200625 Unsafe viewing platforms

 

 

I am writing in an attempt to raise awareness of a very dangerous design. What you see on the photograph above is a multi-purpose, dry cargo vessel for short-sea trade. Steep hatch coamings have been standard designs for many years now and can be explained by the International Convention on Tonnage, 1969 (entry into force 1982) which governs how ports levy fees on ships.
Basically, by having a steep hatch and a relatively small depth from the keel to the main deck, tonnage is reduced but the cargo carrying capacity remains the same.
As you see from the picture, standing platforms have had to be jury-rigged for the purpose. They are unsafe since ships may, and do, roll in many ports due to the sea, the loads shipped on them and also to occasional hits by the cargo gear. This creates a risk of the cargo spotter falling unless there are adequate standing platforms available and in use.
This photograph records three ad hoc platforms, two for signallers and the other for the foreman. A fourth platform was on the other side, for use by a supervisor.
A signaller may spend up to six consecutive hours standing by a hatch and if he/she chooses to work overtime, this can well mean up to 12 hours standing on an unsafe platform. This is certainly, in sharp contrast to what international regulations state about the issue of safe access to ships.
We have tried to figure out how to cope with the inconvenience (other than that of falling overboard, which does not happen frequently) and problems such as tendonitis and other occupational accidents. However, a major difficulty is that no two hatch designs are the same unless they are fitted on sister ships, so it is difficult for the port to design safety devices to overcome this problem. It is not only the height of hatches that is the problem, the width of the crosssection and shape of the coaming top can cause equal problems.
A similar situation happens with access to cargo spaces on board some vessels. When shipping break-bulk cargo, the standard practice is to start loading fore and aft and this means blocking the ship's own access ladders with cargo within a few hours, after loading and stowing operations are commenced. It is at this point that the rigging of portable ladders is necessary, which is far less safe than using the ship’s fixed ladders
Some ships have portable platforms and others a few collapsible platforms along the hatch length. The problem with the latter is that our signallers and foremen could be exposed to the cargo gear in use so they may be located at a distance from a place where they can keep control of what is going on, both ashore and in the ship's cargo spaces. This means that they are safe but could compromise the safety of other workers in the hold, ship's crews as well as dockers.

Editor’s note: Readers are requested to suggest or submit examples of how such operations can be made safer.