X-904 refurbishment

Just a note to our end users

We are pleased that you chose the X-904 for your operations and we want you to have the best and safest possible program for the offshore transfer of your most important asset, your people. Due to this, we recommend replacement of the device after three refurbishments

Daily Checklist

Make sure you are doing your daily checklist to manage the daily demands of your X-904. Forms are available for download here.

6 Month Inspections

This is a thorough inspection. Make sure you are prepared. Forms are available for download here.

Why do we refurbish X-904’s and not personnel baskets?

The X-904 is manufactured with a variety of components such as wire rope, synthetic rope, floatation, cover materials etc. All of these components are affected by the harsh offshore environment they operate in. This wear would include general wear and tear, UV degradation as well as the salt water conditions offshore. These effected parts are all critical in the performance and operation of the X-904. The X-904 is a device that carries the most important “cargo” in the offshore community…people. The X-904 is designed to be inspected before each use then have a more thorough inspection every 6 months and be refurbished every two years (with the understanding that it had passed the daily and 6 month inspections). The two year refurbishment helps to insure these devices are more than ready to do the job they were designed for…Why two years? Because we have found that on average (based on over 60 years of manufacturing safety equipment for offshore use) two years in the field is the maximum time that we can recommend these kind of lifting devises operate without critical parts being replaced.

What if we don’t use our X-904 regularly- can we alter the refurbishment/replacement Recommendation?

Our policies were written for the X-904 based on “normal” usage. From time to time we have come upon these circumstances where the customer does not regularly use their X-904 in their day to day operations.

We don’t change or alter our policies/recommendations because to do so would add subjectivity to the refurbishment and maintenance equation of the product. Adding this variable, we would then be in the position to have to look at every X-904 and subjectively say whether it is time or not to refurb or be replaced. To do this (in our opinion) would create a safety concern about the integrity of this most important product. If one mistake is made, there is a good chance that injuries or even lives would be affected. Being consistent on our part is critical and this has resulted in never having a structural failure on the X-904 in its history.

It is also important to note that we are not an enforcement agency, we only “recommend” how our product is used and maintained. If the customer chooses not to follow these Recommendations, it is up to them. An analogy would be when buying a car the manufacturer has recommendations for changing the oil, tire rotation etc. It is up to the buyer to determine if they follow them, even if the car stays in the garage.

Just one more thing worth noting, all of our X-904’s have life left in them when they come in for refurbishment. The last personnel lift these devices make should not be the last one that they are “capable” of making.

How to get the In Service Date?

In the event the In-Service Date was not noted when unwrapped, you can use the following dates for your records.

• In-Service Date – The date the device was unwrapped, if not the follow date will apply.
• Good Receiving Date (GRN Date) – The date the customer received the goods from their forwarding agent, if not the follow date will apply.
• Invoice Date (From Distributor to Customer) or Delivery Order Date (From Distributor to Customer) from a DO or Invoice, if not the follow date will apply.
• Purchase Order Date (Customer PO to Distributor), if not the follow will apply.
• Distributor Receiving Date from Billy Pugh, if not the follow will apply.
• Manufacturing Date

Do you have a sample JSA for personnel transfer?

Yes. You can download it here.

What is the life span or maximum number of refurbishments of the X-904?

The center section of the X-904 is made from aluminum. This is so that the X-904 will be as light as possible. This light weight feature is important so that in the event that someone is struck on deck with the transfer basket that they will be much less likely to be injured or knocked over. Aluminum is great for this reason but it does “cycle” over time and lose some strength. After 8 years in the field (new – plus 3 refurbs) we recommend that they be replaced. It’s important to realize that these devices will still have “life” left in them in the vast majority of cases when they are taken out of service. This is good as the last lift they make should not be the last lift that they are “capable” of making. We always have to err on the conservative side due the “cargo” that our products carry. We cannot be 99.9% sure, if we have only one failure (which we have not) then the results will be catastrophic, injuries will most certainly occur and lives may even be lost. We are extremely proud of the safety record of the X-904. Diamond Offshore helped us design the X-904 and the last testing that was done before we went into production was on the Ocean Confidence.