Locked groove were approached by a new offshore client to carry out an initial lifting equipment survey of their fixed lifting equipment in order to reinstate it for use after their platform had been cold stacked for some years. The drill floor had two 5.0 tonne rated pneumatic air winches recently installed with their foundation pedestals bolted to the underside of the substructure.
These foundations and their bolted fixings required inspection and specialist access to inspect. During the thorough examination, the hold down bolts for both winch foundations were observed to be severely corroded and deemed not acceptable.
A full change out of all hold- down bolts was required in order to certify the air winches. Bolt sizes were taken and new fixings were ordered. The old bolts that were installed at the time were in such bad condition they could not be removed using normal methods and had to be cut out using a hydraulic nut splitter and shark saw. The new bolts were then installed one by one and torqued to specification.
It’s imperative that when inspecting fixed lifting equipment that every effort is made to inspect and ensure all bolted connections are in good condition even if access is difficult. Had the hold down bolts not been inspected properly and replaced, this could of had dire consequences for personnel working nearby and been detrimental to operations at the cost of our client. The air winch was then examined and tested in accordance with relevant standards and certified as safe to use.
