TT Club calls for regular inspection of quay cranes

WORLDWIDE operators of quay cranes are being urged to pay greater attention to structural surveying, in an effort to potentially save lives and prevent financial loss.

The call from global transport and logistics insurer the TT Club follows analysis of port and terminal incidents that reveal a "disturbing number of major structural failures in port equipment in recent years."

It said in a statement: "Not only can this type of equipment failure be very costly in terms of repairs and operational downtime but can result in serious accidents and injuries."

Laurence Jones, TT Club's Global Risk Assessment director, said it is essential for operators of ports and cargo handling facilities to establish a regular sequence of maintenance and thorough examination of all lifting appliances utilised.

"Provisions for such examinations are specified in ILO Convention 152 and its accompanying Code of Practice, and represent the international standard for the port industry. The purpose of a thorough examination is to make sure a crane can continue working safely and effectively, and a crucial element of this with regards to a quay crane is the safety of its structure," Mr Jones said.

The Club recommends that independent examinations are always performed when procuring any type of crane. The ILO Convention requires that before being brought into commission for the first time, lifting appliances are tested and a thorough examination be carried out.

It also recommends that appropriate mechanical and electrical inspections are conducted during installation and commissioning to check for quality and conformance to standards and specification "beyond the ILO Convention requirement."

Once commissioned, a crane should also be examined regularly during its operational life, "regardless of how good its manufacture," it said.

Damage resulting from relatively minor impacts, regular heavy-lifts close or equal to the safe working load limits, intensive use or general wear and tear can affect the integrity of the crane's structure, it warns.

"Often such operational issues can occur without anybody being aware, so regular examinations need to be conducted. Any known incident should clearly result in a check on the structural integrity of the crane at that time. This advice applies equally to fixed and mobile cranes of any type," the TT Club said.
(Source:www.schednet.com)