HSE issue safety notice: Dropped load - incorrect manufacture of Flemish eye crane pennant

Cause & Consequence

• Collapse, overturn or failure of lifting equipment

Incident Location

Any Location Type

Incident Activity

Lifting, crane, rigging, deck operations

Incident Info Source

Health and Safety Executive

Specific Incident Equipment

Flemish eye tails on wire rope pennants

Lessons Identified

Wire rope slings and crane pennants with Flemish eye terminations have been used extensively in the offshore industry for a considerable number of years. They have proved to be very reliable but it is essential the ferrule-secured system designers published instructions are followed. HSE considers that other manufacturers may have supplied Flemish Eye slings and crane pennants with rope diameters to ferrule combinations that are not listed in the ferrule-secured system designers published data, in the belief they have undertaken appropriate type testing to verify this change.

Incident Recommendations

Users are advised to:

1. Check whether wire rope slings and crane pennants with Flemish eye terminations are in use.
2. Verify with the supplier or manufacturer that the rope diameter to ferrule combinations used in the construction are in agreement with those published by the ferrule-secured system designer.
3. In the case of combinations, which are not in agreement, obtain verification from the supplier or manufacturer they can satisfy point 2 below.
4. Where such verification cannot be obtained, remove these slings from service.

Manufacturers and suppliers of Flemish eye wire rope terminations (ferrule-secured termination manufacturer) should:

1. Only supply wire rope slings and crane pennants that adhere to the ferrule-secured system designers published combination of rope diameters to ferrule sizes.
2. Any additions to these published combinations should only be undertaken with the agreement of the ferrule-secured system designer and verified by a range of type tests representative of the dynamic loadings that will be experienced in service. The results of these type tests should be made available to users if requested.
3. Where slings and crane pennants have been supplied which do not meet the above criteria contact their customers and advise them to remove such items from service.