the equipment history file, previous certificates and any repair or modification records
• Structural examination of the boom, jib, mast, chassis and load-bearing welds
• Hook examination for throat opening, wear, distortion and cracking — throat opening beyond 15% of nominal is a discard criterion under most standards
• Wire rope assessment against the discard criteria of ISO 4309, covering broken wires, corrosion, deformation and diameter reduction
• Sheaves, drums, brakes, clutches and reeving
• Hydraulic and pneumatic systems for condition and leakage
• Function testing of limit switches, anti-two-block devices, load moment indicators and overload protection
• Controls, emergency stops, warning devices and operator position
• Verification that the safe working load is legibly and correctly marked

Load testing

Proof load testing is carried out on new installations, after major repair or modification, after relocation of fixed cranes, and at the intervals the applicable standard requires. The test load is applied at the percentage above safe working load stated in the standard — typically 110% for static proof load under ASME B30 — using calibrated test weights or water bag systems with dynamometer or load cell measurement. Deflection is measured and structural condition is examined after the test.

Supporting non-destructive testing

Structural and load-bearing components are examined by NDT where the standard or equipment condition requires it: magnetic particle inspection of hooks, pins and welded connections, dye penetrant on non-ferrous components, ultrasonic thickness measurement where corrosion is suspected, and visual weld inspection throughout. NDT is performed by qualified technicians as part of the same attendance.

Standards applied

• ASME B30 series — B30.2 overhead and gantry, B30.3 tower, B30.5 mobile, B30.9 slings, B30.26 rigging hardware
• BS 7121 — safe use of cranes
• ISO 9927 — crane inspections
• ISO 4309 — wire rope discard criteria
• EN 13000 — mobile cranes
• API 2C — offshore pedestal cranes
• LEEA codes of practice for lifting accessories
• LOLER thorough examination requirements where applicable

Inspection intervals

Lifting appliances are generally examined at twelve-month intervals; equipment used to lift persons and loose lifting accessories at six months. Offshore, harsh or high-duty-cycle environments shorten these intervals. Interval is set by the governing authority and the equipment type. ITMAD can hold your lifting equipment register and notify you ahead of each due date so certificates do not lapse mid-project.

What you receive

• An inspection certificate in the format required by the governing authority
• A report identifying the equipment by serial number, capacity and location
• Findings recorded component by component, with photographic evidence of defects
• Defects classified by severity, distinguishing what stops the equipment from what must be monitored
• Load test results with applied load, deflection and post-test condition
• Colour-coded inspection tagging on site
• Your lifting equipment register updated, where we hold it