Creating A Winning

Safety Culture
We are considered to be the leading provider of Training Services and
Teaching Documents to the majority of International Oil Operators, Service
Companies and Major Contractors worldwide.
Our success is due to sticking to what we are best at and doing it well. We
liaise with Government Health & Safety Departments internationally and produce
user-friendly procedural documents, training aids and training courses to help
companies comply with legislation, regulations and safety standards.
The safety culture in the oil & gas industry is a very important issue, and our
services are increasingly in demand overseas. We regularly supply training to all
of the high activity global oil regions, in addition to training and onsite coaching at
clients facilities, we also operate training centres in various international locations.

Over

20

in
Yearsess
busin

No r

th Sea Chapter

Hands Free Lifting

NEW!

Hands Free Lifting | NSL 2009

+44(0)1224 208988 | www.nsl-aberdeen.com | info@nsl-aberdeen.com

Why Hands-free Lifting?

Just like flying, the most hazardous parts of a lifting operation are lifting off and landing therefore at
these critical stages, personnel must be as far away from the load as possible in case something
does go wrong. To ensure this happens, it is essential to adopt a hands-free lifting policy that is
rigidly adhered to.

Whether or not to use tag lines has always been a debatable point but the consensus of opinion
is that although their use can introduce additional hazards, their use generally increases the
safety of the lift.

However, there will always be certain jobs which will require hands-on for final positioning but these
should be treated as exceptions to the norm and as such, fully addressed in the risk assessment
process paying special attention to the risk of injury to fingers & hands, toes and feet.

Changing the way we have done things for

years always results in an element of pushback from people set in their ways but we
have to persevere with fresh ideas or we will
never change things for the better.

n
rica
me ing
an
c
A
i
r
t
h
e
f
n
i
s rt
rica intgh AmatioenNgo g & L
r
h
me ndNlo
ae ticeOper nTdliigngin ook
h A Hh
t
r
Ha R ndb
No rgo T racne
Thefe Ca Bad PCra argook Ha
Sa od & ok & Cndbo
Ha
Go ndbo
Ha

com

ook

boo

5.2

SL

ing

ess

ren

ty
Safe

a
Aw

rain
&T

m
L
L
NS ca.co
NS
by
ri
hed ame
m
L
ublis nslNS ca.co
& p in95fo@
by
ri
ed
hed l-ame
ign eNMSaLil:19
ns

des

9
OSIVE

CORR
IDE

IC PEROX

ORGAN

ndb

5.1

ook

ndb

ZER

OXIDI

DANG

Ha

SOLID

and

Y
NEOUSL LE
SPONTAUSTIB

COMB

LIQUID

S
EROU

ABLE

FLAMM

GAS

E GA

MABL

FLAM

eH

ctic

ABLE

FLAMM

OSIV

*
1

ng

ABLE

FLAMM

1.4
EXPL
E
OSIV
EXPL1.1

les

Pra

hil

ndli

ad

EI
ACTIV
RADIO

Ac

Ha

&B

GAS

d by

rgo

od

BLE

LAMMA

NON-F

E III
ACTIV
RADIO
E II
ACTIV
RADIO

ere

a
&C

o
-G

e
pt
ha
aC
North Se

pow

on

Editi

Ha

e
pt
ha
aC
North Se

ns

ng
ndli
les

tio

em

hil

th
| 4

g
iftin

era

Ha

Ac

Am

&L

Op

rgo

e
pt
ha
aC
North Se

d by

lish

Eng

an

eric

n
ditio

ing

ne

Ca

d by

ere

3rd
h |

nglis

al E

tion

rna

Inte

g
Rig

Cra

afe
n S

ere

pow

an

an
eric

a
eric

pow

les

eric

Am

Am

em

Am

rth

rth

em

hil

rth

No

No

Further information can be found in our

Lifting-Related Safety Handbooks.
Ac

No

The

an
eric g
Am Liftin k
an
rth
eric s
oo
Am ation g he No ing &andb
al
h
t
n
g
r
T
n
r pe dli
H
tio
No
Rig
rna ling
he e O an ook
Inte Handctice T Cran rgo H andb
e
a
H
Th rgo Pra ook
e
&C
a
b
d
ctic g
e C Ba Hand
pra
in
n
Saf ood &
ood s of lift ce
mo s
G
sg
om
e
n
st c eratio ohasize all typ enhan
n
o
o
dp
to
of
e m ne op
mm g
m
o
d
e
e
to
th
c
e
s
t
ost sportin hligh in cra n bhooowk cseafe u be us
on
ois
em
n
n
d
. ig
Editi
t th nd tra opoekrlyh volve at nocf eth oennhthae should s.
3rd
b
n
ligh
ro
h |
a
k
e
es
it isp ehen in csognuteid saendcto
high king doof th
ren Englis
boo
ncw oTnhtaein sbgeuuid hand ty awamerican
ook n pac wnto
ts nhcead
b
A
is
c
e
te
lde
is
safe
f th ed wh eoncohno xdpto
erie g and nsdhoguiv enst.s.Th
ka
eh
ne
ts o
n
se
ten erienc idancT b
emus
ndli ndboo aqwuaiprem
AL
FP
con
e
a
ldble neossh.a
xp
gu
is h safety
The lems e gives k shopuro acrearg
AL
. Th
d
w
b
o
d
ly
n
a
FP
o
n
a
ro
fe
p
o a andb safety it sa
rg
h
a
L
c
A
FP
The

The

Achieving hands-free lifting is not difficult, it is just common

sense. If you do come up against jobs that appear to require
hands-on, think long and hard about how you can change
that and if you think it needs special tools or equipment to
achieve hand-free, tell your Supervisor.

The

It is a natural reaction to hold the rigging in

place until the tension is taken up to make
sure the load is properly slung and balanced
but how often have you heard of people
getting hands and fingers trapped or crushed
by the rigging?

The Correct Mindset

Push / Pull Poles

H
1.3

BC
DE
FG
S

Tag lines

Push / Pull Poles

A BCD
E FG
IK
J
1.1 1.2

Their primary use is to retrieve tag lines hanging vertically

down from the load so that personnel do not have to get
too close to the suspended load. Their secondary use is
to push and manoeuvre loads into the correct orientation /
position for landing or guiding them into tight spaces while
remaining hands-free / hands-off.

Just three things!

The correct mindset

Having said that, the advantages and disadvantages should always be considered
and their use determined by a risk assessment.

Push / Pull Poles are simply wooden or fibre glass poles with
a boat hook at one end and a rubber or leather pad at the
other. Ideally, these should be about 2 metres / 6 feet long.

What do we need to be able to

achieve hands-free lifting?

Tag Lines

ublis

ing

als
teri

Ma

SL

ess

ren

wa
ty A

afe

LS

NS

1991

rain
&T

ing

als

teri

Ma

afe

LS

NS

s&

nes

re
wa
ty A

in
Tra

als

teri

Ma