PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
MARINE SAFETY BULLETIN
03/2019
Mooring line and Mooring systems management
Issue date: 10 June 2019
Mooring line failures / parted mooring line incidents pose a significant risk to personnel,
infrastructure and operations. During the 2018 calendar year, a significant number of
mooring line incidents were reported in the Port of Port Hedland (the Port). These form
approximately 20% of all marine incidents in the Port. PPA has recently completed an
analysis of all mooring line incidents during the calendar year 2018 and makes the following
observations & recommendations:
1. The operating environment including possible contributing factors
a. Parting of a mooring line occurs when it is placed under extreme loads due to
environmental factors (large tidal range, strong winds, etc.), passing vessel
interactions, loading conditions (ballast vs fully laden, vessel’s trim), insufficient
monitoring and tending of mooring lines.
b. In certain instances, mooring lines have parted at loads well below their rated
minimum breaking load (MBL) and in the absence of any vessel interaction.
Contributing factors to the early failure of lines can be the age, material, quality and
condition of the line, conditions that it has been exposed to in use (abrasion, chafing,
sharp angles, shock loads), ambient and deck structure temperatures, as well as, at-
sea storage conditions.
2. Mooring line condition monitoring standards
a. A mooring line inspection and condition monitoring program should be implemented
by ship operators to check for wear and damage, and to apply a trained and
consistent approach in identifying early indications of a potential mooring line failure.
b. Development of mooring line monitoring procedure in port, to prevent incidents.
c. A mooring line policy which defines the intervals for end-for-end changes and
retirement of mooring lines. It has been noted that, there are many operators who do
not have such a policy in place and have been observed to change out mooring lines
only when the lines part.
3. Mooring winch and systems management
a. An important safety function of the mooring winch brake is it’s ability to render. This
allows the mooring line to release / render in case of excessive loads. Incorrect settings
for the rendering of winch brakes has often led to mooring line parting incidents.
b. The mooring winch brake rendering test should be carried out at intervals more
frequently than only once every five years. Preferably,
At least once a year,
After completion of any modifications or major maintenance such as but not
limited to, brake liner renewal, brake band adjustments etc
Where there is evidence of premature brake slippage or related malfunctions
Installation of new mooring lines
Telephone: +61-8-91739015 Email: [email protected] Page 1 of 2
PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
MARINE SAFETY BULLETIN
03/2019
Procedures for testing mooring winch brakes, including a risk assessment should be
made available on board and ship’s crews must be provided with sufficient training to
conduct the test safely.
c. Mooring winch brake rendering loads to be set in accordance with the
recommendations given in ISO Standard 3730:2012 and leading Industry publications
such as the OCIMF – Mooring Equipment Guidelines (4th edition).
d. Condition of mooring winches, fairleads, bollards must be regularly monitored to
identify any early warning signs of failure or damage.
4. Procurement of mooring lines
a. New mooring lines should be procured only from reputable suppliers who provide the
proper manufacturer’s certification. This would mitigate the risk of sub-standard
mooring lines being put in service, which result in mooring line incidents.
b. Size and strength of mooring lines should correspond to the EN number for the
vessel, assigned by the shipyard / Class at the time of new build. Over-size and Over-
strength mooring lines provide a risk to the mooring winch operation.
Operators and vessel crews are also reminded of good seamanship practice with regards to
mooring lines with appropriate guidance being available from the following reference
publications:
AMSA Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin, Issue 2 - September 2015
OCIMF – Mooring Equipment Guidelines (4th edition)
INTERTANKO – Guidance on Line Management Plans (LMP)
INTERTANKO – Guidance on Mooring System Management Plans (MSMP)
CL 2001-04 – Fibre rope inspection and retirement criteria
Any questions or feedback regarding this Marine Safety Bulletin should be addressed to the
Port Hedland Marine Operations Team.
Telephone: +61-8-91739015 Email: [email protected] Page 2 of 2
