CRANE SAFETY Ӏ REPORT
It is a clear that crane lifting can be a risky activity and requires a lot of precautions in order to be performed safely. With tens of tonnes, if not hundreds of tonnes, being lifted by operators on a daily basis specific policies and procedures have been established by companies, national authorities, and international standards to control such potentially hazardous operations. For Saudi Aramco, the largest oil and gas company producer in the world, daily lifting operations conducted within its facilities need a high-level safety system. This system consists mainly of three pillars: applying equipment inspection; implementing an operator and rigger competency programme for training and certification; and enforcing detailed operation procedure, policies, and guidelines. Such a seemingly
comprehensive system, though, still may not be enough to fully ensure the complete compliance of certain requirements. As such,
38 CRANES TODAY
Lots of lifting activities are
carried out during oil plant shutdowns
Saudi Aramco has formed its own Heavy Equipment Safety Committee (HESC), a referenced entity within Saudi Aramco for any related lifting practices, which is designed to elevate the company’s safety standards to the next level. The HESC achieves this in a
number of ways. First, it conducts frequent quality assessment site visits in the form of spot checks to ensure all safety requirements are being fulfilled.
The HESC also provides technical advice to senior management relating to any crane or lifting issues. It also provides technical support and guidance – especially when new technologies are deployed within the company. Site visits within Saudi Aramco
facilities are primarily designed to enhance the field safety of lifting operations and they help connect field operators with experts and rule makers giving operators the chance to discuss any daily operation challenges and obstacles with company specialists. Such visits are also designed to help
ensure that those on the ground are fully aware of the required regulations, policies and available best lifting practices. Having external visitors check normal day-to-day lifting operations also increases the opportunity of spotting any unsafe practices which may otherwise have been taken for granted and become accepted practice. Such ignored practices might seem insignificant to operators – things such as slight corrosion or minor damage in rigging equipment – however, with time and excessive usage of such equipment (especially in the harsh environments Saudi Aramco operates in), catastrophic failure could otherwise happen. Saudi Aramco’s HESC has
conducted multiple site visits over the past few years covering all the company’s major operating facilities including drilling rigs and operating plants such as Abqaiq Plants, the Ras Tanura Refinery, and the Waist Gas Plant. The HESC also inspects the f
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