Shipowners Club would like to thank Captain Purnendu Shorey, Director of Offing Marine & Offshore Consultants for his invaluable contribution to this article. Offing Marine specializes in a range of maritime activities including surveys, towage approvals and casualty investigations and in this circumstance guidance on ship cranes.
Both the Club and the wider maritime industry have observed a rise in crane related incidents, with both the number and cost of claims contributing to this increased figure. The root causes for many of these incidents have largely been attributed to inadequate maintenance. Shipboard procedures, on board practices and crew training have evolved over the years switching from generic, to equipment specific; with the widespread introduction of ship specific procedural systems. Despite these enhanced systems, crane incidents continue to occur, often ranging in severity and involving numerous ship and crane types.
