Dangers when mooring and unmooring

A recent near-miss was reported on a member’s vessel, whereby a rigger was nearly hit by a mooring line during a mooring operation. The rigger was operating the capstan when it happened. In the past, a number of near misses have occurred and unfortunately also a number of very serious accidents whereby people sustained extensive injuries.

Mooring and unmooring of barges and ships has always been a hazardous operation. Clearly, not all parts of a mooring operation can be planned without good co-operation and communication with the crew of the facility or other vessel.

To enhance such co-operation and communication, with the aim of eliminating such incidents, the member has noted the following points in its procedures:

• Always have a ‘toolbox talk’ prior to any mooring/unmooring operation and keep to the agreements made;
• Follow the correct (agreed) sequence;
• Always stand clear of areas where you can be hit by a breaking line or a jumping line;
• Check the condition of the mooring lines before use – if their condition is unacceptable, scrap them;
• If you end up in a situation where the situation is hazardous, stand back and/or stop the operation and make sure it is safe before proceeding; . Communication between deck and foreman on barge needs to be operating properly in case of sequence changes or otherwise.