Heavy lift industry unveils new stability guidance for safer operations

Home » Heavy lift industry unveils new stability guidance for safer operations

The Heavy Lift Exchange Forum, a working group initiated by DNV, has released the “Guidance on Stability of Lifts”, a comprehensive operational guideline aimed at enhancing the safety and stability of heavy lift operations. This collaborative achievement marks a milestone in the heavy lift sector by addressing a crucial gap: providing specific guidance for complex cargo shapes where established procedures were previously unclear or absent. The guideline is the result of years of work by industry leaders, including BBC Chartering, BigLift Shipping, DNV, Heerema Marine Contractors, Jumbo, SAL Engineering and United Heavy Lift.

A collaborative approach to heavy lifting safety

The guidance brings together decades of experience and expertise from leading heavy lift shipping companies, resulting in a structured approach for assessing lifting stability. With a focus on clear, step-by-step procedures, the guideline ensures a common understanding among engineers and operators, enhancing predictability and safety across various heavy lift scenarios.

Key features and benefits

“The paper fills a significant gap in existing heavy lift guidance by providing methods and data for achieving a ‘stable lift’ – one that remains balanced under predefined disturbing factors,” said Karsten Behrens, Managing Director of SAL Engineering GmbH. This stability is crucial for reducing risks to life, property, and the environment during hazardous heavy lift operations.

Comprehensive stability assessment methods

To further enhance its practical utility, the guidance compares and applies multiple stability assessment methods, including:

Each method is explored in terms of complexity, accuracy, and applicability, helping users make informed decisions tailored to specific lifting operations. The guideline also includes comprehensive mathematical formulas and considerations for factors like wind force, crane movement, CoG shifts, and rigging length tolerances.

Ensuring safety through collaboration

The “Guidance on Stability of Lifts” stands as a testament to the power of industry collaboration and shared expertise. “By working together, we have created a valuable tool that empowers engineers and technical operators in heavy lifting to make better-informed decisions, increasing safety and reducing risks during challenging operations,” noted Sebastian Becker, Team Lead CAD Design at SAL Engineering GmbH.

Developed by a sub-working group of the Heavy Lift Exchange Forum, this guideline underscores the forum’s commitment to advancing the safety and efficiency of heavy lift operations.

About Jumbo

Jumbo is a family-owned company with two divisions: Shipping and Offshore. For over 50 years, Jumbo has delivered innovative and reliable heavy lift transportation solutions across various industries. Operating a versatile fleet of state-of-the-art vessels with lifting capacities of 650 to 3,000 tonnes, Jumbo services a range of cargo needs, from large equipment transport to offshore installations.

With a strong focus on quality, safety, and customer partnerships, Jumbo is known for its reliability. As part of the JSI Alliance alongside SAL Heavy Lift and Intermarine, Jumbo combines expertise and resources to offer comprehensive maritime transport solutions with a fleet of 50+ vessels and offices in 25 countries.

Jumbo Offshore, operates a versatile fleet of advanced offshore transport and installation vessels worldwide, serving both the Renewables, Subsea and Offshore energy market. As a flexible, client-focused transport and installation contractor, Jumbo Offshore delivers efficient, reliable, and expertly engineered transport and installation solutions.