Cutting corners on davit checks risks lives

Davits are used on a range of safety-critical vessels, including lifeboats, workboats, and rapid response craft and are key to the safe carrying of passengers and crew.

“Davit maintenance is therefore an essential safety factor that should not be taken lightly,” said Magnar Bøyum, managing director of Dutch subsidiary Vestdavit.

“Just like an elevator in a building, service work should be entrusted to trained and certified technicians from the original equipment manufacturer to safeguard life.”

SOLAS regulations dictate davits should be inspected by ‘certified personnel of either the manufacturer of an authorised service provider’. This came about in 2020 after a series of accidents attributed to faulty release mechanisms, inadequate maintenance of lifeboats and launching equipment, unsafe practices and design faults.

However, Bøyum believes the shipping industry still has a way to go to live up to this standard, fearing operators may select lower-cost rogue service providers with ‘supposedly-certified technicians who actually lack the necessary competence’.

“Price remains the overriding decision driver when selecting service providers for annual and five-yearly surveys, especially with merchant shipping companies in areas such as ferries and fishing,” he said.

He points out that davit systems can differ widely so it is foolhardy to assume that any davit supplier can certify technicians to work on all systems.

Vestdavit is therefore urging operators to choose OEM-approved technicians with certification from the company’s in-house training programme when scheduling their annual and five-yearly davit checks.

The company can also provide OEM instruction for service partners at its training centres as well as quickly provide genuine, tested components with a 24 turnaround if stock is available.