Parting mooring lines: Crew error or equipment failure– expensive tragedies


The crack of a parting mooring line while maneuvering a ship to a berth is the sound of a deadly weapon, giving anyone in its path little or no time to escape. Major accidents involving mooring procedures can cause fatal or life-threatening injuries to seafarers, longshore workers, and anyone working on or near a ship. These claims are some of the most expensive injury cases handled by the Club, due to the severity of the injuries.


the experience to know how the lines would react to the tension as the vessel shifted and were unsuper- vised. Familiarity - through supervised experience - with mooring lines results in the crew making safe and effective decisions during mooring operations. Some rules for mooring personnel follow:


Linda Wright Claims executive


In 2011 a 24-year-old ordinary seaman was one of a five-member forward mooring team (Chief Officer, Bosun, a trainee, a cadet, and ordinary seaman) when their container ship was berthing. After the mooring lines had been secured ashore, the vessel was required to shift 10 meters astern. During this movement the headline parted under the tension and the ordinary seaman was struck on the head and neck. He died instantly.


Several factors could have prevented this fatality; mainly consistent inspection of lines and replace- ment of ageing lines. However there are a variety of other factors that offer further safety protection when mooring, when practised consistently.


In the above incident only the Chief Officer and the Bosun were experienced seafarers on the mooring team. The ordinary seaman, cadet and engine trainee were forward, while the Bosun handled the winch controls facing aft with the three inexperienced crew behind him. The Chief Officer was on the starboard observation platform with an obstructed view of the area on the port bow where the ordinary seaman stood. Therefore the only persons observing the bow lines’ movement and tautness were the three inexperienced crewmembers. They lacked


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• Avoid standing in bights or snap back zones • Safety meeting prior to mooring operations


• All inexperienced personnel should be under the direct supervision of experienced seafarers


• Crewmembers not involved in mooring operations should remain well away from mooring stations during berthing/departure


• Supervisors of mooring procedures are also involved in operations, so attention may be divided – stay aware, stay focused


• Consistent visual inspection of lines before, during, and after each use and before they are stowed


Proper maintenance of the mooring lines and equipment are of utmost importance and can prevent injuries and deaths. The line that parted in the example above had been inspected as required, but was cropped and spliced twice in excessively worn areas, when replacement would have been preferable.


Ship owners should keep records indicating when lines were bought, when put into service, and details of line inspections. Manufacturers’ pamphlets


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