Problems with cranes and lifting equipment cause more downtime to marine contractors than any other single cause, according to the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).
IMCA president Tony Read has launched an information gathering programme in a bid to help combat lifting problems. ‘We are launching a database of lifting incidents to enable members to learn from each others’ experiences,’ he said. ‘We have asked members to look back over the past two years and let us have details of all lifting incidents in that time span. Naturally, it is something of a chicken and egg situation – the database will only be as good as the information provided, so we are urging members to take part in this pilot exercise in order to populate the database. Then we can grow it with incidents as they occur.’
At IMCA’s annual marine and diving seminar in September, members heard from Ton Rolink of crane manufacturer Huisman-Itrec that downtime was often caused by inadequate specification of equipment when purchasing. He identified the need for greater care in the specification and purchase of cranes, thorough testing and attention to spare parts requirements, and better training for operators and maintenance staff.
Read said that the database would provide a greater understanding among IMCA members about lifting and cranes, ‘and members will then be better able to meet Ron Rolink’s requirement for accurate specification when purchasing cranes’.
