Dangerous disassembly, renovation, and reassembly of transition piece crane

An initial test was being conducted as part of a lifting operation adjoined to a disassembly, renovation and reassembly of transition piece (TP) cranes.

Before the lift was done, the hydraulic cylinder was bypassed with a bracket that allowed the nacelle crane work as a fixed lifting point.

The first bracket broke and lead to damage in the nacelle crane and oil spill in the nacelle.

A second bracket was fabricated and used for the remaining operations.

Knowing that the hydraulic cylinder was bypassed and that it would lose pressure while lifting the load, the observers were unsure if the load was exceeding the safe working load (SWL) and stopped the job.

Management of change (MoC) was not applied locally for the campaign. There wasn’t a clear procedure on how and when to do a local MoC.

There was no clear indication that the crane was not fit for use, e.g., no overload/crane malfunction alarm.

The hydraulic arm on the nacelle crane collapses even if the safe working load is not reached. This defect had not been spotted before.

Inadequate lifting plan did not provide the necessary safe system of work for personnel involved in the lifting operation.

There were inconsistencies in the contract regarding the risk assessment method statement (RAMS).

Before starting a new operation that has high impact on normal operation, it is crucial to ensure that it is communicated to and understood by all involved parties, and that MoC is prepared, reviewed, accepted, and approved in a management system.

When preparing a lift, define whether the lift is routine, non-routine, and/or complex and prepare the lifting plan accordingly.

Only use approved, certified, and fully functional equipment when conducting a lifting operation.

Ensure that the teams communicate well and procedures for handover are in place.

How can something like this happen here?

How do we know that all the risk associated with today’s task have been considered?

What checks should you do before starting a lift? What else could you do?

How can we improve safety during our lifting operations?