RINA amended Rules for Loading and Unloading Arrangements

Classification Society RINA has amended its Rules for Loading and Unloading Arrangements and for other Lifting Appliances on Board Ships.

The requirements of these Rules apply to loading and unloading systems in general (hereafter referred to as systems) and to other new lifting appliances, on board ships or floating vessels, as follows:

• masts and kingposts of conventional type

• masts and kingposts of special design (derrick-cranes)

• union purchase rigs

• fixed and swinging cranes in general

• A-frames and similar

• submersible handling appliances

• lifts and loading ramps

• lifting tackle

• appliances for fish handling and fishing systems.

These Rules are relative to structural scantlings, components and ropes.

The Manufacturer is responsible for the scantlings of the machinery and the handling of the system and their qualification is to be verified as specified in Ch 14.

Irrespective of RINA inspections, the Designer and the Manufacturer of the system are responsible for compliance with applicable specifications and regulations, of the parts supplied and manufactured and of the suitability arrangement and components of the system even where manufactured by subcontractors.

These Rules do not consider design and construction details of structural or machine parts.

The Designer and the Manufacturer are responsible for ensuring, on the basis of recognised standards and/or good engineering practice, that such details are appropriate for the static stress and strain foreseen in the environmental conditions where the structures and components are to operate.

Where doubts arise, the interested parties are to ask RINA for confirmation of the validity, as far as applicable regulations are concerned, of the estimated design data relative to the load and environmental conditions or of specially adopted solutions.

Regulations are relative to the handling of the cargo and/or ship equipment; the movement of personnel is dealt with in Ch 7 "Man Riding Cranes".

At the request of the interested parties and for lifts in accordance with "Rules for the certification of lifts and escalators for passengers and crew members", RINA will issue the relative Quality Certificate.

Additional checks and requirements not specified in these Rules may be required by RINA for special and/or new systems.

Existing systems, for which the interested parties require RINA to issue the relative certificates, are to comply with these Rules, as far as deemed applicable by RINA, according to the procedures as specified in [3.2] and are to undergo the surveys specified in Ch 2, [3].

Application of the Rules to loading and unloading systems or to lifting appliances on board ships not classed by RINA, will be specially considered by RINA.

In this case, additional requirements may be laid down in addition or as an alternative to those given in these Rules to take account of special service conditions.

These Rules are mandatory for the purpose of the requirements issued by the Italian Government for loading and unloading systems and for other lifting appliances on board Italian flag ships in compliance with the ILO Convention. The relative certificates are specified in [1.2].

These Rules are mandatory for the assignment and maintenance of the service notation lifting unit as specified in Pt A, Ch 1, Sec 2, Tab 2 of the Rules for the classification of ships, when the lifting appliance is essential for the ship's or floating vessel's service.

These Rules are also mandatory, as far as applicable, for structures and appliances used for the handling and/or supporting of loads.

Where such structures and appliances are essential for the service of the ship on which they are installed, they are included in the class characteristics and do not require the assignment of the service notation lifting unit.

This applies to ramps and retractable 'tweendecks of classed ro-ro cargo ships or to supporting and positioning systems of dredging components of ships classed as dredgers.

Supporting structures of lifting appliances such as masts, posts, and crane pedestals, permanently connected to the structure of the ship, and those ship structures that are subjected to the load of these systems when in operation are to be classed.

The above-mentioned structures are to comply with these Rules and with the requirements of the various Parts of the Rules for the classification of ships.

Units provided with lifting arrangements complying with these Rules may be assigned with the following additional class notations CARGO HANDLING and/or PERSONNEL LIFTING, according to Pt A, Ch 1, Sec 2, [6.14.310] of the Rules for the Classification of Ships:

• CARGO HANDLING (H) when the unit is provided with cranes for handling loads in harbours and in a sheltered water environment;

• CARGO HANDLING (O) when the unit is provided with cranes designed to operate in offshore conditions (i.e., open sea environment);

• CARGO HANDLING (T) when the unit is provided with cranes used for unit-to-unit handling (transhipping operation) of dry bulk loads in environmental conditions causing significant wave-induced motions of the unit on which the crane is mounted or from which the crane is offloading;

• CARGO HANDLING (S) when the unit is provided with lifting appliances intended to perform subsea lifting operations at sea;

• CARGO HANDLING (SW) when the unit is provided with lifting appliances including the related hoisting winches intended to perform subsea lifting operations at sea;

• PERSONNEL LIFTING, PERSONNEL LIFTING ADV, and PERSONNEL LIFTING ADV PLUS when the unit is provided with a crane or lifting arrangements intended to be used for personnel lifting.

These amendments were published on 3 July 2023 and came into force on 1 July 2023.

For more information, please see the documents below (available only to subscribers):