Vessel lift maintainer/operator

Training in the operation and maintenance of ship lifts

ERGON Personnel Training Center offers professional preparatory courses for maintainers of ship hoists and other materials handling equipment. Classes are based on the current requirements of the Transport Technical Supervision. Our team of trainers comprehensively prepares participants for the final TDT exam.

Details of the training

During the training you will learn skills such as:

preparing equipment for maintenance operations,
safe working practices,
ensuring that the equipment is in good condition,
carrying out inspections before the equipment is released for sale,
carrying out routine reviews,
safe operation of the machine,
device design,
proper maintenance of technical records.

Ship lifts - definition

Hoists - also known as "slips" - are devices mainly used in the work of pulling ships out of the water for maintenance, repair or defect rectification. They are also used to lower them back into the water. Their construction is based on cable-powered trolleys. They are also well suited to shipyards, where they are used during shipbuilding. The winch is, for obvious reasons, subject to constant stress. For this reason, in order not to shorten its service life too much, this equipment is more often used for ships with relatively small dimensions - up to approximately 2,500 t displacement.

Main parts of ship lifts:

engine room,
operational part,
repair posts.

The operative section can be curved or flat.

Other types of lifts

Ship lifts are not the only category of these devices. They themselves belong to a broader group of so-called cargo lifts. Their other types are:

stationary lifts,
mobile lifts,
portable lifts.

Category of handling equipment

Among the equipment supervised by the TDT, we deal with those belonging to the category of materials handling, in which ship lifts can also be found. The majority of this type of equipment is made up of cranes, i.e. all machines used for lifting and moving material, people and other equipment over short distances. Material handling equipment is used in a wide variety of industries, such as manufacturing, or in warehouse handling. Shipyards and ports are just one example of many such locations. Material handling equipment is therefore an extremely important part of jobs that require heavy equipment.

What does the training look like?

Our training consists of classes according to a programme divided into two basic parts: theory and practice. The training is prepared in such a way that any future maintainer or operator will be able to carry out the necessary maintenance of the ship's hoists to repair most possible faults, under a wide variety of conditions.

Requirements

All those interested in the course must have:

over 18 years of age,
education at least at primary level,
medical certificate of fitness to practise.

Final examination

The course officially concludes with a state examination before a TDT commission. Our course takes into account all the requirements and prepares you to pass the theoretical and practical parts by means of, among other things, sample tests. If you pass the exam, you will need to permissionsnecessary for the legal exercise of the profession.

Maintenance work

Ship lift maintainers are increasingly sought after on the job market. Anyone familiar with servicing materials handling equipment should be able to find a well-paid job, periodic inspections of all equipment of this type are mandatory. Our other courses also cover the servicing of this equipment. At ERGON, we also provide our own service and sell new and used equipment.

Questions and answers

What are ship lifts?

The main use of ship lifts is for both launching and landing floating vehicles. It is particularly useful for carrying out their maintenance.

What do I need to do to join the course?

All potential trainees must be of legal age and have at least a primary school education. They must also provide an occupational health certificate confirming that they are fit for the profession.