While New Zealand is taking measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maritime NZ has taken steps to allow operators to use lifting appliances with expired annual examinations and certificates of test for a specific period of time.
If your lifting appliance annual examination falls due between 11 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 you are able to continue to use it for an additional three months from the date it expires provided:
- every lifting appliance on the ship and every item of loose cargo gear carried by the ship was thoroughly examined by a competent person between 11 March 2019 and 11 March 2020;
- the required examination by a competent person occurs within 15 months of the previous examination;
- the ship’s flag administration has approved the extension;
- the vessel’s Classification Society has endorsed the extension;
- the vessel’s chief or second engineer performs an inspection of the lifting appliances prior to each cargo operation in New Zealand and the Master provides a declaration of this inspection which is retained in the register of equipment, noting any element of the lifting appliance that is found to be unsatisfactory;
- if any element of the lifting appliance is found to be unsatisfactory during the inspection by the chief or second engineer, no person may use that lifting appliance until any defect is remedied to the satisfaction of a competent person.
Certificate of test
If your lifting appliance certificate of test expires between 11 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 you are able to continue to use it for an additional three months from the date it expires provided:
- a valid Certificate of Test was held up until its expiry after 11 March 2020;
- the required test by a competent person occurs within 5 year and 3 months of the previous test;
- the ship’s flag administration has approved the extension;
- the vessel’s Classification Society has endorsed the extension;
- the vessel’s chief or second engineer performs an inspection of the lifting appliances prior to each cargo operation in New Zealand and the Master provides a declaration of this inspection which is retained in the register of equipment, noting any element of the lifting appliance that is found to be unsatisfactory;
- if any element of the lifting appliance is found to be unsatisfactory during the inspection by the chief or second engineer, no person may use that lifting appliance until any defect is remedied to the satisfaction of a competent person.
These exemptions shall be valid until 30 June 2020 unless withdrawn earlier in writing by the Director.
