New MCA approved lifeboat release hooks
The Cosalt SH50 hook being fitted to a lifeboat.
Cosalt Offshore, a provider of lifting, tooling and marine services to the oil and gas industry, has signed an exclusive agreement with Vanguard to supply lifeboat release hooks complying with the latest statutory requirements.
The Cosalt SH50 on/off load lifeboat release hook system satisfies the latest IMO/MSC 1327 guidelines on Fall Preventer Devices (FPD’s) and has been approved by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and by the American Bureau of Shipping.
As well as being available for new lifeboats, the Cosalt SH50 hook can be retrofitted to existing lifeboats, enabling operators to comply with the current guidelines.
The SH50 hook is intended for conventional lifeboats using a twin hook davit system and comprises a lifeboat on-load/off-load release system, including two hook assemblies, a connecting cable, hydrostatic unit and release handle assembly. There are a range of hook systems with a variety of Safe Working Loads.
Winston Phillips, managing director of Cosalt Offshore said, ‘Reports on accidents involving lifeboats in use by the oil & gas and the shipping industry in the past have raised issues with malfunctioning hook release systems and poor design and maintenance. Many of the hooks in present use offshore in the North Sea do not comply with the latest guidelines. The Cosalt SH50 hook meets the latest guidelines on Fall Preventer Devices (FPD’s) and includes a green safety pin which, when fitted, removes the possibility of accidental release. As well as being able to offer the SH50 hooks fitted as standard on new lifeboats, we can replace the existing hooks on older lifeboats and have already secured our first contract for this with potential for a large volume of work to follow in future.
‘We have carried out a comprehensive audit of the manufacturing processes and all the hooks are operationally tested, as per ABS requirements, under a load of 1.1 times the weight of the lifeboat when fully loaded.’
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