ISSUE 7 // JANUARY 2024 BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION CRANES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS, FACILITATING THE EFFICIENT LOADING AND UNLOADING OF CARGO, AND SUPPORTING VARIOUS MARITIME ACTIVITIES. CRANE INCIDENTS They are essential for lifting heavy loads, and their inspection, maintenance, and certification are crucial for ensuring the safety of personnel and the protection of valuable cargo. OUR PARTNER FOR THIS ISSUE MTD provides a comprehensive consultancy and investigation service to a wide range of marine industry sectors. MTD Consultants specialise in oil, gas and chemicals, dry bulk cargo, minerals and ores, grains and foodstuffs, packaged goods, fire and explosion, pollution, material and structural failures, losses and misappropriation, and all investigations are conducted to forensic standards. MTD also advise on loss prevention and risk management, and conduct focused problem-solving research and condition assessments. MTD Consultants are supported by extensive laboratory testing facilities and experienced technicians, who help in analysing and diagnosing the root cause of accidents, incidents, losses and structural failures. MTD Consultants are experienced in providing evidence in court and at arbitrations both in the UK and overseas. The Minton, Treharne & Davies Group INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE EVERY CRANE ON BOARD A SHIP SHOULD HAVE A MANUAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER THAT PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO OPERATE THE CRANES AND GUIDANCE ON INSPECTIONS. The manual should also be used to create a planned maintenance regime that includes the manufacturer’s recommendations. This planned maintenance regime should be incorporated into the ship’s Safety Management System procedures. All required maintenance, inspections, and testing of each crane should be carried out at appropriate intervals. These intervals may be determined by factors such as: Discharge of abrasive cargo (additional greasing of unsealed bearings may be required) Crane running hours, or regular time intervals, such as monthly checks. Recognise the significance of conducting maintenance based on running hours, as it proves invaluable in predicting potential failures by comparing actual usage with the expected lifespan of specific components. As a result, take preventive measures promptly to avoid downtime and mitigate the risks of failures. Wire rope lubrication is essential and serves two purposes: internal and external lubrication, as well as corrosion protection. It is crucial to avoid using grease for this purpose. Wire strands experience movement against each other when the wire is tensioned or passes over sheaves. Therefore, using wire rope lubricant ensures penetration into the core of the wire, whereas grease tends to sit on the surface, potentially getting washed off or contaminated with cargo dust, leading to the formation of a thick layer on the wire’s surface. It’s important to note that during a visual inspection of wire ropes, only the visible parts of the outer wires can be assessed. These outer wires constitute around 40% of the total cross-section of the wire rope, and even then, only about half of their length is visible. Consequently, a visual inspection can only cover approximately 20% of the wire rope. Unfortunately, it is common for the visible 20% to appear undamaged, while hidden wire breaks may be present in the remaining unseen portion of the rope. Wire ropes with internal wire breaks and no external signs of damage pose a high lev