Safe Mooring

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MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE 92nd session Agenda item 25

MSC 92/INF.11

12 April 2013 ENGLISH ONLY

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Safe mooring – A guide to prevent accidents while mooring

Submitted by Denmark

SUMMARY

Executive summary: This document provides information on current challenges while preparing and executing safe mooring, and provides guidance on how to prevent unsafe situations within the current layouts of mooring systems

Strategic direction: 5.2 and 5.4

High-level action: 5.4.1

Planned output: No related provisions

Action to be taken: Paragraph 13

Related documents: None

Introduction 1 On 1 December 2006, the then Division for Investigation of Maritime Accidents of the Danish Maritime Authority published a thematic study on mooring accidents (1997-2006). The thematic study can be found on this address: http://www.dma.dk/SiteCollectionDocuments/OKE/mooringaccident.pdf 2 In addition to accounting for a number of accidents related to mooring operations during the said period, the thematic study also illustrated that this work task involved some elements of potential danger that should be subject to effective preventive measures. 3 The thematic study provided immediate support for the following two focus areas:

.1 an operational part, which should focus on the proper planning and execution of the operation within the existing (physical) framework, including not least the limitation of the elements of danger and the promotion of the participants' understanding hereof; and

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.2 a technical part, which – in a more forward-looking manner – aims at improved design by means of solutions that will minimize the risk and the working load on the crew members involved.

4 During the period 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2012, more than 60 accidents related to mooring operations have been recorded in the European Marine Casualty Information Platform (EMCIP), including several serious accidents. Accordingly, it is obvious that the challenges of ensuring safe mooring persist. Short-term initiatives 5 In order to further the operational preparedness in connection with mooring operations, Denmark has, during 2012, initiated the development of industry guidelines on safe mooring. 6 The purpose of the industry guidelines is, on the one hand, to impart general knowledge about the good planning and execution of safe mooring operations and, on the other hand, to serve as a tool for the ship management in its ongoing work creating a sound understanding of safety among the crew. The industry guidelines will be followed up by an information campaign and an action plan for the ship management regarding the implementation of the necessary measures. A copy of these guidelines is attached in the annex to this document. More long-term initiatives 7 The design of mooring systems has been subject to only a few changes in recent 100 years. Where, today, more hawsers are fitted on a winch drum, the basic concept is the same. Winches are placed close to the centreline, allowing for mooring on both sides of the ship and involving a complex conveying of hawsers across deck by means of guide pulleys, bollards, hawse holes, etc. 8 This design also necessitates much manual handling of the hawsers during mooring operations, thus exposing the crew members to considerable risk related to the freely-lying and unprotected hawsers during both the handling and the ship's movements along the quay. The drastic increase in ship sizes has also lead to the use of very strong winches as well as large and often very heavy hawsers, which has increased the physical workload. At the same time, the sight conditions in connection with these ship-shore operations have been impaired considerably, especially in the forepart of the ship. 9 An appropriate design that protects the crew and ensures sound working conditions during mooring operations/stays in the area does not seem to be fully recognised in all parts of the maritime world. 10 While the shipyard aims at installing and dimensioning winches and hawsers in accordance with common concepts, many ship owners focus on winches and conveying arrangements offering the flexibility necessary for the ship's future operation. Against this background, the ship management is left with the important task of adjusting the working conditions to the concept chosen, typically by means of operational measures intended to prevent or limit any dangerous situations arising during mooring operations.

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The possibilities 11 Innovation in connection with the design and arrangement of mooring arrangements is conditional upon a global understanding hereof and complemented by corresponding IMO regulation. 12 A precondition for global recognition of such needs is partly that the risk is substantiated by statistical data on the actual risks, partly that it is possible to present usable proposals for safer and more health-oriented mooring concepts. Denmark is in the process of planning such data collecting as well as investigations on alternative designs, and will revert on these issue in due time. Action requested of the Committee 13 The Committee is invited to note the observations provided in this document and to take action, as appropriate. In particular, Denmark would urge Member States and non-governmental organisations to bring the attached "A guide to prevent accidents while mooring" to the attention of all relevant parts of the shipping industry, as well as to encourage the dissemination and inclusion of the described safety principles in the ships' operational practices.

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ANNEX

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Why do accidents happen?

Fatigue Poor suPervision recklessness Poor training unsPoken accePt too busy stress bad radio disciPline

ManageMent looses breadth oF view

ManageMent too young and unexPerienced

not understanding the hazards

Poor Procedures

Poor overview

Standing in a bight

Sitting on a line

Mess on the quay

Line caught in fender

Telling off/bad communication

Bad lighting

Unaware of risk, being

in snap back zone

Line comes off bollard – steep

angle

Line round propeller Several lines

on same bollard

Draught changed

Standing on the line

Poor communication between pilot &

captain & tug

Line ‘singing’ before it parts

Wet paint

Language confusion

Lines lying too long in sun & water

Untidy lines

Wrong outfit

Too many turns (on the drum)

Stopper breaks

Too cold

Oil leak from winch – slip/

injury

Line thrown with-out telling docker

Strong current

Moving to and fro

Crossing line

Lines in mess on mooring

boat

Wires/ropes tight and slack/or different

material, elasticity and breaking strength

Sea rising

i can’t

see what

you’re

saying

The underlying factors

APPENDIX

MSC 92/INF.11 Appendix, page 1

Snap-back zones

The drawings illusTraTe snap-back zones in differenT seT-ups. The figures show The rouTe of The line

When the line parts at the capstan

When the line parts at the roller

Mooring line parts at the overside fairlead

When the line parts at the capstan

When the line parts at the overside fairlead

• Keep a close eye on your workmates• Treat every line under load with extreme caution• First lines ashore, such as spring lines, have the greatest potential to break• If lines are angled round a bollard or roller, the snap-back area increase• Have constant focus at toolbox meetings and in risk assessment

MSC 92/INF.11 Appendix, page2

Risk assessment

Use the program Health and Safety for Sea to prepare the risk assessment

find The risk for each hazard

1. Gather your crew for a risk assessment session2. Place all the hazards you have found on the matrix

Risk levelProbability

Unlikely Likely Very likely

Short or long

term injury

Serious injury

Moderate risk - 4 Serious risk - 7 Unacceptable risk - 9

Injury Minor risk - 2 Moderate risk - 5 Serious risk - 8

Slight injury

Insignificant risk - 1 Minor risk - 3 Moderate risk - 6

MSC 92/INF.11 Appendix, page 3