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Buoy Too Close To Fibre Line Led To Wandering MODU

maritime safety news, mooring, mooring, MSF, Offshore, Offshore, Safety Alerts No Responses Jul 162012

Mooring line No. 5 after the accident Marine Safety Forum warns that a MODU was moored with eight mooring lines and connected to the well. A loud noise was heard originating from aft, port side column and it was observed on the tension monitoring that the mooring line no. 5 lost its initial tension of 145mT down to 45mT. The MODU got an excursion of 12 meters from initial position and the MODU tilted 2,3 degrees. Angle on lower flex joint was less than 2 degrees. Ballasting system was run to stabilize the MODU and the thrusters operated in manual mode to re-locate the MODU back to its initial position prior to the mooring line failure. It was identified some time thereafter that the fiber rope insert in mooring line no. 5 had failed. The triggering cause was that the subsurface buoy shackle/chain came into contact with the fibre rope insert and lead to loss of integrity of the fiber rope insert.

Critical Factors (CF) that lead to the incident: CF1: Subsurface buoy shackle and chain fastened too close to the fiber line CF2: Rotational movement of the mooring line lead to the subsurface buoy arrangement getting tangled up into the fiber line (Fig 2) Recommendations: 1. Install subsurface buoy to the bottom chain segment by snotter shackle in a safe distance to avoid the subsurface buoy to reach the fiber line segment connection point 2. Install high tension swivels in both ends of the fiber line insert 3. Evaluate use of swivels during test tension to avoid twist in pre-installed anchor lines 4. Assess the use of ROV survey when the MODU has achieved work tension in the mooring lines 5. All parties involved in the rig move process, is recommended to make themself familiar with industry learning related to mooring line failures and by doing so, bring learning forward in risk assessments and point-out potential weaknesses in rig move documentation issued for review Rig Specific Corrective Action Plans to be developed, tracked and closed. Download Safety Alert Posted by bobcouttie at 23:13

Watch Your Step When Mooring

Accident, Accident report, falls, marine safety forum, mooring, mooring, Safety Alerts No Responses Apr 022012

Open holes, a hazard when mooring Watch your step is a lesson learned by an AB at the cost of a fractured foot while assisting with mooring lines according to a safety alert from Marine Safety Forum. Says the alert: While vessel had to move approximately 300m to new berth, AB was on quay wall assisting with mooring lines. Able Seaman let go lines and walked to new position to make ready the other mooring lines. Able Seaman fell in unmarked drain or manhole on quay wall. Brief Description of Root Cause: No grid over deep drain or manhole, no hazard marking around the hole. Able Seaman not familiar with the area. Learnings and Preventative Actions: Watch your step when walking around all areas, especially when not familiar with the area. All areas should be examined so that slips trips and falls hazards are identified prior to commencement of any operations. All hazardous areas should be clearly marked. Having identified hazards, Risk Assessments are to be carried out. Use the risk assessment in consultation with the crew Download safety flash here Posted by bobcouttie at 00:57

Freemantle Express Mooring Fatality: Weak Lines, Poor Design

Accident, Accident report, fatality, maritime safety news, mooring No Responses Mar 062012

Mooring operations continue to take too high a toll

Mooring incidents continue to take a horrific toll on seafarers. As the UKs MAIB report on its latest investigation into a mooring incident aboard Freemantle Express, oversights big and small lead to devastating consequences. Mooring injuries come in two varieties severe and fatal. In the case of Freemantle Express it was fatal, an OS lost his life. Says the report summary: On 15 July 2011, Fremantle Express, a UK-registered container vessel, was berthing in the port of Veracruz when a headline parted under tension. The broken mooring line recoiled and struck an ordinary seaman (OS) who was standing on the forecastle. The seaman died of his injuries. The vessel was moving astern along her berth at the time of the accident, assisted by two tugs. The MAIB investigation found that: the combined effect of the vessels movement astern and her bow paying off the berth had resulted in a snatch loading on the mooring rope; the rope had previously suffered abrasion damage that had lowered its residual strength to less than 66% of its original strength; the OS had stepped into the snap-back zone of the rope; and no warning had been given to him by other members of the mooring party. Among the MAIB findings: Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 00:53 Tagged with: Freemantle Express

Forth Guardsman Mooring Fatality Remember Basic Safety

Accident, Accident report, maritime safety news, mooring No Responses Sep 072011

Standing on a bight led to being crushed against the ship's rail Mooring accidents are often nasty accidents. Enormous energies built up in mooring wires can be released suddenly and unexpectedly and the result may be death or horrific injury. As the fatality aboard the landingcraft Forth Guardman on March this year demonstrates, safety awareness is at a premium in mooring operations. Says the investigation report from the UKs Marine Accident Investigation Board, MAIB: an able seaman (AB) working on board the Briggs Marine Contractors Limited (BMC) landing craft Forth Guardsman, became trapped between a mooring wire and the ships rail during a mooring operation. The weight on the wire could not be released quickly enough, and the AB was pulled over the guardrail and into the sea: he was recovered, but died from his injuries. The investigation found that insufficient manpower had been assigned for the mooring operation, some risks had not been identified properly, seamanship practices on board were poor, the AB had stood in an open bight which closed around him, and emergency communication procedures were inadequate. BMC conducted its own safety investigation and as a result is undertaking a number of actions to prevent a reoccurrence. In light of these actions the MAIB has not made any recommendations MAIB Report See Also: Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 21:19 Tagged with: Forth Guardsman

No Link No Moor Mooring Link Failure

Accident report, maritime safety news, mooring No Responses Aug 272011

Mooring link had flared open MAC is pleased to pass on this editted internal company investigation into the separation of a mooring wire from its rope tail during the mooring of a tanker due to the failure of a MANDAL shackle. Periodic checks did not prevent the incident. The Safety Management System procedures were lacking and did not identify the need to carry out the necessary checks on mooring equipment lines and fittings prior to mooring the vessel. The tanker was scheduled to berth at San Francisco, Martinez Shell Terminal. To position the vessel it was agreed to pass one forward spring and one after spring line as first lines. The vessel is equipped with mooring wires of 38mm diameter on drums and fitted with an 11 metre polyamide mooring tail. The wire and tail are joined together using a MANDAL Mooring link. At 0400 hours it was ascertained that the vessel was in position and both stations were asked to tighten the spring lines and secure. When the forward station was tightening its spring line to secure it reported that the mooring wire had separated from the rope tail. When the rope tail was retrieved it was observed that the mooring link had flared open. The roller and securing pin was missing and presumed lost to sea. Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 20:59 Tagged with: Mandal, shackle

Mooring Fatality: Flumar Brasil

Accident, Accident report, fatality, maritime safety news, mooring No Responses Jun 062011

Area A (red circle) Main Deck mooring station (STBD) 1 Accident Area (Location of victim red figure) 2 Stern Ring (Location of the double securing of the After Bow Spring line) 3 Forward Ring (Single securing of the After Bow Spring line). Source: Brazilian Maritime Authority Mooring lines are notoriously deadly. If someones standing the way when one snaps the chances of death or permanent injury are very high. Brazils report on the fatality of a deckhand aboard the MV Flumar Brasil on 27 September 2010 is fairly typical. As deckhand bent to make a figure-of-eight in the stern eye (Photo 02 Area A) he was hit by the after bow spring line which jumped off the mooring bitt . The impact on the forehead removed his helmet and threw him against a closed chock causing his death. Says the report: Investigations into the circumstances of casualties that have occurred have shown that accidents on board ships are in most cases caused by an insufficient knowledge of, or disregard for, the need to take precautions. It should be policy onboard that inexperienced personnel who are to be involved in mooring operations should be under the supervision and direction of an experienced seafarer, properly trained to follow the correct procedures, and both should be aware of who is undertaking that duty. So, despite mooring be a dangerous part of a vessels operation, it can be done safely when those involved are properly trained, supervised and follow the correct procedures. Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 19:15 Tagged with: Flumar Brasil

BOEMRE Reissues Alert 259 On Offshore Mooring After Chain-Link Failure

Accident report, mooring, mooring, Offshore, Safety Alerts No Responses May 302011

Investigation determined that a 6 34-inch diameter, 862-pound chain link in the tether chain had fractured and separated near its butt weld. In early 2011, a single point mooring system for a deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) project failed at the tether chain for a free-standing hybrid riser, allowing the buoyancy air can and the free-standing flowline riser to separate. The 440-ton buoyancy air can rose suddenly to the surface while the free standing riser collapsed. Based on the investigation of this event and a review of historical events, BOEMRE is revising and re-issuing Safety Alert #259.

The investigation determined that a 6 3/4-inch diameter, 862-pound chain link in the tether chain had fractured and separated near its butt weld. Analysis of the fracture indicated that the chain link had a weld repair and the fracture initiated in the middle of the weld. Three links of the 24link tether chain were found to have weld repairs. After the chain had been heat treated, the nonUS based manufacturer had made weld repairs to the chain by grinding defects and filling the void with weld material. The chain was being built in accordance with Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Offshore Mooring Chain standard. Post heat treat weld repairs are disallowed per DNVs Offshore Mooring Chain standard. The post heat treat weld repairs made the chain susceptible to hydrogen induced stress cracking due to the extreme hardness of the weld material and the residual stress within the weld. Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 17:40 Tagged with: BOEMRE, chain, Gulf of Mexico

Tamina: Mooring Injuries Potentially Fatal

Accident, Accident report, mooring No Responses Jan 272011

Tamina's winch Injuries during mooring operations are often horrific and too commonly fatal. The briefest moment of inattention, uncertainty or confusion can result in tragedy. In the case of an incident aboard m/v Tamina a second officers was spared because of the prompt action of crew and the proximity of an ambulance but he lost a leg. The Swedish Transport Agency report on the 7 July 2010 incident says: the bunker vessel Tamina departed from Dalans, Gothenburg. The destination was Masthuggskajen about 1.6 nautical miles away where the vessel berthed at the platform below the loading ramps for the high speed craft Stena Carisma. The crew of the vessel consisted of Master, Chief Officer, second officer and two able seamen. In addition to the regular crew members there were also two cadets on board. Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 17:47 Tagged with: mooring, Swedish Transport Agency, Tamina, transpor tstyrelsen

Karratha Spirit Fatality: A Problem of Procedures

Accident, Accident report, fatality, mooring 1 Response

Oct 222010

Discrepancies between procedures and shipboard practice may have contributed to the death of an integrated rating aboard the floating storage and offloading tanker Karratha Spirit while untying from a buoy off Dampier, Western Australia says Australias Transport Safety Bureau, AMSA. Concern is also raised that vagueness regarding precisely when such a vessel can be termed navigable means that there are times when a vessel falls outside the jurisdictions of Australias National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority and AMSA. Continue reading Posted by bobcouttie at 18:02 Tagged with: ATSB, floating storage and offloading tanker, FSO, Karratha, NOPSA, Teekay Older Entries

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