Contributing to the Crane Safety seminar this year, Andrew outlines the challenges of lifting projects taking place in the offshore industry.

Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement and experience with regards to Crane Safety

Andrew Garvie (AG): In my current role as Equipment Integrity Technical Authority I’m directly involved in the development and approval of the maintenance strategies of the offshore cranes that we operate, so as to ensure they are maintained in a safe and reliable condition. I’m also involved in approving any maintenance deferrals, as well as being involved in assessing any defects on the cranes that are identified through maintenance and inspections and determining if the crane is still in a safe condition to remain in service.

What are the main challenges facing the industry at the moment?

AG: In the North Sea offshore industry one of the main challenges is the ageing fleet of cranes on the fixed assets, especially and many of the installations are being extended beyond their intended field life. This creates challenges in terms of mechanical reliability, fabric maintenance / structural impairments, and obsolescence of spare parts.

What are your top tips when tackling a new lifting challenge?

AG: I would always recommend speaking with an expert form the hand-on side of the lifting operation to gain their feedback and insight when planning complex lifting projects.

What are your top tips for everyday lifts?

AG: When we do something routinely, this can often be when complacency starts to set in. Therefore, everyday lifts should still always be given the same level of detail, when assessing that lift and safety risk prior to carrying out the operation, then any other lifting operation.

What developments in the crane industry either technology or techniques, are you most interested in for the future and why?

AG: The developments in condition monitoring from a maintenance perspective is very interesting. How the condition of various components can be assessed while they are in operation, without the need for intrusive inspections would allow maintenance strategies to move to a more predictive approach, rather than the traditional preventative maintenance approach that is still extensively used within our sector of the industry. The challenge will be the amount of data to be analysed and establishing the relationship between what is measured and the components actual condition.

Why is it important for engineers to join this year’s Crane Safety seminar?

AG: It’s always worthwhile sharing experiences and knowledge with other lifting experts from a range of different industries. There will always be developments or other approaches, especially from different sectors of the industry, that we can learn from.

Crane Safety 2022 will take place on 13 September in London

Join us at the Institution's London Headquarters in September to address the key challenges involved carrying out with safe crane operations. Presentations will cover recent lifting projects across a wide variety of projects and industries, together with technical insights and industry best practice to reduce the risk of incidents, maintain compliance with standards and make the most of new and novel technologies: full details and registration at www.imeche.org/cranesafety.

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