Engineer Navin Ragoo, BSc, MSc, CMIOSH, CSP, MIET, R.Eng
The Board of Engineering of Trinidad and Tobago (BOETT) is proud to highlight another significant milestone in the advancement of specialist engineering practice with the registration of Engineer Navin Ragoo as the country’s first Specialist Lifting Engineer.
Engineer Ragoo’s professional journey reflects a unique and commendable blend of academic diversity, practical experience, and sustained commitment to safety and technical excellence. Beginning with a foundation in Chemistry and Biochemistry, and advancing through postgraduate studies in Occupational, Environmental Safety and Health and Petroleum Engineering, his career has evolved into one of specialized leadership in lifting operations within the energy sector. Over nearly two decades, including more than thirteen years in responsible charge of lifting engineering functions, he has developed and demonstrated the high level of competence, judgment, and accountability required for this field.
Lifting engineering is a critical and high-risk area of practice, requiring rigorous technical analysis, meticulous planning, and unwavering attention to safety. The BOETT’s recognition of this discipline as a specialist category underscores the importance of ensuring that such work is carried out by qualified professionals operating under responsible charge, with authority over lift planning, equipment integrity, and operational safety systems.
In this interview with the BOETT, Engineer Ragoo shares insights into his career path, the challenges and responsibilities of lifting engineering, and his experience in achieving specialist registration. His story serves not only as a testament to professional excellence, but also as an inspiration to engineers pursuing specialized practice and leadership in safeguarding life, property, and the environment.
Q1. First, congratulations on becoming the first engineer registered by the BOETT as a Specialist Lifting Engineer. What does this milestone achievement mean to you personally and professionally?
It means a great deal to me. It reflects a journey that was not necessarily planned from the start, but one I committed to over time. Professionally, it brings recognition to lifting engineering as a discipline. Personally, I see it as a responsibility because being first is not just about achievement, it is about setting the standard others will follow.
Q2. How do you see this recognition contributing to the development and formalization of lifting engineering practice in Trinidad and Tobago?
I think it brings clarity to what lifting engineering really represents. Lifting has often been viewed as purely operational, but in reality, it requires structured engineering input and accountability. This recognition helps shift that perspective and creates a foundation for others to build on.
Q3. Your academic journey began in Chemistry and Biochemistry before transitioning into Safety, and ultimately into Petroleum and Lifting Engineering. What inspired this progression?
My progression was gradual but purposeful. My background in Chemistry and Biochemistry led me into Safety, and then into the petroleum sector, where I worked offshore managing high-risk operations. An opportunity then arose to transition onshore and enrol in a two-year pilot Lifting Specialist Development Programme. That experience exposed me to the engineering side of lifting, and I was drawn to its combination of technical precision, real-time decision-making, accountability and ultimately shaping my specialization.
Q4. Looking back, how did your background in occupational safety and health influence your approach to lifting engineering, particularly in high-risk environments?
It shaped how I approach everything. I was trained to question conditions, not accept them at face value. That mindset continues today because in lifting, what is assumed safe can quickly become unsafe if not properly understood.
Q5. Can you share any defining moments in your early career that steered you toward specializing in lifting operations and engineering?
Being involved in lifts that did not go exactly as planned had a lasting impact. Those experiences showed me how small gaps can lead to significant risk and reinforced that good engineering is often what prevents incidents.
Q6. The BOETT places strong emphasis on “Responsible Charge.” Can you describe how your role evolved to where you were exercising independent engineering judgment and accountability in lifting operations?
Over time, I moved into roles where I had to make decisions and stand by them. Responsible charge is where technical knowledge meets accountability, you are not just advising, you are deciding.
Q7. In your current and past roles, what does “being in responsible charge” of lifting operations look like on a day-to-day basis?
It is staying close to the work, reviewing lift plans, validating calculations, and ensuring risks are clearly understood. It also means being prepared to step in when something does not feel right, regardless of the pressure to proceed.
Q8. Can you share an example where you had to make a critical engineering decision—perhaps stopping or modifying a lift—to protect safety and integrity?
I stopped a lift due to uncertainty with the load, particularly around the center of gravity due to incomplete vendor data and asymmetric equipment layout on the skid. This created a risk of uneven load distribution and potential rotation during pick up. In lifting, uncertainty is risk, and if something is not fully understood, it should not proceed.
Q9. Lifting engineering requires strong analytical capability. What are some of the most technically demanding aspects of lift planning and execution that you routinely deal with?
Ensuring that calculations reflect reality. Load accuracy, rigging arrangements, and crane performance can all vary in the field, so the challenge is bridging the gap between theory and actual conditions.
Q10. How do you approach complex lifting scenarios such as heavy lifts, offshore operations, or lifts with uncertain centres of gravity?
I apply a structured approach, define the load, validate assumptions, assess constraints, and eliminate uncertainty. If something is not fully understood, it is not ready to be lifted.
Q11. What role do engineering calculations—such as load determination, rigging geometry, and crane capacity verification—play in ensuring safe lifting operations?
They are fundamental. Every safe lift is supported by verified calculations. Good engineering removes guesswork and replaces it with certainty.
Q12. Your experience highlights responsibility for lifting equipment integrity across its lifecycle. Can you explain how you manage inspection, certification, and defect resolution systems?
By applying a controlled lifecycle approach: verify certification, define inspection intervals, and maintain full equipment traceability. Inspections and thorough examinations are scheduled based on risk and usage. Defects are reported, assessed, and equipment is either repaired or removed from service. This ensures integrity is continuously controlled, not assumed.
Q13. A Specialist Lifting Engineer must lead teams and influence safety culture. How do you ensure competence and accountability among lifting personnel such as operators, riggers, and supervisors?
By setting clear expectations, verifying competency, and maintaining consistent oversight. Strong teams are built on clarity, not assumptions.
Q14. What lessons have you learned about managing risk in lifting operations that you believe all engineers should understand?
Risk in lifting operations must be engineered out where possible and controlled where it cannot be eliminated. Every lift should be treated as a system: load, equipment, environment, and human interaction, where failure in any one element can lead to overall failure. Assumptions are a primary hazard; all variables must be verified through calculation, inspection, and clear communication. If conditions deviate from the plan, the lift should not proceed until it is reassessed and confirmed safe.
Q15. Finally, what improvements would you like to see in lifting governance, standards adoption, or regulatory oversight locally?
Greater alignment with international standards and wider recognition of lifting engineering as a specialist discipline. The goal should be consistency, competence, and accountability across the industry. Also, the approval and application of the Trinidad and Tobago Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 2009 (LOLER), as it establishes mandatory requirements for the safe use, planning, supervision and execution of lifting operations.