Rich:
Regarding the use of the spar and jib cranes at our club, I believe the
existing practices and policies are working quite well. There is no
'official certification' or 'regulatory course' or 'spar/jib crane
operator's card' regarding the use of these cranes imposed upon the club
and its members by any govt entity .....nothing like a Small Pleasure
Craft Operator's Card or driver's license. There is the
'certification of inspection' of the actual cranes under the Elevator
and Lifts Act by the Department of Labor but it doesn't license and/or
authorize who can use the cranes. Therefore, that's why the club has
its own practices and policies.....we are self governing in this matter.
First the spar crane, let assume there are approx. 250 'masts' at the
club..... I estimate 60% to 70% are stepped/unstepped by 'contractors'.
One contractor alone does approx. 100 yearly. These contractors appear
to be very competent, but again, even they do not hold any 'official
certification'.
Then there are the masts serviced directly by 'owners' with their
helpers. Many or most of these owners have been doing this for years
and are just as competent/skilled as the contractors.
This leaves the 'fringe group'....who are they and how many? Probably
not a lot, if any, and probably do not have big masts. And if they do
have big masts with no experience, they probably wouldn't even attempt
to do the mast. As you know, if you don't know what you are doing, it
can be quite intimidating.
How many of these have the Waterfront Committee, or the yard staff,
witnessed? It has been my experience, if the yard manager and staff
observe the slightest area of concern when a 'crew' is servicing a mast,
they intervene. The most common infraction I see is someone not wearing
a 'hard hat' and when the yard staff observe it, they immediately intervene.
Regarding the jib crane, again 'no official certification'....it's use
is almost exclusively by boat owners. The 'yard staff' use it on a
regular basis but they do not hold any 'official certification.' In my
opinion, the majority of boats owners using the spar crane can do it
better than the yard staff.....they do it on a regular basis....many weekly.
Maybe the old saying comes into play here...."If it ain't broke, don't
fix it".
Maybe from a liability perspective, anyone using these cranes must sign
a waiver.....club not responsible for members' use of cranes....make it
an automatic part of club membership like buying a ski ticket.....this
way, there is no extra administration involved for anyone.
Bob Abbott
AZURA
C&C 32 - 84
Halifax, N.S.
On 2013/06/26 12:39 PM, Knowles Rich wrote:
I'm on the Waterfront Committee at our yacht club and am reviewing the
club's policies relating to use of the spar and jib cranes. The spar
crane's capacity is 1,400# and the jib crane's 10,000#. The club
permits members to work on their own boats including re and re spars
and launching and retrieving boats that can be lifted by the jib
crane. Many of the boats such as J24's that fit within the jib crane's
capacity are dry sailed.
Our current practise is for members and know contractors to attend a
briefing course on both cranes at least once every two years before
they be allowed to use them. We have the usual cordoned off areas and
hard hat rules.
There are infrequent almost-accidents, occasional minor gear and boat
damage and an accompanying ongoing concern about safety. The one
serious accident that I can recall involved a member getting whacked
in the head by an errant mast. His hard head saved him, but he did
have to wear a neck brace for some time. He was fortunate.
Your comments are welcome.
Rich.
Rich Knowles
INDIGO LF38
Halifax, NS.
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