It’s surprising that 50% of those surveyed think facilities need to be upgraded so regularly: either on an ongoing basis or within every two years.

With that said, 25% expect fender systems to have a life expectancy of ten years. This is perfectly reasonable, but not when you consider that respondents are not placing enough importance on regular inspections and maintenance, which only 36% carry out annually.

Fender systems can achieve virtually zero failure – but they need to be maintained correctly. Given this lack of regular inspections and maintenance, it’s unsurprising that 50% have had to upgrade their fender systems within the last ten years.

Worse still, there is a huge increase in unscheduled downtime due to fender damage compared to last year, when only 20% cited it as a contributing factor. This is a major concern and suggests that installed solutions are not performing in practice.

It seems likely that a lack of maintenance is part of the problem. Especially when you consider that 64% of those surveyed said that they or their clients only carried out inspections and maintenance every two to ten years, far less frequently than recommended.

If facilities continue to neglect maintenance and inspection, the situation will only deteriorate. On the bright side, committing to and implementing a robust maintenance schedule is easier than ever, with leading suppliers developing new, cutting edge solutions that can minimize maintenance requirements, taking the pressure off even further.

As such, owners, operators, consultants and contractors need to ensure they are not replacing like for like out of habit – but looking for improved solutions wherever they are available.