No Easy Solution to Mooring Accidents

The human element, more so than equipment problems, have caused some of the recent injuries and deaths associated with mooring. 

A recently released investigation by the Danish Maritime Authority into the mooring accident on the container ship Pachuca in December 2012 highlights the complexity of mooring operations. Pachuca was in Esbjerg, Denmark, when the deck crew started to single up to one forward spring line. There was a strong breeze from an easterly direction that made it difficult for the master to maneuver the ship from the berth. He therefore turned the rudder hard to port and set the thrusters to push to starboard. He then gave the main engine a short forward order by setting the pitch propeller to 40 percent. 

The master’s intention was to open the ship with the forward spring. He would then be able to use the propulsion system to move the ship out. Within 10-15 seconds, the spring line was slacked until there was no mooring rope left on the winch drum. The clamp, where the mooring line was fastened, broke and the line struck and seriously injured the bosun. 

As Pachuca visits six different ports a week, it uses a variety of mooring configurations. It would therefore not promote safety to paint snap-back zones on the vessel’s small deck as is often recommended. This would be too confusing.

Another accident, this time investigated by the UK’s MAIB involved the crewman lost from the general cargo vessel Sea Melody in December 2013. The crewman was pulled overboard from the forward mooring area when his foot became caught in a bight of rope. Despite an extensive search, his body was not recovered.

This was the eighth fatality during mooring operations that the MAIB had investigated in as many years. The key safety issues identified in this case were:
The crew were not effectively briefed about the operation to move the vessel.
The crewman was unsupervised at the time of the accident.
The communications between the ship and the shore linesmen were not effective as no prior briefing had taken place between them.

The UK P&I Club conducted an investigation into mooring equipment on ships in 2013, and their analysis revealed that most of the equipment used in mooring operations was in good condition. However, a significant number of vessels did not have adequate procedures or arrangements in place. 

The club identified the human element as one of the key factors in accidents, as a number of familiar factors reoccur:

? Seafarers stand in bights or snap-back zones, when ropes part those involved are often injured.
? Crew with insufficient training are used during mooring operations, it is often these people who are seriously injured if something goes wrong.
? The person supervising mooring is also involved with operation and is unable to carry out his role effectively.

The UK P&I Club report: Risk Focus: Moorings can be found here.

The MAIB Sea Melody report can be found here.

The DMA Pachuca report can be found here.