Tips for safe mooring operations
Mooring and unmooring operations hide a number of risks for those who get involved, many times leading to a fatal accident or a collision; Thus, it is of a great importance when conducting any mooring operation to follow specific steps to ensure the safety of all those conducting the operation.
#1 Use Appropriate Lines
Choose based on size and operational requirements
Choosing the ideal mooring lines depends on local factors such as the water depth, the tidal range and wave energy, as well as on the material the mooring lines are constructed from.
The combination of both the material and the conditions where a vessel is to conduct its mooring operations, play a crucial role for the operation to be fruitful.
#2 Set an inspection system
Ensuring the ideal mooring operation, it is important to follow the steps below:
• Calculate Estimated Life Expectancy
• Set Retirement Criteria
• Set Intervals for Routine, Detailed Inspection
• Request 3rd-party assistance for Inspections
• Residue Strength Testing
Inspections and maintenance should be conducted strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions and be carried out by an expert. In that case, the vessel has the chance to request for 3rd party assistance.
In addition, under the possibility that any damaged, defective or unserviceable piece of mooring equipment is found during inspections, it must be taken out of service and be either replaced or repaired.
#3 Plan operation
Another step to be taken prior to beginning the operations it is to exactly plan the procedure, creating a mooring plan based on mooring position, the area and the environmental conditions.
Also, the plan should be clear on the number of the lines that are going to be used in mooring and the crew in charge of the operation should assess the situation.
#4 Toolbox meeting
The toolbox meeting is a crucial step, not to be avoided, as those participating will in detail analyze the plan, the potential challenges and what mitigation measures will be followed.
Moreover, the meeting will provide safety instructions for those who will conduct the operations, so in case of emergency they will be able to handle the situation, and highlight that all mooring area is a snap-back hazardous area, meaning that all crew should be extra cautious during mooring.
Adapted from https://safety4sea.com
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