Identification, maintenance and certification of loose lifting gear

Q:-Comment in detail w.r.t ships lifting appliances on:

1. Identification, maintenance and certification of loose lifting gear

ANSWER :-

Identification, maintenance and certification of loose lifting gear Identification :-

1. Loose gear is any item which attaches the load to the appliance or an    interchangeable item in the load path, not permanently attached to the lifting appliance or which are not an integral part of the lifting appliance. Loose gear may also be known as lifting gear or lifting accessories.
2. Loose gear items include: hooks, blocks, chains, shackles, swivels, rings, links, slings, grab buckets, spreaders, lifting beams and lifting frames.
3. Every lifting equipment and its component parts shall be identified with a visible   marking including the safe working load (SWL).
4. Every item of the loose gear should be legibly and durably marked with a  alphanumeric identification mark to relate it to record of test examination and where appropriate to indicate the quality of steel from which it is made.
5. Where prominent it should be incised, stamped or outline- welded.
6. Where practicable,the SWL should be marked on the equipment prominently. However where this is not possible (i.e., a small lifting gear), a coding system can be used to provide the user with the required information. Examples of such systems       include colour coding or attaching some form of label.
7. Where a number of lifting accessories are assembled to form a single lifting equipment which is not dismantled after use, the assembly should be marked to indicate its safety characteristics to users.
8. Where there are other characteristics which may cause a lifting accessory to become unsuitable for use in a particular application, this information should be marked or otherwise made available to the user.

Certification :-

1. Article 25(2) of the Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979 (No. 152), requires that “a register of the lifting appliances and items of loose gear shall be kept in a form prescribed by the competent authority.
2. Every item of loose gear shall, before being taken into use for the first time be tested, thoroughly examined and certified by a competent person in accordance with the   required regulations.
3. Upon satisfactory completion of the procedures indicated, the competent person shall complete and issue the Register of Lifting Appliances and attach the appropriate  Certificates. An entry shall be made in Part I of the Register.

• The certification form to be used in conjunction with this Register (Form No. 1) is Form No. 3 – Certificate of test and thorough examination of loose gear. It contains the  Identity of national authority or competent organization, Name of Ship, Certificate No., Port of Registry, Name of Owner, Distinguishing number or mark, Description of loose gear, Number Tested, Date of test, Test loaded (tonnes), Safe working load (SWL) (tonnes), Name and address of makers or suppliers, Name and address of the firm of competent person and instructions.

Maintenance of loose gears :-

1. Inspection of hooks and other load-lifting attachments, safety catches and swivels for damage, free movement or wear, and checks to ensure that hook shank threads and  securing nuts do not show signs of excessive wear or corrosion.

2. Inspections of blocks should check that:

• — sheaves are not cracked at the rim, and no part of the rim is missing;
•  — grooves are not excessively worn;
• — sheaves turn freely and smoothly;
• — head-fitting swivels are securely fastened and free from visible defects;
• — shanks are not distorted, turn freely by hand and are not slack in their holes.

3. Regular visual inspections of every item of loose gear shall be carried out by a responsible person before use. A record of these regular inspections is to be entered in Part II of the Register of appliances and loose gears, but entries need only be made when the inspection has indicated a defect in the item.

4. Every item of loose gear shall be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least once in every 12 months. The particulars of these thorough examinations shall be entered in Part I of the Register.

5. Retesting and thorough examination of every item of a loose gear is to be carried out after every substantial alteration or renewal or after repair of any stress bearing part. It should be entered in part I of the register.

6. No new item of loose gear shall be manufactured of wrought iron. Heat treatment of any existing wrought iron components should be carried out to the satisfaction of the  competent person. No heat treatment should be applied to any item of loose gear unless the treatment is in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction; to the satisfaction of the competent person. Any heat treatment and the associated examination are to be recorded by the competent person in Part I of the Register.

7. Hammer tests may be carried out to investigate extent of corrosion, non-destructive examination to investigate any cracking, where necessary dismantling of moving or concealed parts to investigate wear and tear, where necessary.

8. Loose gear should be stored in area where they will not be subjected to mechanical damage, corrosive action, moisture, extreme temperatures etc.
9. Shock loading should be avoided. Loose gear should never be kept under prolonged tensions. Threads of eye-bolts and shackles to be maintained in good condition to  ensure proper tightening.