CHIRP annual digest 2016 6th

CHIRP Annual Digest 2016
practice to use double clip-on harnesses, so there is
always one attached line when relocating the other (See
advice in Maritime FEEDBACK 39 page 5), then if worn
correctly there should be no possibility of falling into the
water.
The above article was published in MFB 40
Article. 09
Advisory Board Insight: A Step Away
from the ‘Snap-Back Zone’
The “Snap Back Zone” concept of a dangerous area of
whiplash from a parting mooring rope has been
enthusiastically embraced since its first mention. It is a
catchy phrase that without doubt says it all and was
immediately recognised by experienced seamen as a
worthy means of highlighting this great risk to our teams
and especially to younger seaman coming into the
industry. Arguably, mooring ships is the most dangerous
procedure seafarers do and this phrase captures just why
this is so.
However, those of us who enthusiastically embraced this
concept of risk now have cause for reflection: Snap back
zone injuries continue. We may embrace modern mooring
rope construction, design of systems, addition of tails and
every worthy means to engineer a technical solution to
provide enhanced safety. However experience tells us
mooring ropes will always part and the danger will always
be present. So, is the snap back zone concept working?
Particularly pertinent to our snap back zone dilemma has
been our belief from the outset that highlighting these
dangerous areas, by whatever means of painting lines,
cordoning off areas and embracing a “full song and dance
act” to raise the profile of the danger, may well have been
worthy but misguided. Those of us who went down the
painting lines route, well know the permutations of leads
from any winch drum for either side of the vessel, the
crossovers of each and the complexity of different port
requirements. This has meant that the painted lines rapidly
resemble a jumbled “Christmas tree” of warning areas.
Painted highlighting of hazards as a warning does have its
place: For example, the highlighted yellow/white painting
of tripping hazards on the deck, or snagging equipment
projections, which are especially important at night where
even good deck lighting does not fully overcome the visual
depth of field limitations of the human eye. However, for
snap back zones, highlighting potential danger areas has
actually encouraged over confidence that outside that area
will be safe. Clearly ANY location within the mooring area
MUST be treated as being in danger of a mooring rope snap
back. If line marking is to be of any benefit at all, it would
be a single line on the deck marking entry into a mooring
area in its totality. This would be both simple and effective.
If standing or working within the total mooring area, ANY
mooring line failure can and will kill you!
So how do we go forward from this? We need to presume
the danger to seamen of a mooring line failing under
tension will always exist and accept that a tensioned line
is always at risk of parting. The danger will never go away,
so where the person is standing when the inevitable occurs
must be the principal focus. In time, we continue to hope
that engineering, design and the progress of the lessons
learned will reduce the number of failures but we must
psychologically accept that very few positions within a
mooring area are comparatively safe.
Let us make a few key assumptions with which there may
be general agreement:
■ The manning level for any mooring tensioning
operation must be sufficient, with the operators
competent to execute the work. This is a challenge in
itself, especially in windy or tidal conditions, which
give rise to rapid tensioning of ropes. This assessment
of risk should be the subject of a bottom to top review
from seamen to ship owners and Flag State
Authorities. Minimum manning is just that and only
that and is often relevant on a good day only.
■ The winch operator is generally in the safest position,
providing he focuses on that job alone and does not
stray from that position from start to finish of the
tensioning operation. Design in recent years has seen
some improvements in this area, with winch controls
often not being in line with a mooring rope, with
vision often restricted by the machinery itself. Clearly
this is an advantage to avoiding the whiplash.
However, the person in charge must have a clear
vision of the winch operator.
■ The future design of mooring stations must pro -
actively aim to reduce ships crew’s exposure to risk.
■ Conduct effective briefings through interactive tool
box talks with the mooring party and ensure all know
the intent and plan in respect of that particular
mooring operation.
■ It is essential that there are proper agreed com -
munications between the officer, or person in charge,
the winch operator and any intermediate relay signaller
if required (this level of manning is a necessity) by
clearly visible hand signals or radio communications.
■ The officer, or person in charge, must at all times be
in a position such that he has line of sight to the
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