1102-35 - Safe Use of Rigging Equipment (public).docx

Page 10 of 10 Procedure 1102-35

/s/ CAPT Daniel M. Simon, NOAA

Section 7

RESPONSIBLE POSITION

CAPT Daniel M. Simon, NOAA Director, Marine Operations Chief, Safety Management Branch

SAFE USE OF RIGGING EQUIPMENT

1. PURPOSE

1.1 This document provides procedures on the use of lifting tackle to be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Marine and Aviation (OMAO) personnel for the purpose of lifting, lowering, moving, suspending, or securing equipment using mechanical means.

1.2 This version includes:

1.2.1 Section 3 – Responsible Positions.

1.2.2 Section on training for Competent Persons and Authorized Persons.

2. SCOPE

2.1 This procedure applies to all NOAA ships and Marine Operations (MO) facilities to include contract services.

2.2 This procedure applies to all crew and scientists aboard NOAA ships utilizing lifting tackle, and employees at Marine Operations Centers (MOC), Port Offices, and all other MO facilities.

3. RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS

3.1 The following positions groups have action item responsibilities within this procedure:

· Marine Operation Centers Facility Managers

· Ship Commanding Officer

· Chief Marine Engineer

· Chief Boatswain

4. RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES

4.1 Ship Commanding Officers (CO) and MOC Facility Managers ensure lift operations are conducted per this procedure and designate competent person(s) for rigging and suspending loads.

4.2 Verification of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliant procedure or evidence of an OSHA approved credential for safe operation of rigging equipment and/or lifting appliances must be requested from contractors and confirmed by the person authorizing the work.

4.3 The Competent Person present during any lifting operation is responsible for ensuring that lifting tackle is used per this procedure and will have ultimate authority and responsibility for the decision to proceed with an operation requiring department personnel to utilize lifting tackle. Requirements should be identified based on results of job hazard analyses or operational risk assessments (OMAO Procedure 1701-14 – Marine Operations Risk Management) of activities and operational evolutions.

4.3.1 The Chief Boatswain (CB) is considered a Competent Person and ensures proper lifting tackle is available and in good condition for employee use in areas above decks.

4.3.2 The Chief Marine Engineer (CME) is considered a Competent Person and ensures proper lifting tackle is available and in good condition for use in engineering spaces and below decks.

4.4 All Authorized Persons ensure the proper use of equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE) per OMAO Procedure 1701-06 – Personal Protective Equipment.

4.5 All lifting components, slings, wire and/or ropes must have the manufacturer weight rating posted on them or a certificate from the manufacturer that states the weight rating and loading conditions before use.

4.6 Lift Plan: A lift plan, including checklists, will be implemented and discussed with all who will be involved in the lift before executing any lift. The plan includes, but not be limited to, the order of tasks to be done during the lift, a green/amber/red (GAR) application of Operational Risk Management (ORM), and remaining discussion points of this procedure. The Lift Plan will be discussed and agreed upon at the pre-lift safety briefing. A sample checklist is at the end of this procedure.

4.7 Pre-lift Safety Briefing

4.7.1 Before performing any lift, hold a safety briefing with all persons involved to ensure an adequate number of personnel are assigned and all involved individuals understand their roles and responsibilities. At a minimum, the following should be considered and verbally discussed at the prelift safety conference:

A. Establish a Person in Charge (PIC) and do not assign other duties other than rigging the load and observation and oversight once the lift commences.

B. All persons involved review and understand the lifting plan and be assigned specific duties throughout the evolution.

C. Determine if the use of tag lines is needed.

D. Discuss each risk and a corresponding mitigation measure amongst the team.

E. Any member of the lift team will have the authority to halt the operation at any time and should be encouraged to speak up if any part of the lift plan is unclear or appears unreasonable.

F. Identify and verbalize the safe working load (SWL) of all lifting gear and components.

G. Determine and verbalize the weight of the item(s) to be lifted.

H. Identify possible pinch points, areas to be avoided and clear egress paths.

I. The operation should only continue once all members of the lift team are in agreement with the lift plan.

4.8 Rigging Point Inspection

4.8.1 Only Authorized personnel are allowed to lift, lower, move, suspend, or secure equipment utilizing lifting tackle.

4.8.2 Determine the center of gravity (CG) of the object to be lifted prior to rigging.

4.8.3 Methods for calculating CG can be found on page three of Rigging Safety and Lifting Operations (attached).

4.8.4 A suspended object will move so that the CG is directly below the point of support.

4.8.5 The hook or lift point should be rigged as closely as can be determined over CG and the load lifted slightly to see how it reacts. The load will shift towards CG and the hook can be repositioned as necessary. When rigging slings, all support points should be above CG because CG will always attempt to move to the lowest possible point below point of support. This is especially important when lifting pallets because the object on the pallet will always have a CG above the sling attachment points.

4.8.6 When rigging using slings or other multiple point riggings, the angle of each point of support should be carefully considered. If the load tilts more than five degrees when lifted, it should be set down and adjusted.

4.8.7 29 CFR 1910.184 contains OSHA regulations on sling use, care, inspection, and safe operating practices. Whenever any sling is used, the following practices must be observed:

A. Do not use slings that are damaged or defective.

B. Do not shorten slings with knots or bolts or other makeshift devices.

C. Do not kink sling legs.

D. Do not load slings in excess of their rated capacities.

E. Slings used in a basket hitch must have the loads balanced to prevent slippage.

F. Attach slings securely to their loads.

G. Slings must be padded or protected from the sharp edges of their loads.

H. Suspended loads must be kept clear of all obstructions.

I. All employees must be kept clear of loads about to be lifted and of suspended loads.

J. Do not place hands or fingers between the sling and its load while the sling is being tightened around the load.

K. Do not put sudden strain on lines; load and surge smoothly to avoid shock loads.

L. Do not pull a sling from under a load when the load is resting on the sling.

M. Do not load a sling in excess of its recommended safe working load as set by the sling manufacturer on the identification markings permanently affixed to the sling.

N. Do not use slings without affixed and legible identification markings.

4.8.8 Each day before being used, inspect the sling and all fastenings and attachments for damage or defects by the Authorized person. Perform additional inspections during sling use where service conditions warrant. More thorough inspections must be completed and documented at least annually by a Competent Person. Immediately remove damaged or defective slings from service.

4.8.9 Do not splice Natural and Synthetic Fiber Rope Slings unless they have been spliced per the following minimum requirements and per any additional recommendations of the manufacturer:

A. Eye splices in manila rope must contain at least three full tucks, and short splices at least six full tucks, three on each side of the splice center line.

B. Eye splices in synthetic fiber rope must contain of at least four full tucks, and short splices at least eight full tucks, four on each side of the center line.

C. Strand end tails must not be trimmed flush with the surface the rope immediately adjacent to the full tucks.

D. Rope under one inch diameter, the tail must project at least six rope diameters beyond the last full tuck.

E. Rope one inch in diameter and larger, the tail must project at least six inches beyond the last full tuck.

F. Where a projecting tail interferes with the use of the sling, the tail must be tapered and spliced into the body of the rope using at least two additional tucks.

G. Fiber rope slings must have a minimum clear length of rope between eye splices equal to 10 times the rope diameter.

H. Do not use knots instead of splices.

I. Do not use clamps for splicing unless specifically manufactured for fiber rope.

J. For all eye splices, the eye must be of such size to provide an included angle not greater than 60 degrees at the splice when the eye is placed over the load or support.

4.8.10 Immediately remove fiber rope slings from service if any of the following conditions are present:

A. Abnormal Wear.

B. Powdered fiber between strands.

C. Broken or cut fibers.

D. Variations in the size or roundness of strands.

E. Discoloration or rotting.

F. Distortion of the hardware in the sling.

4.8.11 Synthetic Web Slings

A. Slings must be inspected before use.

B. Label should indicate weight limit and should be stored out of the weather.

C. Slings should never be dragged as this causes abrasions and dirt to enter fibers.

D. Slings should not be used if they exhibit:

1. Abnormal wear - Torn stitching

2. Broken or cut fibers - Discoloration or deterioration

4.8.12 Immediately remove synthetic slings from service in any of the following conditions are present:

A. Acid or caustic burns.

B. Melting or charring of any part of the sling surface.

C. Snags, punctures, tears, or cuts.

D. Broken or worn stitches.

E. Distortion of fittings.

4.8.13 Immediately remove wire rope slings from service if any of the following conditions are present:

A. Ten randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay or five broken wires in one strand in one lay.

B. Wear or scraping of one-third the original diameter of outside individual wires.

C. Kinking, crushing, bird caging or any other damage resulting in distortion of the wire rope structure.

D. Evidence of heat damage.

E. End attachments that are cracked, deformed or worn.

F. Hooks that have been opened more than 15 percent of the normal throat opening measured at the narrowest point or twisted more than 10 degrees from the plane of the unbent hook.

G. Corrosion of the rope or end attachments.

4.8.14 Lifting Attachments

A. Hooks, rings, oblong links, pear shaped links, welded or mechanical coupling links, shackles or other attachments must have a rated capacity at least equal to that of the chain, or sling, with which they are used and must not be used in excess of the rated capacity of the weakest component.

B. Do not use makeshift links or fasteners formed from bolts or rods, or other such attachments.

4.8.15 Lever Operated Hoists (Come-A-Longs) and Under hung Overhead Chain Operated Hoists

A. Indicate the safe working load (SWL) of the overhead hoist, as determined by the manufacturer, on the hoist, and do not exceed this SWL.

B. The supporting structure where the hoist is attached must have a safe working load equal to that of the hoist.

C. Arrange the support so as to provide for free movement of the hoist and not restrict the hoist from lining itself up with the load.

D. Install the hoist only in locations that will permit the operator to stand clear of the load at all times.

E. Connect air hoists to an air supply of sufficient capacity and pressure to safely operate the hoist. All air hoses supplying air must be positively connected to prevent their becoming disconnected during use.

F. All overhead hoists in use must meet the applicable requirements for construction, design, installation, testing, inspection, maintenance, and operation, as prescribed by the manufacturer.

4.9 The Lift

4.9.1 Before operating the lifting mechanism:

A. The supporting structure must have a rating at least equal to that of the hoist.

B. The operator must be familiar with all operating controls of the hoist and must be instructed as to warnings on the hoist, the hoisting practices listed below, and the operator’s manual provided by the manufacturer.

C. The operator must report if adjustments or repairs are necessary, or effects are known, to the supervisor.

D. Hoists must only be used in locations that will allow the operator to be free of the load.

E. The operator must have firm footing or otherwise be secured before operating the hoist.

F. The operator must have access to the operating lever.

G. The operator must not use a hoist that has an out-of-order or do-not-use tag.

H. The operator must not adjust or repair a hoist unless qualified to perform such maintenance.

I. A welding electrode must never be touched to chain/wire rope or any other part of the hoist.

J. Hoists must not be operated by other than hand power of one operator.

K. The use of extension on the lever to (cheater bar) gain extra leverage is prohibited.

4.9.2 Applying the load:

A. When using lever operated hoists (come-a-longs) and hand operated chain hoists, the hoist chain/wire rope, must not be wrapped around the load.

B. The load must be attached to the hook and secured by suitable means.

C. The sling or other device must be properly seated in the base (bowl) of the hook. The hook latch must not be allowed to support any part of the load.

D. The load must not be applied to the point of the hook (point loading).

E. Before applying the load the operator must ensure the load chain/wire rope/sling is not kinked or twisted or that multiple part lines are not twisted around each other.

F. The hoist must not be operated unless the chain is properly seated on the sprockets or the wire rope in the sheaves.

G. Hoists must not be operated until the load block, chain, wire rope, or sling, and host body, are directly in line with the direction of loading to avoid side pulls.

H. The hoist body or frame must not bear against any object or the supporting structure.

I. Attention must be given to balancing of the load and hitching or slinging to prevent load slippage.

4.9.3 Moving the load:

A. The operator must not engage in any activity that will divert the operator’s attention while actually operating the hoist.

B. The operator must not apply a load to the hoist until the operator and all other personnel are clear of the load about to be lifted.

C. The operator must make sure the load will clear all obstacles before the load is lifted and moved.

D. A load must not be moved more than a few inches until it is well balanced in the sling or lifting device.

E. When starting to lift or pull, the load must be moved a few inches at a time to ensure the hoist is holding the load properly.

F. Hoists must never be used to lift, support, or otherwise transport personnel.

G. The operator must never leave the hoist unattended with a load suspended unless proper precautions have been taken.

H. Care should be exercised when removing a sling from under a load that has been landed and blocked.

I. Sling angle should be accounted for to prevent overloading of the hoist.

4.10 Informed Parties

4.10.1 The Competent Person, CB or CME, or CO’s designee, if not directly participating in the lift, must be informed at the onset and completion of the lift and inform the Officer of the Deck (OOD) or command. In addition, the Competent Person must be informed of any occurrence that disrupts the lift or causes a departure from the lift plan as defined in the safety conference.

4.11 Training

4.11.1 Competent persons

The Competent Person for rigging is an individual designated by the Command to be responsible for the immediate supervision, implementation, and monitoring of the rigging and lifts.

The Competent Person is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are hazardous or dangerous to employees, and has the authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate or protect against those hazards.

A Competent Person is required to have experience in the use of rigging and complete training consisting of at a minimum the following:

A. Recognition of rigging hazards, and control methods tailored for applicable equipment, e.g., chain hoists, lever operated hoists, winches, cranes, etc.;

B. Detailed inspection of equipment components and systems;

C. Lifting plans and determining when a system is safe;

D. The selection and use of temporary anchorages, e.g. beam clamps, plate clamps, etc.

4.11.2 Authorized persons

An Authorized Person for rigging is a person assigned by the Command to perform duties requiring rigging and lifting.

An Authorized Person is required to receive training and periodically demonstrate the ability to use the appropriate equipment. Initial training must be conducted before personnel use systems and must consist at a minimum the following:

A. Recognition of the hazards related to rigging and lifting;

B. General safe rigging practices, including:

1. Center of Gravity,

2. Sling angles and loads,

3. Types of connections, e.g., vertical, bridle, choker, and basket hitches, etc., and

4. Proper hardware and Safe Working Loads (SWL).

C. The use of temporary anchorages identified by the Competent person, e.g., beam clamps, plate clamps, etc.;

D. Successful demonstration of the ability to use applicable equipment; and E. Procedures for inspection and maintenance of equipment.

5. RECORDS AND REPORTS

No records or reports are created by this document.

6. REFERENCES

OMAO Procedure 1701-06 – Personal Protective Equipment

29 CFR 1910.184

ASME/ANSI B30.21 (Manually Lever Operated Hoists)

ASME/ANSI consensus standard B30.16 Overhead Hoists (under hung)

29 CFR 1910.179 Overhead and Gantry Cranes

29 CFR 1910.184 Slings

29 CFR 1926.554 Overhead Hoists

API Offshore Cranes

Rigging Safety and Lifting Operations - attached

7. DEFINITIONS

Authorized Person A person approved and assigned by the employer to perform certain duties at a specific location after completion of training and a demonstration of the ability to perform the assigned duties and use the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). (In this procedure the person operating the lifting appliance.)

Center of Gravity (CG) CG is the geometric center of the object, or average location of the weight of the object and the point at which all the weight of the object is considered to be concentrated and the load will balance.

Competent Person A person capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the workplace, and has authority to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate or protect against those hazards. The scope of competency varies. A person may be competent in one discipline, but not another. (In this procedure, the person(s) responsible for the overall safety of lifting; including designation of Authorized Persons.)

Lift For the purposes of this policy, lift is to be defined as moving an object utilizing lifting tackle and does not necessarily require that the object or equipment be lifted off the deck or above a certain predetermined height.

Lifting Tackle For the purposes of this procedure, lifting tackle is to be defined as any gear or fitting utilized to gain an adequate mechanical advantage to lift or move an object not readily movable without assistance. Lifting tackle includes slings, shackles, chain falls, come-alongs, beam clamps, and any other similar equipment utilized for the above purpose.

8. NOTES

Effect on Other Documents: None

DOCUMENT HISTORY

Rigging and Lifting Checklist

Lift Plan

· Pre-Lift Safety Conference held, with Person in Charge (PIC) and Rigger identified.

· Safe working load (SWL) of all lifting gear and components identified.

· Risk management measures discussed, and controls implemented.

· Order of events of operation detailed, and duties assigned to each person involved.

· All persons involved confirm understanding of pending operation, risks, and mitigation measures.

Rigging the Load

· Weight and CG of object to be rigged determined.

· If using slings or other multiple point riggings, verify sling angles are 45 degrees or greater.

· Rigging equipment and any associated loose gear inspected.

· If tag lines being used, methods of use and safety of line handlers discussed.

· Rigging secured and agreed upon by PIC and/or CB, CME, or CO’s designee.

Applying the Load

· Ensure hoist chain, wire, line, or sling is not twisted, kinked, or wrapped around the load.

· Ensure hoist chain, wire, line, or sling is seated in base of hook, not point, and latch is secured.

· Ensure lift point is lined up vertically with CG of load.

· Hoist operator and PIC indicate readiness to proceed.

· Tension slowly applied to load until load lifts slightly, then hoist lowered to relieve tension.

· Any needed adjustments made to rigging.

Moving the Load

· All members of lift team acknowledge readiness to commence lift.

· PIC verifies safe zones for egress are clear and all personnel are clear of load.

· PIC informs operator to commence lift.

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