Safety Flash
Failure of ROV lift umbilical winch brake
Failure of ROV lift umbilical winch brake
- IMCA
- Safety Flash
- IMCA SF 08/01
- DivingInspection and MaintenanceLifting OperationsMachinery and Equipment
- Mechanical failure
- Inspection and maintenanceROV operations
- Remotely operated vehicleWinch
- Functional testingOperating and work procedures
- Upstream oil and gas
- Subsea
Summary
A CORMAC ROV umbilical winch suffered uncontrolled payout after excessive brake-plate wear, losing the ROV and umbilical without injury. The flash explains how a pay-in command aided payout and describes motor-against-brake torque testing and company response instructions as short-term measures while a possible manufacturer-agreed modification was investigated.
Classifications: Mechanical failure; equipment failure.
Classifications: Inspection and maintenance; asset inspection; equipment maintenance.
Classifications: ROV operations; remotely operated vehicle operations.
Classifications: Remotely operated vehicle; ROV; underwater robot.
Classifications: Winch; winches.
Classifications: Functional testing; function test.
Classifications: Operating and work procedures.
Classifications: Upstream oil and gas; oil and gas extraction; upstream petroleum.
Classifications: Subsea; underwater worksite.
Summary
Excessive brake wear caused an ROV umbilical winch to pay out uncontrollably, losing the ROV and umbilical.
IMCA SF 08/01. Themes: diving, inspection and maintenance, lifting operations, machinery and equipment.