Requirements for prudent material handling when using offshore cranes

06 February 2009

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has noted a negative trend in the industry's work to achieve safe lifting operations. The PSA has sent identical letters to the industry players emphasising some of the requirements for prudent material handling when using offshore cranes and other lifting appliances, so as to avoid blind zones.

Requirements for prudent material handling when using offshore cranes

Through its audits on fixed and mobile facilities, as well as in connection with processing Acknowledgements of Compliance (AoCs) and following up incidents, the PSA has seen that the industry does not place sufficient emphasis on designing the facilities so as to avoid blind zones in connection with lifting operations using offshore cranes and other lifting appliances.

This represents a negative development in the work to achieve safe lifting operations.

By means of this letter, the PSA wants to draw the attention of owners of mobile and fixed facilities to this problem so as to facilitate prudent material handling when using offshore cranes and other lifting appliances.

Material handling using offshore cranes and other lifting appliances should be organised such that blind lifts do not occur. This means that the companies must handle the problem in a systematic manner.
Results and conclusions from thorough material handling analyses must be applied when designing facilities and in the practical organisation of storage and lifting areas.

The operators of offshore cranes or other lifting appliances should have free visibility to the load in every working/crane position, so that no areas where routine lifts are planned will have blind zones.

The PSA has noted that compliance with the regulations has not been satisfactory, neither for newly built facilities nor in connection with modification of existing facilities; and is of the opinion that the industry has sufficient experience and competence to organise material handling such that blind lifts are avoided.
By addressing the negative development described in relation to material handling and blind zone problems, the industry can reduce the risk associated with crane and lifting operations.