During offshore crane assisted personnel transfer operations the personnel transfer device can spin, (especially in high winds) possibly causing the stabilizer to wrap around the load line multiple times. When the transfer device is then set down on the deck the twisted rigging remains. When the transfer device is then put back into service and lifted under load; the wire rope load line stretches the rubber in small sections between the wraps and can possibly break the rubber bands and/or pull loose from the pin which joins the ends of the rubber band together. It is important to untwist the load line from the stabilizer before each lift to keep from happening.

We, M/s. Billy Pugh Co., Inc. are reputed and world’s leading manufacturers for Offshore Personnel Transfer Nets. We have over 61 years of experience in manufacturing Transfer Nets and have supplied well over 10,000 Nos. of Transfer Nets and Baskets to various offshore companies globally.

We do not recommend load testing our personnel nets/baskets as all of the individual parts of these units are certified and are the highest quality available. We manufacture to ISO quality standards, so every unit is built exactly the same. These units are complex (in that) they are composed on multiple load bearing parts such as wire rope, lifting hardware, shackles, and synthetic rope. This makes a proper load test very difficult without damaging the unit. Our slings are load tested but they are load tested prior to attaching to the personnel net. Load testing the entire unit (in our opinion) has the potential to do more damage to the units than glean any information or make the product safer as each individual part has been certified. In summary, we invented this product, we have been manufacturing them for over 60 years and we have never had a structural failure using our protocol. This confirms our protocol is better than any other statement.

The X-800 series is not designed to be refurbished. The reason being that by the time the personnel net is taken apart and re-assembled with certified new parts, it is more expensive than buying a new net.

The X-800 series personnel nets are built to ABS standards and are ABS Type Approved. An ABS or ABS-Certified Report can be requested for any X-800 when ordering.

In the past 25 years there have been no fatalities in the GOM on any Billy Pugh Company personnel transfer device or personnel net.  In that time there have been dozens of fatalities in the Gulf due to helicopter accidents.

The date the X-800 is removed from its packaging is the In Service Date which is used for aging the device for inspections and replacement.  This date needs to be noted on the certificate that comes with the device.  If during inspection no “In Service Date” was recorded then paperwork will need to refer to the Manufacturing Date, the date in which it was built at BPC, which is located on the tags and paperwork provided.  

The In Service Date is the date when the X-800 is removed from its packaging. This determines when the 3 month inspection should take place. The In Service Date will need to be noted on the certificate included with the purchase of the X-800.

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

1. In-Service Date – The date the device was unwrapped, if not the follow date will apply.
2. Good Receiving Date (GRN Date) – The date the customer received the goods from their forwarding agent, if not the follow date will apply.
3. 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.
4. Purchase Order Date (Customer PO to Distributor), if not the follow will apply.
5. Distributor Receiving Date from Billy Pugh, if not the follow will apply.
6. Manufacturing Date

We do not recommend that luggage be placed in the center of the X-800 series transfer baskets.  Two reasons:

1.   There is no good ergonomic way to pick up luggage from an X-800 series basket without either bending at the waist or getting inside the basket.  In either case, this is a potential for an injury.
2. The X-800 series baskets have open “doors” for personnel to stand in.  During rough seas/windy transfers, the basket can swing and luggage can fall out on to personnel below.  This has happened before and an injury resulted from luggage striking the deck hand below.  The X-900 series is designed for light luggage but this is a different system .

We would recommend on the outer ring.  The basket will tilt but only slightly and this will not create any hazard.

As a general rule, we recommend that all Billy Pugh Co. X800 series personnel nets be replaced annually when used on a daily basis (such as a jackup drilling rig). On production platforms and other applications where the personnel net is used less frequently, we recommend that it be changed out every other year. This is a recommended guideline only and will vary depending on condition, how well the net is cared for and stored.

The X-840 is designed for offshore operations that need a “small footprint” for their personnel basket.  A normal sized personnel net (X-870) has a 72” footprint, the X-840 is only 60”.

The X-816 is for operations that need a shorter stabilizer and load line assembly.  This would be someone with a shorter boom unable to get a normal sized personnel net over the rail.  The load line on an X-816 is 9 ft. shorter than a standard X-871.

The air cushion net is designed to create a softer landing (especially in rough seas).  These “air nets” have pneumatic hose attached to the bottom and top of the lower ring which makes for more a softer landing in the event the boat has a harsh impact when the personnel net is lowered to the deck.  As with all personnel net landings, we still recommend that personnel keep knees bent and are ready for the transfer device to touch down on deck.

Most offshore crane operations have a maximum of 30 knot winds. All of the variables, in this document, should be taken into account when determining the maximum wind and sea conditions for all offshore crane personnel transfer.