Rope and Sling completes LOLER inspections in Falklands

Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd. (RSS) has completed periodic LOLER inspections on lifting and rigging equipment it provided earlier this year for the Mare Harbour upgrade project, part of the modernisation of the military infrastructure on the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory off the coast of Argentina. In February, RSS provided wire rope slings, web slings, round slings, shackles, hydraulics, chain slings and wire rope to civil engineering and maritime service provider VolkerBrooks, part of VolkerStevin, which agreed the £19m upgrade—£180m will be invested in the Falklands over the next 10 years—with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). RSS also performed a thorough examination of a Weldex 160-tonne capacity Liebherr LR 1160 crawler crane at the small settlement on East Falkland, on Choiseul Sound. Under Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), equipment must be subjected to periodic examinations within intervals of either six or 12 months. Accordingly, RSS provided VolkerBrooks with a detailed report aligned with specified criteria, including company, date, location, capacity and particulars of any repair, renewal or alteration required. Ian Thompson, service / inspection engineer, who is based at RSS’s Aylesford, Kent depot, spent two weeks onsite completing the inspections. He said: “LOLER inspections are always important and rewarding contracts but there is added prestige attached to the Mare Harbour site because of its significance to our armed forces and Falkland islanders. It is also fascinating to witness the role our below-the-hook equipment has played in advancing the project over the last six months. By the inherent nature of LOLER inspections, we get to chart the progress of projects through periodic snapshots.” Steve Hutin, managing director at RSS, said: “This particular project is scheduled for completion early next year so we look forward to another round of LOLER inspections, if required. In the meantime, I’ve read with interest about plans to improve the power station at Mount Pleasant Camp as well as provide new services accommodation at the three Radar Heads. With over 1,000 military and civilian personnel based in the Falklands, we look forward to a long association with this landmark geography.” He added: “Ian did a fantastic job but we had a long queue of equally well qualified engineers who put themselves forward for the project, which is testament to level of commitment our team shows to the company and our customers.” VolkerBrooks (formerly Humby and Brooks), acquired by VolkerStevin in 1937, placed the LOLER inspection order with RSS, which already supplied, hired and inspected lifting equipment for the specialist service provider. VolkerBrooks is committed to maintaining the highest standards of workmanship supported by its suppliers, systems and facilities to provide an efficient and effective service.