The club’s inspection programme recently highlighted a number of negative findings regarding the ship’s lifting equipment register. The inspection and testing of onboard lifting equipment should be recorded in accordance with statutory requirements, warns the club in the latest edition of its StopLoss Bulletin.
It points out that: “If the equipment is not properly inspected and tested at regular intervals, there is a risk that it may present a hazard to the safety of the crew, and a lack of records could deprive owners of valuable evidence when dealing with claims.”
Ian Bar, director of the London P&I Club, told Port Strategy: “In the last six months our ship inspectors have picked up several examples of ships where the Lifting Equipment Register has not been properly maintained. That is not a common finding but it has been repeated several times recently.”
“It is possible to have properly maintained equipment but inadequately maintained records of that maintenance so it is good practice to make sure that both gear and records are maintained. The most common incident that we face is the failure of the lifting wire on a crane while under load,” he added.
In light of recent cut maintenance budgets, the club also advises that when buying lifting equipment, owners should ensure it is genuine and certified, to avoid counterfeit products.
