Pre-Purchase Marine Safety Equipment Checks
Essential Marine Safety Equipment Checks
As trusted experts in the supply and ordering of marine safety equipment in South Africa, Link Ship Chandlers realises that the purchase of these important items can be daunting. After all, these are the failsafes that keep your workers safe from harm and increase efficiency across the board. Over the years, we have learned a few valuable lessons regarding what to look out for when purchasing marine safety equipment. Here are our top four tips:
Choose Flexible Equipment
Safety equipment should be versatile enough to adapt to changeable conditions. If you work in a marine environment you know that every day brings its own challenges. One day you may be battling with available dock space, the next you could be pulling your hair out over blocked ship access points. This is why we recommend adaptable equipment such as barge gangways that can mount in various ways (e.g. float mode, pivot mounting or track mounting), and telescopic ship tower units.
Always Go For the Slip-resistant Option
Wet surfaces = slipping & falling. It’s as simple as that. When you slip in a marine environment your biggest concern is not getting a bruise or a bump on the head; it’s drowning and being swept away on a current. Gangways should have slip-resistant surfaces with cleats, sturdy handrails, and midrails. Alternatively, invest in marine ladders with ample rubber treads and swivel safety shoes.
Reliable Materials Are Your Friend
In a marine environment, you’re looking for high-quality, corrosion-resistant materials that can be maneuvered easily, increase load capacity without adding dead weight. When it comes to gangways, ladders and ship towers, your ideal option is aluminum, which ticks all these boxes.
Eco-Friendly Is The Way To Go
Aside from causing irreparable harm to the marine environment oil spills and other foreign materials dropped in the water on your watch can also be very costly. You will either have to do the cleanup yourself (at great time and monetary expense), or engage a qualified third party to do so. Neither is cheap or time-efficient. As such, many customers prefer that their gangways, etc., use electrical power. Fortunately, this is no longer your only eco-friendly option – you can either invest in a sturdier equipment solution or you can install a leak containment system as an extra precaution.
Keep your eye on the blog in coming months, as we discuss more shipping-related topics, with plenty of advice on how to protect your crew (and your bottom line).
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