Requirements for Use and Procedure for Survey and Testing of Lifting Equipment of Ships

(1) This Regulation provides for the requirements for use and the procedure for the survey and testing of the lifting equipment of ships flying the national flag of Estonia.

(2) The requirements of this Regulation shall apply to the following equipment

1) fixed and mobile lifting equipment for lifting and setting down cargo or other loads;

2) passenger lifts and escalators;

3) goods lifts and lifting platforms.

(3) . The requirements of this Regulation shall not apply to anchor, towing and berthing equipment or to fishing and life-saving appliances.

Records of lifting equipment, their ropes and chains and interchangeable components (blocks, shackles, swivels, hooks, etc.) and their testing and surveys shall be kept on all ships.

(1) All lifting equipment of a ship shall be tested

1) before the ship is put into service;

2) before any new lifting equipment installed on the ship is put into service;

3) before any lifting equipment is put into service after any of its essential components (mast, boom, foundation, etc) is repaired or replaced;

4) every five years.

(2) Testing of lifting equipment shall be carried out by undertakings that have obtained respective approval from the Maritime Administration or a recognised organisation. Tests shall be carried out in the presence of a supervisory official of the Maritime Administration or inspector of a recognised organisation, except in the cases specified in subsection (3).

(3) Tests of equipment with the lifting capacity of less than one ton, except passenger lifts and escalators, may be carried out by a committee formed by the master of the ship in accordance with the requirements set out in this section.

(4) Tests shall be carried out in accordance with the test programme of the manufacturer of the lifting equipment, or in the absence thereof pursuant to § 4.

(1) Before the testing starts, the engine of the lifting equipment and the ropes and components and assemblies of its mechanisms are inspected externally and the following shall be checked

1) existence of the documentation of the lifting equipment;

2) certificates of interchangeable components and ropes;

3) existence of the user manual of the lifting equipment;

4) previous observations on the use and repairs of the lifting equipment;

5) good working order of the brake system;

6) good working order of the limit switches of the boom or crane arrow.

(2) The test weight upon testing of lifting equipment shall be

1) if the working load limit is up to 20 tons – 25% above the working load limit;

2) if the working load limit is 20–50 tons – 5 tons above the working load limit;

3) if the working load limit is over 50 tons – 10% above the working load limit.

(3) Upon testing, the inclination angle of the boom and crane arrow to the horizontal plane shall be

1) if the lifting capacity limit is up to 20 tons – 15°;

2) if the lifting capacity limit is 20 and above –25°.

(4) The functioning of brakes shall be checked in the course of testing. The functioning of brakes shall be checked by quickly lowering the test weight by 3 metres and abruptly applying the brakes.

(5) After carrying out tests with the testing load, tests shall be carried out with the maximum lifting capacity limit. During the test, the inclination angle of the boom or crane arrow to the horizontal plane shall be changed, they shall be rotated to both sides of the ship by the maximum of the permitted angle, the load shall be lifted with the maximum possible speed and the functioning of the limit switches shall be checked.

(6) The testing of the passenger lift and escalator and of the goods lift and lifting platform shall be carried out in accordance with the manual which has been approved by the Maritime Administration or a recognised organisation. The testing shall consist of static and dynamic tests. In case of static testing, the test weight shall be 1.5 times of the maximum working load limit for goods lifts and lifting platforms, and double maximum working load limit for passenger lifts and escalators. In case of dynamic testing, the test weight shall be 1.1 times of the maximum working load limit.

(7) After the completion of testing, the components of the lifting equipment shall be inspected externally.

(8) The testing of lifting equipment shall be recorded in a report which shall include all the data and survey procedures related to testing. A certificate specifying the maximum working load shall be issued for all lifting equipment.

(9) The maximum working load limit and the next testing date shall be marked on the lifting equipment.

(1) The survey of the lifting equipment of ships shall be organised on the due dates for the survey of ships provided for in § 13 of the Maritime Safety Act. The survey shall be carried out by the Maritime Administration or a recognised organisation.

(2) The survey of the lifting equipment of ships is classified as follows

1) initial survey;

2) complete survey;

3) annual survey.

(3) The initial survey of the lifting equipment of ships shall include

1) inspection of all lifting equipment, including engines and assemblies of mechanisms belonging to lifts and escalators, external inspection of the fastening of engines and mechanisms to the foundation, as well as external inspection of masts, booms, ropes and components and verification of the compliance of the equipment with the design documentation;

2) conduct of tests in compliance with the test programme set out in the design documentation or, in the absence thereof with the requirements specified in § 3 and § 4 of this Regulation.

(4) The complete survey of the lifting equipment of ships shall include inspection of all lifting equipment, including engines and assemblies of mechanisms belonging to lifts and escalators, external inspection of the fastening of engines and mechanisms to the foundation, as well as external inspection of masts, booms, ropes and components and, as appropriate, measuring of the ice thickness of metal structures, as well as verification of whether the tests have been carried out.

(5) The annual survey of the lifting equipment of ships, including lifts and escalators, shall include inspection of engines and assemblies of mechanisms and external inspection of ropes and components, as well as verification of whether the tests have been carried out.

(6) Each time before the use of lifting equipment, it must be checked, including external inspection, inspection of its control and brakes.

(7) After a breakdown of lifting equipment in the course of its operation, an extraordinary survey shall be carried out to find out the technical reasons for the breakdown. In such case a supervisory official of the Maritime Administration or inspector of a recognised organisation shall determine the extent of the required survey. The survey shall be carried out irrespective of the term of validity of the documents of the lifting equipment.

Regulation No. 78 of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications of 27 December 2002, Requirements for Use and Procedure for Survey and Testing of Lifting Equipment of Ships (RTL 2003, 4, 43) is repealed.

(1) The technical condition of the lifting equipment of ships shall ensure safe and smooth performance of loading and unloading work as well as safety of people in the lift and escalator. The use of lifting equipment shall take place in accordance with the manufacturer’s manual.

(2) Only the lifting equipment, including lifts and escalators which have been recognised as serviceable in the course of the tests and surveys specified in § 3–5 of this Regulation can be used.

(3) It is prohibited to use the lifting equipment of a ship, including a lift and escalator

1) upon the lapse of the term of a survey or test;

2) if the lifting equipment does not have a certificate and marking regarding the lifting capacity limit;

3) if the interchangeable components of the lifting equipment do not have a certificate or if the technical data on the interchangeable components do not correspond to the lifting equipment;

4) if the ropes or chains of the lifting equipment do not have a certificate, or if the technical data on the rope of chain do not correspond to the lifting equipment, including a lift or escalator;

5) any hooks, blocks, shackles, swivels, links in a chain or other components are deformed or have cracks in them;

6) if the diameter of shackles, swivels, swivel pins and bolts decreases by 10% or more, and if 10% or more of the total number wires of ropes on the length of the rope, equal to 8 diameters of the rope, are broken, or if 5% or more wires of the total number of wires on the length of each twist on a rope are broken in case of passenger lifts and escalators;

7) if deformation or cracks exist in steel masts, cargo booms, components of cranes, lifts and escalators or in case cracks or decayed parts exist in wooden masts or cargo booms;

8) if the ice thickness of masts, booms, haulers, foundations and other metal structures is less than 80% of their original ice thickness;

9) in case of a gap or disconnection in the standing rigging of a mast;

10) before carrying out tests if an essential component of the lifting equipment (mast, boom, foundation, etc) has been repaired or replaced.

(4) Only a person who has undergone respective training may operate the lifting equipment of a ship; it is prohibited for persons under 18 years of age to operate the lifting equipment of a ship.

(5) Stevedoring with the lifting equipment of a ship must take place under the control of a responsible person appointed by the master.

(6) A person operating the lifting equipment of a ship upon stevedoring is prohibited to

1) lift any load the mass whereof exceeds the lifting capacity limit;

2) to use the lifting equipment for pulling any auxiliary equipment used in stevedoring which has been stuck under a load;

3) lift a load carrying people;

4) lift any compressed air reservoirs or gas cartridges which have not been installed in an appropriate container;

5) make any sudden moves with the lifting equipment (the lifting and setting down of loads must be smooth);

6) continue operation if there are any failures in the operation of the lifting equipment or if the lifting equipment has been damaged.

(7) The components or ropes specified in clause (3) 5) of this section may be replaced with components or ropes with certificates certifying equal strength.