Tag: mooring

Fatal accident during mooring operation

Fracture injury during mooring operation

To ensure safe mooring with zero incidents. Ships enter and leave ports regularly. Tying up a ship when alongside a berth or another vessel is potentially a very hazardous operation, unless simple and effective safety procedures are followed. 'Mooring Practice Safety Guidance for Offshore Vessels when Alongside in Ports and Harbours' (IMCA SEL 029/M 214), the latest publication from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is designed to ensure safe mooring with zero incidents."Mooring accidents are always on the list of personal injury accidents, often resulting in severe injuries or even fatalities," explains Jane Bugler, IMCA's Technical Director. "Indeed, many people who read this guidance will remember some form of mooring incident. Whether it be a near miss or an accident, it should serve as a reminder that mooring and casting off a vessel is a potentially hazardous operation that should always be well planned by way of risk assessments and comprehensive procedures. The maintenance of all ship's equipment is important, but it appears that mooring equipment can sometimes be forgotten about. Ours is a very simple message: 'Look after all your mooring equipment and it should contribute to a safer operation'."The new guidance has easy-to-follow sections on planning the ...

OSIS Database STS operations have proven over the years to be safe subject that sound management takes place. The number of participating elements and the extent ship owners exercise their due diligence are contributing factors on the effectiveness and safe conduct of the operations. Since records should now be kept as per IMO MEPC 186(59) and because of TMSA, ship owners and their managers will be evaluated on their risk analysis, emergency preparedness and hence their reputation along with the reputation of their charterers and cargo owners. Standardized risk analysis methods may be utilized in STS Operations; however the availability of performance data may be subjective and in many cases limited due to the absence of a past regulatory scheme or a reliable database available to the industry.Dynamarine introduced a service entitled ONLINESTS.NET, solely devoted on STS Operations, involved in Screening of STS Elements on behalf of ship owners, such as participating vessels, STS Service providers etc, risk assessment and assessment data collected from STS Operations on OSIS Database. OSIS database was designed towards this direction and It is based on a voluntary basis. It is a unique database that encapsulates the individual assessments of master mariners towards the performance ...

Safe berthing and mooring operations Safe berthing and mooring operations are critical to the success of ports, harbours and offshore environments. Most importantly, safe operations protect site personnel but additionally, the huge investments made in the facility to begin with.A new bollard guide, published by Trelleborg Marine Systems for port operators and ship owners illustrates the importance of best practice, tailor-made solutions.With 30 years of experience providing specialist berthing and mooring systems for port, offshore and marine industries, Trelleborg's Bollard Guide features comprehensive bollard data, factors to consider in the design process and specification and installation information.The Guide underlines why different types of bollard are required for different applications and the significance of the differing performance characteristics.Bollards are, of course, safety critical items and as such, product quality is paramount. The importance of demanding the highest standards of certification is highlighted, with tips on what to look for in a quality documentation package.Trelleborg Marine Systems is able to work with port operators, owners and consultants from the design stage of a project to determine the most effective bollard to suit an application. The guide itself covers tee, horn and kidney bollards.The Bollard Guide, which builds on the success of Trelleborg's ...

Experience Feedback A feeder container ship was berthing starboard side to a terminal on a clear, calm morning. The berthing pilot was assisted by the bridge team consisting of the Master, 3/O and helmsman. The forward mooring station was manned by the C/O, Bosun, an Ordinary Seaman (OS), a Trainee Seaman (trainee) and a deck cadet. The aft mooring station was manned by the 2/O and two ABs. The helmsman, who was also an AB, was expected to join the aft mooring party on completion of his bridge duties, once the vessel had been placed alongside its berth. Two tugs were assisting, one was made fast on the port quarter and the other was standing by forward to assist in accordance with pilot's orders. After closing with the berth, the aft backspring was sent ashore.The Master then instructed the C/O to send out the forward lines. While the cadet, OS and the trainee were lowering the forward backspring and a headline through the centreline panama chock, the Bosun, facing aft, operated the winch controls located inside the fore peak store access trunk. The C/O was standing on the starboard bulwark platform and directing the team with hand signals. As the ...

Mooring incidents result in substantial claims for damage to ship and shore equipment Ropes and wires cause the great majority of personal injuries. Most of these injuries occur during mooring operations. Mooring incidents also result in substantial claims for damage to ship and shore equipment."The Missing Link" shows how to make mooring safer and how to prevent damage, step by step.

UK P&I Club - Loss prevention information The UK P&I Club has been advised of changes in mooring practices with regard to double banking at Torrevaldaliga Nord quay in the Port of Civitavecchia. It is now provided that the Local Association of Moorers (Gruppo Ormeggiatori) is in charge of checking the safety of mooring ropes of double banked vessels every 4 hours. The details of these changes are given as follows:New text of article 10 of order n. 29/10 of Port Authority of Civitavecchia - Quay Torrevaldaliga NordArt. 10 - Double Banking. Further to assessment and forecast of weather conditions, Port Authority may authorize the contemporary double banking of one multipurpose vessel and one panamax vessel.In order to guarantee safety of mooring/unmooring manoeuvres, contemporary mooring of several multipurpose and post-panamax is not allowed.In case of double banking as per previous paragraph one, if not provided to the contrary by the Port Authority of Civitavecchia, the Gruppo Ormeggiatori shall control the mooring conditions of the two units by the means of regular inspections (every 4 hours); these inspections shall regard, in particular, the crossing of the panamax vessel's stern mooring ropes with the multipurpose vessel's bow mooring ropes; the outcome of ...

Ministry of Transport and Communications says Shipping and mooring at Klaipeda Seaport will be safer from now on, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said.The first horizontal water flows' meter installed close to the port entrance will enable dispatchers to receive precise information on the water flows at the total width of the port shipping channel, reports LETA/ELTA.This information will be forwarded to pilots, so that they could be able to arrange safer and efficient shipping and mooring at the quays of the port. Klaipeda Seaport is located between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. Melting snow or a heavy fall of rain may cause the surge of Curonian Lagoon water level, thus directing the intense water flow to the Baltic Sea. Also a strong wind may suddenly change the water flow direction.Sometimes it happens that opposite flows of water occur in different parts of the channel.The newly implemented modern horizontal ultrasound meter will enable the Port Authority staff to monitor precisely the water flows and to simplify the movement and mooring of ships at the port. Source: The Baltic-Course

Fatality on a container ship during mooring operations in Veracruz The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued the report of its investigation of the fatality on a container ship during mooring operations in Veracruz on 15 July 2011.The vessel was moving astern along its berth, assisted by two tugs. The headline parted under tension, snapping back and striking an ordinary seaman on the forecastle. The mooring rope had previously suffered abrasion damaged that significantly decreased its residual strength.For more information, click here.Source: UK MAIB