Crane logbook

The logbook is the life record of a crane. It proves that inspections took place, and it shows the next inspector what the previous one found. In Germany, DGUV Regulation 52 requires the results of crane inspections to be entered in an inspection logbook.

Its value lies in the sequence of entries. A single finding says how the equipment stands today. Five findings in a row show how quickly the chain elongates, whether a defect recurs and whether the chosen inspection interval still fits.

A complete logbook starts with the equipment itself and then continues with every inspection.

Independently of the logbook, section 14 of the German Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV) requires a record of every inspection. It must state at least the type of inspection, its scope, the result and the name and signature of the competent person, and it must be kept at least until the next inspection. Electronic records are permitted.

This also applies to chain hoists, balancers and manipulators, for which no logbook in the sense of the crane regulation is required. The record is mandatory; only its form is freer.

The sticker on the equipment tells the operator when the next inspection is due. It is not a record: it states neither scope nor finding. The inspection report documents a single inspection; the logbook collects the reports over the service life.

If the logbook is lost, the equipment remains usable as long as the last inspection can be proven. If it cannot, the equipment is inspected, the master data are taken from the rating plate and the operating manual, and a new logbook is started.