Crane Technician

The Overhead Crane Technician is responsible for the inspection, preventative maintenance, fault finding, repair and safe operation support of overhead cranes, hoists and associated lifting equipment used throughout the manufacturing facility.

The position is responsible for maintaining crane equipment in a safe, reliable and serviceable condition, minimizing production downtime and ensuring maintenance activities comply with company standards, manufacturer specifications and applicable South African occupational health and safety requirements.

The technician must ensure that defects affecting the safe operation of lifting equipment are immediately identified, reported and appropriately isolated until repaired and declared safe for use.

The Overhead Crane Technician will:

• Perform scheduled preventative maintenance on overhead travelling cranes, gantry cranes, jib cranes, electric chain hoists, wire-rope hoists and related lifting equipment.
• Conduct mechanical and electrical fault finding on crane systems.
• Diagnose breakdowns and restore equipment to safe operational condition as quickly as reasonably possible.

Inspect and maintain crane components including:

• hoist motors, gearboxes, brakes and brake assemblies, wire ropes and rope drums, chains and chain mechanisms, hooks and hook blocks, sheaves and pulleys couplings and shafts.
• bearings and wheels, end carriages, crane rails and travel mechanisms, limit switches, overload protection systems, electrical panels and contactors, festoon systems, pendant controls, radio remote-control systems, variable-speed drives, electrical cabling, emergency-stop systems, and other safety devices.
• Conduct routine visual and functional inspections in accordance with the maintenance programme.
• Identify abnormal wear, cracks, deformation, corrosion, loose components and other defects that may affect crane safety.
• Replace defective or worn components in accordance with OEM specifications and approved maintenance procedures.
• Perform adjustments to brakes, limit switches, travel systems and other crane components.
• Assist with crane installations, modifications, commissioning and major repairs where required.
• Assist registered Lifting Machinery Inspectors/Lifting Machinery Entities with statutory examinations and load/performance testing where required.
• Attend to crane breakdowns and production-related call-outs.
• Perform planned shutdown maintenance.
• Maintain appropriate spare parts and advise management of critical crane spares requirements.
• Ensure all tools and test equipment are maintained in serviceable condition.

Statutory Inspection and Compliance Responsibilities

The technician must work within the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015, particularly Regulation 18 dealing with lifting machinery. The technician will:

• Assist the employer in maintaining lifting machinery in a safe and serviceable condition.
• Conduct inspections for which the technician has been properly trained, appointed and deemed competent.
• Ensure identified safety-critical defects are reported immediately.
• Recommend that defective lifting machinery be removed from service where continued operation could create a safety risk.
• Maintain accurate maintenance and inspection records.
• Ensure repairs and modifications are properly documented.
• Ensure safety devices are not bypassed, overridden or rendered ineffective.
• Verify that repaired equipment is functionally tested before being returned to normal service.
• Cooperate with appointed competent persons, LMIs, safety personnel and engineering management during inspections and audits.

Breakdown and Fault-Finding Responsibilities

The technician must be capable of independently identifying faults involving:

• Electrical systems: Motors, control circuits, contactors, relays, limit switches, overload devices, VSDs, pendant controls, radio controls, emergency stops, isolators, cables and power-supply systems.
• Mechanical systems: Gearboxes, brakes, shafts, bearings, couplings, wheels, drums, ropes, hooks, sheaves, chains, structural connections and travel mechanisms.
• The technician must determine the root cause of recurring failures rather than merely replacing failed components.

Safety Responsibilities

• Comply with all company SHE policies and procedures.
• Conduct appropriate risk assessments before commencing work.
• Apply lock-out/tag-out/isolation procedures before working on crane equipment.
• Verify electrical and mechanical isolation before commencing maintenance.
• Use appropriate PPE and fall-protection equipment.
• Comply with working-at-height requirements.
• Barricade or control the work area where overhead maintenance creates a risk to employees below.
• Never work beneath suspended loads.
• Never bypass crane safety systems without authorised controlled procedures.
• Immediately report unsafe equipment or conditions.
• Stop work where an immediate danger to employees or equipment exists.
• Participate in toolbox talks, safety meetings and incident investigations.
• Maintain good housekeeping around maintenance activities.

Maintenance Records

The technician is responsible for completing accurate records including:

• preventative maintenance checklists;
• breakdown/job cards;
• inspection sheets;
• defect reports;
• component replacement records;
• repair records;
• crane service history;
• safety-device testing records;
• maintenance schedules; and
• statutory inspection documentation where applicable

Qualifications:

• Grade 12 / N3 or equivalent technical qualification.
• Millwright trade qualification or Electrical trade qualification.
• N4–N6 Electrical or Mechanical Engineering
• Proven practical experience maintaining industrial overhead cranes and hoists.
• Knowledge of electrical and mechanical crane systems.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and technical drawings.
• Knowledge of occupational health and safety requirements applicable to lifting machinery.

Experience:

• 3–5 years' practical experience in the maintenance, repair and fault finding of overhead cranes, electric hoists or similar industrial lifting machinery, preferably within a steel, engineering, fabrication or heavy manufacturing environment.
• The candidate should have demonstrable experience in both electrical and mechanical fault finding.

Pay: From R0,10 per month

Work Location: In person