The safe passage between the ship and the shore is the only way for personnel to get on and off the ship, and casualties caused by improper setting of the ship-shore passage are not uncommon in the world every year. In this issue, combined with the common defects found by the maritime department in the on-site supervision and inspection of river ports in the jurisdiction, we will share with you the relevant requirements for the setting of ship-to-shore passages, aiming to promote the correct setting of ship-shore passages for the majority of crew members and friends, and effectively ensure the safety of personnel getting on and off ships.
Focus on
Common defects in the daily inspection of ship-to-shore passages at oil tanker oil terminals
Requirements for ship-to-shore access settings
legal liability
Relevant safety recommendations
Daily inspection of ship-to-shore passages at oil tanker oil terminals
Common defects
Case 1
Case 2
Case 3
Case 4
Among the common defects found by law enforcement officers in on-site inspections, the three defects that account for a relatively large proportion are:
- Safety nets are not in place or are not properly placed
- There is no lifebuoy near the ship-to-shore passage (the lifebuoy needs to be equipped with a floating lifeline and explosion-proof self-lighting lights)
- The rod is not continuous
In addition to this, common defects include:
- The angle of inclination of the gangway or gangplank ladder is too large (the horizontal inclination angle should not be greater than 30° when using the gangway ladder and the horizontal inclination angle should not be greater than 55° when using the gangway)
- Non-standard channel setting (fixed on one side/unstable/fixed at manifold)
- The passage is not set far away from the manifold and close to the living area
- The safety load and maximum inclination angle are not marked on both sides of the channel
- There are no safety signs or signs at the stairway entrance
Requirements for ship-to-shore access settings
1 Domestic standard: Safety Requirements for Oil Tankers Operating in Port (GB 18434-2022)
4 General Safety Requirements
4.11 Channel Settings
- 4.11.1 Any passage shall comply with the equipment construction and safety requirements for its use as a passageway, and shall be properly placed by the vessel or shore party, as the case may be; Personnel should use only designated safe access that is as close as possible to the crew living quarters and as far away from the manifold as possible.
- 4.11.2 All vessels, docks or shore gangways, stairs or towers shall meet the following requirements:
a) The stairway is clean and has continuous railings on both sides;
b) Adequate lighting and electrical insulation to eliminate conductivity between ship and shore;
c) For stairs that do not have automatic horizontal steps or treads, determine the maximum safe use incline.
- 4.11.3 In the event that a gangway or gangplank cannot be provided due to the actual constraints of berths or the nature of the ship's operation, the terminal shall provide an onshore gangway or other arrangement to ensure safe passage between the vessel/the shore. The gangway or straight ladder, whether provided by the ship or the shore party, should not exceed the safety load and safety angle of the ladder.
- 4.11.4 A properly fitted safety net shall be provided for non-fixed types of gangways or gangplanks, as well as for gangways or gangways with rope or chain railings or movable handrails, except if the gangways are fixed to the shore and have a permanent railing system made of structural components.
5. Safety requirements for loading and unloading operations
5.1 General Requirements
- 5.1.23 Gangways, whether provided at the dock or on the vessel, should be carried out as part of the ship/shore safety inspection and should be inspected regularly while the ship is at the berth.
- 5.1.24 The safe gangway or gangway between the shore and the ship shall be a straight and lightweight bridge section structure with side pillars and railings.
- 5.1.25 Except for the special boarding machine, the passage facilities between the ship and the shore shall be equipped with effective safety protection facilities. Frequently check and ensure that the safety protection facilities meet the requirements of the setting, and the lifebuoys with self-lighting floating lights and lifesaving ropes should be configured nearby, and there should be sufficient lighting near the facilities. Both boats and shores should be equipped with lifebuoys with lamps and ropes in their vicinity.
▲ Examples of safety net laying
2
International Standards: International Safety Guidelines for Tanker Oil Terminals, 6th Edition
- Refreshing passage
- There are insulated handrails on both sides
- Electrically insulated to eliminate conductivity between ship and shore
- Adequate lighting
- For gangways that do not have self-leveling treads or steps, the maximum safe operating angle should be indicated
- There should be lifebuoys with lights and ropes on both cargo ships and docks
- Marked with SML or maximum number of people
- The passage should be as close as possible to the crew living area and as far away from the header area as possible
- Where feasible, provide safe access/exit to living areas
- Access also provides an escape route and the location of any portable gangway should be carefully considered to ensure that it provides a safe access to any escape route from the pier
- The dock area that prevents the ramp of a cargo ship should be open, clearly marked, and access to the area should be kept clear
It can be seen that the domestic and international standards, the access requirements and design standards for ship-to-shore passages are very similar. In addition, the SOLAS Convention and related rules have also formulated relevant systems to ensure the safety of ship-to-shore passages, and the "Ship/Shore Safety and Pollution Prevention Checklist" for liquid cargo ships also lists "whether there is an effective safe passage between ships and shores, and whether emergency escape preparations have been made" as its first inspection content and repeated inspection items, and the importance of ship-to-shore passages is self-evident.
legal liability
1. Violation of the Terms
1. Article 7 of the Maritime Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China:
Units and individuals engaged in the navigation, berthing, operation and other activities related to maritime traffic of ships and offshore facilities shall comply with the laws, administrative regulations, rules, mandatory standards and technical specifications related to maritime traffic safety; They enjoy the right to access navigation support and rescue at sea in accordance with the law, and undertake the obligation to maintain the safety of maritime traffic and protect the marine ecological environment.
2. Paragraph 1 of Article 8 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Inland River Traffic Safety:
Ships and floating facilities shall be kept in a state suitable for safe navigation, berthing or engaging in relevant activities.
The stowage and fastening of ships and floating facilities shall comply with national safety technical specifications.
3. Safety requirements for ship-to-shore passages in the Safety Requirements for Oil Tankers Operating in Port (GB 18434-2022).
2. Basis for punishment
1. Article 108 of the Maritime Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China:
In any of the following circumstances, the maritime safety administration shall order the owner of the illegal ship to make corrections and impose a fine of not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 500,000 yuan on the owner, operator or manager of the illegal ship, and a fine of not less than 5,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan on the captain, responsible crew or other responsible personnel; If the circumstances are serious, it shall be ordered to stop operations or navigation, and the crew competency certificate of the captain and responsible crew shall be temporarily withheld for 6 months to 12 months, until the seafarer's competency certificate is revoked:
(C) in violation of the requirements of the relevant mandatory standards and safe operation procedures to engage in dangerous goods loading and unloading, barge operations.
2. Article 81 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Inland River Traffic Safety:
In violation of the provisions of these Regulations, if a ship does not comply with the rules of navigation, avoidance and signal display while navigating, berthing or operating on inland waterways, the maritime safety administration shall order it to make corrections and impose a fine of not less than 1,000 yuan but not more than 10,000 yuan; if the circumstances are serious, the responsible crew shall be punished by temporarily withholding the certificate of competency or other certificates of competency for 3 months to 6 months until the certificate of competency or other certificates of competency is revoked; Where a major inland river traffic accident is caused, criminal responsibility shall be pursued in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Law on the crime of causing traffic accidents or other crimes.
Relevant safety recommendations
One
Shipping companies, ships, and crew members should make full use of daily training and learning, especially pre-work meetings, etc., to strengthen safety education and training, and strictly follow the content requirements of the "Ship/Shore Safety Checklist" to inspect and fill in, do a good job in the layout of ship-shore passages, and conduct regular inspections to ensure that the passages are floating and at appropriate tilt angles.
Two
Use gangways or gangplanks that meet the requirements, regularly inspect and release and recover the passages according to the regulations, and correctly place safety nets to ensure that there are lifebuoys and other life-saving equipment near the gangway.
Three
Warning signs are set up around the passage, and boarding and disembarking are carried out under the duty of the duty personnel of Class A to maintain a good order of boarding and disembarking.
Four
Conditional oil depot terminals are recommended to be equipped with a permanent railing system made of structural components on the shore to fully ensure the safety of personnel getting on and off the ship.
Source: Guangdong Maritime
Picks:
Today's Notices and Warnings
Notice on soliciting opinions on the "Regulations on the Ship Routing System in the Shanghai Section of the Yangtze River (Draft for Comments)" and the "Regulations on the Safety Management of Navigation on the Shanghai Huangpu River (Draft for Comments)".
Notice on soliciting opinions on the "Ship Technical Specification System (2024)" (Draft for Comments).
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