Safety is of the utmost importance. This is true almost everywhere, yet especially aboard vessels and offshore installations. This is where lifesaving appliances (LSA) must be serviced regularly to be ready for use under all possible circumstances. After an intensive and successful MSC.402(96) certification process, PALFINGER MARINE officially proved to be up to the task.

Setting the standards
To guarantee the maximum safety level, a set of strict regulations issued by the IMO must be met. The IMO Resolution MSC.402(96) defines the requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul, and repair of LSA including lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear (including recovery systems). Additionally, it sets out rules about the training, experience, and assessments of service engineers. Gunther Fleck, Vice President Sales & Service Region Marine at PALFINGER summarizes: “PALFINGER is now one of the few suppliers that can maintain all lifeboats and rescue boats by proving MSC 402(96) compliance. This not only saves our customers time for coordination and planning, but also significantly reduces costs, as they no longer have to commission several providers.”

Putting quality to the test
At its LSA training center in Schiedam, Netherlands, PALFINGER MARINE has been subject to the corresponding certification process. The world-leading certification company DNV took a close look at the evaluation and development of technical competencies of PALFINGER service engineers worldwide, specifically at the content of their training program. Another key element of the certification process was testing the tracking of in the field experience and assessing field competence. The well-renowned training center in Schiedam reflects that PALFINGER lives up to the standards. The facility conducts professional in-house authorization training and is a meeting point for sharing know-how between PALFINGER service engineers from all over the world.

Reliable experts on a global scale
Being awarded the MSC.402(96) certificate means that PALFINGER has not only been accredited to service LSA it has manufactured itself but can also offer maintenance for other brands and types. Mark Jansen, Regional HSEQ Manager at PALFINGER MARINE, is proud of the team’s achievement, “This sets another milestone for PALFINGER MARINE, underlining our expertise and reliability when it comes to lifesaving appliances and their maintenance. This would not have been possible without the immense know-how and field experience of our engineers, of which we are extremely proud.”