Shifting needs for US seismic vessel
A US survey vessel needed to meet lifting operation regulations for UK waters but, as the vessel maintenance manager admitted, they needed help with not just adhering to the rules, but even knowing what they were.
Erich Willenberg, Fairfieldnodal’s vessel maintenance supervisor said: “Working in the UK we are required to adhere to Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations – LOLER. But, being a US company we had no idea what these regulations were or how to adhere to them.”
To help, MMS Ship Repair recommended that Survitec handle all the lifting gear and load testing requirements.
So, UK based Survitec Group played a key role in both the refurbishment of the Fairfield New Venture, owned by the seismic data specialist Fairfieldnodal, and made sure that it was fully compliant with LOLER standards.
Carried out on behalf of MMS Ship Repair in Hull’s Alexander Dock while the vessel underwent a major survey, refit and upgrade, the lifting gear check meant working to tight deadlines alongside multiple contractors.
It included inspection of all of the vessel’s lifting points and replacing and retesting of new components as well as destruction testing on five paravane chains. New trolleys, connectors, shackles, loose lifting gear, deck crane and rescue boat davit wires were also needed, and supplied as part of the refit. The project team, comprising crew members, MMS and Survitec employees, worked very closely to get everything completed on time. In the end Survitec engineers delivered this intensive programme of inspection and load testing in just three months.
Mr Willenberg added he was also impressed by Survitec’s record keeping, as literally hundreds of pad eyes, slings, cranes, davits and so on had to be documented and certificated. “It was very important to us to maintain a load test and certification book on board. Survitec’s ability to provide us with timely certification was paramount in getting the ship out of dry dock and back to sea.”
