Cranes & Material Handling

Cranes & Material Handling groups the lifting equipment on a drilling unit outside the derrick. It covers pedestal deck cranes, BOP and riser gantries, engine room and workshop cranes, tugger and man-riding winches, capstans, hazardous-area forklifts, and the hooks, slings, shackles and spreader bars that connect a load to a hook. Every item here is either a lifting appliance or a lifting accessory, and its certificate trail counts as much as its mechanical condition.

Scope of the group

Drill floor hoisting (drawworks, top drive, blocks and drilling line) sits under Hoisting & Pipe Handling. This group covers the rest of the rig's lifting. Regulators and class societies split it into two kinds of equipment.

Lifting appliances lift or lower a load under power. Cranes, gantries, winches and forklifts fall here.
Lifting accessories sit between the appliance and the load. Slings, shackles, master links, spreader bars and container lifting sets fall here.

The split sets the examination interval and the type of certificate each item carries, so read every listing with it in mind.

Choosing between the sub-Categories

Sub-Category	What decides fit	Main design references
Deck cranes	Offboard SWL at radius, design sea state, pedestal interface	API Spec 2C, EN 13852-1, DNV-ST-0378
Gantry and overhead cranes	Span, rail gauge, lift height, design vessel motions	EN 15011, ISO 4301-1, class lifting rules
Winches and capstans	Line pull by layer, drum capacity, brakes, personnel rating	Class lifting rules, NORSOK R-002
Forklifts	Capacity at load centre, hazardous-area category	ISO 3691-1, EN 1755
Attachments and rigging	WLL, traceable marking, sizing to the load	EN 13889, EN 13414, EN 12079-2

Deck cranes lift to and from supply vessels, so their ratings depend on sea state.
Gantry and overhead cranes are built around one runway and one handling sequence.
Winches and capstans range from interchangeable air tuggers to man-riding winches with their own approval.
Forklifts and material handling stands or falls on the explosion-protection conversion.
Crane attachments and rigging is mostly loose gear, where traceability decides value.

Design standards and how they differ

API Spec 2C and EN 13852-1 both derive offboard ratings from the relative motion between the crane hook and a supply vessel deck in a given significant wave height. EN 13852-1 adds an automatic overload protection system (AOPS) and a manual overload protection system (MOPS) for offboard lifts. On classed units, DNV-ST-0378, the ABS Guide for Certification of Lifting Appliances or the Lloyd's Register Code for Lifting Appliances in a Marine Environment apply.

A certificate to one standard does not carry over to another. If your client or flag requires a different basis, expect an engineering review of the structure and load chart before acceptance.

In-service rules that follow the unit

API RP 2D governs operation, inspection and maintenance of offshore pedestal cranes. On the US outer continental shelf, 30 CFR 250.108 makes it mandatory for cranes on fixed platforms. It sets pre-use, monthly, quarterly and annual inspections, scaled to how heavily the crane is used.
In the UK sector, LOLER requires a thorough examination at least every 12 months for lifting appliances, and every 6 months for accessories and anything that lifts people, unless a written examination scheme sets other intervals.
On the Norwegian shelf, NORSOK R-003 covers safe use and periodic examination of lifting equipment.

Integration questions across the group

Check every engine, motor and junction box against the hazardous-area zone, gas group and temperature class where the unit will sit.
Match electric motors and drives to your switchboard voltage and frequency.
Have the pedestal, runway or foundation checked for the new loads, including the reaction from an offboard lift.
Check anti-collision between cranes and gantries that share airspace.
Keep the rating chain consistent. The hook block, rigging and appliance must each be rated for the heaviest lift with its dynamic factor.

Sourcing used lifting equipment

A reinstalled appliance counts as a new installation. Plan for a proof load test and a thorough examination by a competent person before first use, whatever the previous history. A unit that worked on a floating rig has seen motion-driven fatigue and side loads that a fixed-platform unit has not, so ask where it last worked. Naventr can arrange an independent inspection on request and answer questions from the Seller's certificate file.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What certificates should come with used offshore lifting equipment?

Expect the certificate of conformity or class certificate naming the design standard, the load chart, the last proof load test certificate and the recent thorough examination reports. Add wire rope certificates, the maintenance log and any repair or modification records. Without the original certificate, the unit needs a fresh design review before anyone can certify it.

Is a crane built to API Spec 2C accepted where EN 13852-1 is required?

Not automatically. The two standards derive offboard ratings differently, and EN 13852-1 requires AOPS and MOPS that an API Spec 2C crane may not have. Acceptance usually needs a gap analysis against the required standard, possible control system changes and a new certificate from a recognised body.

What is the difference between a lifting appliance and a lifting accessory?

A lifting appliance lifts the load under its own power, while an accessory connects the load to the appliance. Cranes, winches and forklifts are appliances. Slings, shackles, spreader bars and container lifting sets are accessories. Under UK LOLER, accessories need a thorough examination every 6 months and most appliances every 12 months.

Does a used crane need a load test after it moves to another rig?

Yes. Fitting a crane to a new pedestal or runway makes it a new installation, so class rules, API RP 2D practice and LOLER all expect a proof load test and thorough examination before service. The load test also proves the new foundation, which the previous certificate never covered.

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