Maritime Rules Part 49 sets the requirements for ships' lifting appliances and loose cargo gear in New Zealand. If you operate a port, manage a vessel, or are responsible for cargo gear on the water, keeping your gear register current and your certificates in order is not optional — and the requirements are more detailed than many operators realise.
What Part 49 requires:
Every ship must maintain a register of lifting appliances and cargo gear. The register must list each item, its safe working load, the date of last inspection, the date of next inspection due, and the certifying inspector. It must be available on board for inspection by Maritime NZ at any time.
Loose cargo gear — shackles, hooks, blocks, wire rope slings, chain slings, and similar — must be proof tested and certified before first use and re-certified at intervals not exceeding five years. In-service inspection of gear in regular use should be more frequent, and any gear showing signs of wear, deformation, or damage must be taken out of service immediately.
Ships' lifting appliances — pedestal cranes, union purchase rigs, derricks — must be inspected by a competent person at intervals specified in the rules, with full load testing required after any significant repair or modification.
Certificates must be issued by an inspector recognised under Part 49. DEG holds Maritime NZ approval to inspect and certify ships' lifting appliances and loose cargo gear under Part 49. Our inspectors work from Timaru, Lyttelton, Otago, Nelson, and Hamilton — covering all major New Zealand ports and available for vessel calls at short notice.
If your gear register is overdue for a review or you have a vessel arriving that needs certification work, contact us.
Get in touch: admin@deg.nz
Reference links:
Maritime NZ — Maritime Rules Part 49:
https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/rules/part-49/
Maritime NZ — Cargo gear and lifting appliances guidance:
https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/commercial/ship-safety/cargo-gear/