Advisory Note - Cargo operations offshore causing damage

Backup Cause & Consequence

Moving machinery or material being machined, Moving, flying or falling object, Moving vehicle or vessel, Contact with something fixed or stationary, Handling, lifting or carrying

Backup Contributing Factor

Change management, Communication, Complacency, Competence, Culture

Description of Process

No single incident has prompted the issue of this notice but rather a collection of incidents which have taken place during cargo operations offshore causing damage to vessels, the cargo and/or the offshore installations crane.

Description of Incident

Incident 1:

A CCU being back loaded from an installation impacted on a container already backloaded, the impact on the CCU caused it to then swing into a safe haven where it caught on the anti-snag bar and damaged the bar.

Incident 2:

A drill pipe backloaded from an installation swung inside a safe haven doorway, the lifting slings broke and the pipe fell overboard.

Incident 3:

A PSV without anti snag bars and no ‘tiger stripe’ highlighting the cargo rail tops, suffered several snagging incidents causing damage to the vessel, cargo and offshore crane.

As a result anti snag bars were fitted to all safe havens and the vessels top rails were highlighted.

There was then a significant reduction in snagging incidents involving the vessel.

All term contracted PSVs are required to have their cargo top rails marked to highlight potential cargo snagging areas which may be hidden from the crane operator’s view.

Good Practice Guidance

1 Vessel Masters should satisfy themselves that all potential cargo snagging areas on the cargo deck have cargo snag bars fitted. The anti snag bars should be regularly inspected to ensure they remain’ fit for purpose’. 2 Vessel Masters should satisfy themselves that the cargo top rails are sufficiently highlighted to ensure crane operators looking down from height can easily identify potential snagging areas. 3 Offshore crane operators should be made fully aware of the significance of the highlighted areas on the vessels top cargo rails and when/where possible avoid loading small CCU’s against these areas.