IMCA Newsroom

Press Release 10/08

EXPERIENCES GAINED LEAD TO PUBLICATION OF NEW CHAIN LEVER HOISTS GUIDANCE BY IMCA

Experience gained by the offshore subsea industry over the past five years, has led to the publication by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) of a revised version of "The Use of Chain Lever Hoists in the Offshore Subsea Environment".

Chain lever hoists are used extensively in underwater construction activities. Their design characteristics allow for ease of transportation to site and require minimum set-up. Unlike the chain hoist, which can only be used upright and vertical, the chain lever hoist can be used in almost any orientation. This makes it potentially a very useful tool for diver use during subsea construction activities.

However, there has been a history of failures in the use of this equipment, both underwater and topside.

"The changes in this version reflect the experience gained by the industry using the original guidance; and it incorporates lessons learnt during investigations into lever hoist incidents over the last five years," explains IMCA's technical director, Jane Bugler. "The offshore environment can be particularly harsh, with its combination of temperature extremes, wind-blown dust or grit, atmosphere, silt, washing out of lubricants and general corrosion from seawater. This has prompted critical examination into the cause of these failures, with a view to establishing industry guidance on the safe application for use of chain lever hoists.

"The revised guidance features a new section on the use of chain lever hoists underwater. This includes an analysis of some of the latest incidents and then goes on to give guidance aimed at preventing, as far as possible, the types of failure that has been experienced in recent years, and goes on to provide guidance on lift planning; the use of static rigging or multiple rigging points to avoid single point failure; practical considerations during subsea lifting operations; and immersion policy," she adds.

A number of existing standards and specifications for chain lever hoists exist and each country will have its own legislation regarding the conducting of lifting operations. The intention of the revised guidance is not to replace any existing standards or legislation, but to supplement them by providing IMCA members with specific guidance for the safe use of chain lever hoists in the offshore subsea environment.

The guidance (IMCA D 028 Rev. 1) is available for downloading from the members-only website, with additional printed copies available at £2.50 for members; or £5 for non-members from IMCA.

Notes to Editors (common)

• IMCA is an international association with over 450 members in more than 50 countries, representing offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies. IMCA has four technical divisions, covering marine/specialist vessel operations, offshore diving, hydrographic survey and remote systems and ROVs, plus geographic sections for the Americas Deepwater, Asia-Pacific, Europe & Africa and Middle East & India regions, as well as a core focus on safety, the environment, competence and training. IMCA seeks to promote its members' common interests, to resolve industry-wide issues and to provide an authoritative voice for its members.
• IMCA publishes some 200 guidance notes and technical reports. These have been developed over the years and are widely distributed. They are a definition of what IMCA stands for, including widely recognised diving and ROV codes of practice, DP documentation, marine good practice guidance, the Common Marine Inspection Document, safety recommendation, outline training syllabi and the IMCA competence scheme guidance. In addition to the range of printed guidance documents, IMCA also produces safety promotional materials, circulates information notes and safety flashes.
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