diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/common/Util.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/common/Util.java
index 5d7c7211d..3d47b16f5 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/common/Util.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/common/Util.java
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.zkoss.ganttz.util.ComponentsFinder;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.Component;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.event.Event;
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ import org.zkoss.zul.Radio;
 import org.zkoss.zul.Textbox;
 import org.zkoss.zul.Timebox;
 import org.zkoss.zul.api.Checkbox;
+import org.zkoss.zul.api.Column;
 
 /**
  * Utilities class. <br />
@@ -57,6 +60,8 @@ import org.zkoss.zul.api.Checkbox;
  */
 public class Util {
 
+    private static final Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(Util.class);
+
     private Util() {
     }
 
@@ -615,4 +620,13 @@ public class Util {
         }
     }
 
+    public static void setSort(Column column, String sortSpec) {
+        try {
+            column.setSort(sortSpec);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            LOG.error("failed to set sort property for: " + column + " with: "
+                    + sortSpec, e);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController.java
index 7f950150f..8e13e6b22 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController.java
@@ -336,17 +336,14 @@ public class AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController extends
         }
     }
 
-    private void appendDetails(Row row, TaskQualityForm taskQualityForm)
-            throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException,
-            IllegalAccessException {
+    private void appendDetails(Row row, TaskQualityForm taskQualityForm) {
         Detail details = new Detail();
         details.setParent(row);
         details.appendChild(appendGridItems(row, taskQualityForm));
         details.setOpen(false);
     }
 
-    private Grid appendGridItems(Row row, TaskQualityForm taskQualityForm)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    private Grid appendGridItems(Row row, TaskQualityForm taskQualityForm) {
         Grid gridItems = new Grid();
 
         gridItems.setMold("paging");
@@ -362,8 +359,7 @@ public class AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController extends
         return gridItems;
     }
 
-    private void renderColumns(Grid gridItems)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    private void renderColumns(Grid gridItems) {
 
         Columns columns = gridItems.getColumns();
         // Create listhead first time is rendered
@@ -377,7 +373,7 @@ public class AssignedTaskQualityFormsToOrderElementController extends
         // Add static headers
         Column columnName = new Column();
         columnName.setLabel(_("Name"));
-        columnName.setSort("auto=(name)");
+        Util.setSort(columnName, "auto=(name)");
         columnName.setSortDirection("ascending");
         columns.appendChild(columnName);
 
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/IWorkReportCRUDControllerEntryPoints.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/IWorkReportCRUDControllerEntryPoints.java
index 31fa86edd..536fb0d78 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/IWorkReportCRUDControllerEntryPoints.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/IWorkReportCRUDControllerEntryPoints.java
@@ -30,16 +30,13 @@ import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.EntryPoints;
 public interface IWorkReportCRUDControllerEntryPoints {
 
     @EntryPoint("editDTO")
-    public abstract void goToEditForm(WorkReportDTO workReportDTO)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException;
+    public abstract void goToEditForm(WorkReportDTO workReportDTO);
 
     @EntryPoint("edit")
-    public abstract void goToEditForm(WorkReport workReport)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException;
+    public abstract void goToEditForm(WorkReport workReport);
 
     @EntryPoint("create")
-    public abstract void goToCreateForm(WorkReportType workReportType)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException;
+    public abstract void goToCreateForm(WorkReportType workReportType);
 
     @EntryPoint("list")
     public abstract void goToList();
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportCRUDController.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportCRUDController.java
index 2d196a027..bc780220f 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportCRUDController.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportCRUDController.java
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ import org.navalplanner.web.common.components.Autocomplete;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.components.NewDataSortableColumn;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.components.NewDataSortableGrid;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.components.bandboxsearch.BandboxSearch;
-import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.IURLHandlerRegistry;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.EntryPointsHandler;
+import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.IURLHandlerRegistry;
 import org.zkoss.ganttz.IPredicate;
 import org.zkoss.ganttz.util.ComponentsFinder;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.Component;
@@ -605,8 +605,7 @@ public class WorkReportCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer implements
         }
     }
 
-    public void goToCreateForm(WorkReportType workReportType)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    public void goToCreateForm(WorkReportType workReportType) {
         cameBackList = false;
         workReportModel.initCreate(workReportType);
         prepareWorkReportList();
@@ -616,13 +615,12 @@ public class WorkReportCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer implements
         Util.reloadBindings(createWindow);
     }
 
-    public void goToEditForm(WorkReportDTO workReportDTO)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    public void goToEditForm(WorkReportDTO workReportDTO) {
         workReportModel.setListingQuery(false);
         goToEditForm(workReportDTO.getWorkReport());
     }
 
-    public void goToEditForm(WorkReport workReport) throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException{
+    public void goToEditForm(WorkReport workReport) {
         workReportModel.initEdit(workReport);
         createWindow.setTitle(_("Edit Work Report"));
         loadComponents(createWindow);
@@ -702,8 +700,7 @@ public class WorkReportCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer implements
      * @throws ClassNotFoundException
      *
      */
-    private void prepareWorkReportList()
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    private void prepareWorkReportList() {
         /*
          * The only way to clean the listhead, is to clean all its attributes
          * and children The paging component cannot be removed manually. It is
@@ -733,8 +730,7 @@ public class WorkReportCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer implements
      * @throws InstantiationException
      * @throws ClassNotFoundException
      */
-    private void appendColumns(Grid grid) throws
-    ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    private void appendColumns(Grid grid) {
 
         Columns columns = grid.getColumns();
         // Create listhead first time is rendered
@@ -751,7 +747,7 @@ public class WorkReportCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer implements
                 NewDataSortableColumn columnDate = new NewDataSortableColumn();
                 columnDate.setLabel(_("Date"));
                 columnDate.setSclass("date-column");
-                columnDate.setSort("auto=(date)");
+                Util.setSort(columnDate, "auto=(date)");
                 columnDate.setSortDirection("ascending");
 
                 columnDate.addEventListener("onSort", new EventListener() {
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportTypeCRUDController.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportTypeCRUDController.java
index d97f812ba..43bef87ac 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportTypeCRUDController.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/workreports/WorkReportTypeCRUDController.java
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ import org.navalplanner.web.common.OnlyOneVisible;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.Util;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.components.Autocomplete;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.components.NewDataSortableGrid;
-import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.IURLHandlerRegistry;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.EntryPointsHandler;
+import org.navalplanner.web.common.entrypoints.IURLHandlerRegistry;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.Component;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.WrongValueException;
 import org.zkoss.zk.ui.event.CheckEvent;
@@ -265,8 +265,7 @@ public class WorkReportTypeCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer
         }
     }
 
-    public void goToEditNewWorkReportForm(WorkReportType workReportType)
-    throws ClassNotFoundException, InstantiationException, IllegalAccessException {
+    public void goToEditNewWorkReportForm(WorkReportType workReportType) {
         workReportCRUD.goToCreateForm(workReportType);
     }