Lifting, deck and access gearLesson 3 of 10
Proof load tests on board – test weights, water bags and dynamometers
You will be able to plan and witness a crane or derrick load test step by step and spot the errors that make the certificate worthless.
15 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026
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A load test deliberately loads a crane beyond anything it will lift in service. Done well, it proves the structure, the brakes and the foundations. Done badly, it can capsize a small ship, crush a hatch cover, overload the crane far beyond the intended margin, or produce a certificate for a test that never really took place.
Most of the mistakes are made before the test load leaves the quay: weights of unknown mass, no stability check, a radius that was never measured, or a dynamometer used where weights were required. This lesson walks through the test day as the ILO code of practice describes it, with the points the competent person will check.
Continue this lesson free
The rest of this lesson, the interactive Test day on No. 3 crane (SWL 25 t at 22 m) and the quiz are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all 14 courses.
In this lesson
- Try it: Test day on No. 3 crane (SWL 25 t at 22 m)
- In plain words
- In detail
- What the rules say
- Flag and class notes
- Key numbers
- What inspectors find
- Questions people ask
- Quiz: 6 questions
Sources
- 1 ILO, Safety and health in ports, ILO code of practice (2005), appendix A (testing of lifting appliances) and appendix B (testing of loose gear). https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/%40ed_protect/%40protrav/%40safework/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_107615.pdf
- 2 ILO model forms under Convention No. 152, Form No. 2, instructions on the reverse, paragraphs 1 to 4, as published by the Danish Maritime Authority. https://www.dma.dk/Media/637721290870425149/Lifting%20Appliances%20-%20Certificates.doc
- 3 IMO MSC.1/Circ.1663, Guidelines for lifting appliances (28 June 2023), Annex, paragraphs 2.8, 3.2.3 and appendix 1 (copy hosted by ABS). https://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/Images/rules-and-resources/regulatory-updates/solas-requirements/guidelines-hyperlinks/msc1-circ1663-guidelines-for-lifting-appliances%20%284%29.pdf
- 4 Liberia Maritime Authority, Marine Notice SAF-020 Rev. 12/25, paragraphs 2.1.1.5 and 2.4.1.3. https://www.liscr.com/marketing/liscr/media/liscr/online%20library/maritime/saf-020.pdf
- 5 Danish Maritime Authority, Technical regulation on lifting appliances and loose gear on ships. https://admin.dma.dk/Media/637741173764766420/Technical%20regulation%20on%20lifting%20appliances%20and%20loose%20gear%20on%20ships.pdf
Free awareness training. Al Safwan Marine is not an approved training provider, so no certificate is given, and these courses are not a qualification. They don't replace STCW training, manufacturer training or the certification technicians need for this work. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.
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This lesson is also published by our sister site vslsafety.com.
