“Lifting equipment” means any mobile or stationary equipment which is used anywhere onboard ship for the purpose of suspending, raising or lowering loads or moving them from one position to another whilst suspended. Lifting equipment includes, but is not limited to, cargo cranes, stores cranes, engine room cranes, chain blocks, forklift and container handling vehicles.
No one is allowed to operate lifting equipment without adequate training and familiarisation with the operating instructions. No lifting appliance is to be operated in a manner other than that described in the operating instructions. Persons who are permitted to operate equipment or assist in the operation of lifting equipment are to be fully conversant with the appropriate sections of the UK Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers.
All lifting appliances are subject to load testing every 5 years with annual examinations. A register of lifting appliances and items of loose gear is to be maintained up to date and ready for inspection by any authority. A record of all ropes and wires must be maintained along with certificates for the same and it is essential that this record is updated whenever a new rope or wire is brought into service.
Lifting appliances must not be operated outside their design limits regarding safe working load, wire speed, list, trim or dynamic movement of the vessel. All these limitations are to be clearly marked on the appliance.
The SWL of any lifting appliance should be stencilled onto the equipment or immediate structure.
Controls are to be permanently and clearly marked with their function with operating directions and instructions. Where special instructions are applicable to securing and unsecuring of the equipment these shall be detailed clearly. Controls must not be modified in any way from their original specification. Any locking devices fitted to controls must be kept in good condition.
All fitted safety devices limit switches, cut-offs or pawls are to be kept in good working order and tested regularly. Safety devices must never be isolated or overridden. Should a safety device be found to have been overridden or isolated, this is to be reported as an appropriate incident (either a near-miss or an incident).
Lifting appliances must always be attended when they are ‘on’, i.e. when there is power to them. When work is completed the appliance is to be secured as applicable and the power turned off.
Personnel operating lifting equipment shall have no other duties at the time of operation and must have a clear view of the operation. Where this is not possible a trained signaller is to be used to give directional instructions to the operator. The signals used are to comply with those found in the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers.
No one should allow a load to pass over their head!
Lifting appliances must never be used to drag heavy loads, or to pull loads from underdeck where the fall wire has to pass round edges. Wire ropes must be regularly inspected for damage and kept properly lubricated. Care must be taken to ensure that effective internal lubrication is applied so that the rope is not allowed to dry out.
In the case of crane wires, the safe handling of loads by a correctly operated crane depends upon regular maintenance and examination of the wire rope, with removal of the wire rope from service before problems arise.