SAFETY BAR ON HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED WATERTIGHT SLIDING DOORS BY JAN DE NUL

In accordance with Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS), vessels are equipped with hydraulically operated watertight sliding doors (WTSDs). To prevent persons being crushed between a moving watertight sliding door and the doorframe, Jan De Nul is installing a safety bar on the doorframe of its hydraulically operated WTSDs. The safety bar is activated by pressure and upon activation the door reopens. The system is also equipped with an alarm so the bridge is alerted when the safety bar has been activated.

The first vessel equipped with this safety feature is the Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Sanderus, Jan De Nul's fourth Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv). By installing the safety bar, Jan De Nul is going beyond the standards set by the International Marine Organization (IMO), in that an additional safety layer is provided to protect personnel on board. The feature can be implemented on all dredging vessels with similar doors facing similar hazards.

Due to the nature of its design, the system makes the watertight door intrinsically safe without having to rely on human factors. The basic design makes it easy to install, maintain, use and prevent misuse (for example, using the safety bar to open the door instead of using the door handle).

During vessel familiarisation, crew are informed about the specific function of the safety bar and the consequences when it is activated. Additional specific familiarisation for bridge officers to deal with an alarm upon activation of the safety bar is also provided. In addition, posters and signs that include the safety bar are to be posted at every doorframe. The maintenance programme of the watertight sliding door is to be amended to include the monthly testing of the safety bar.

The installation of the safety bar also implies a deviation from the standard operating modes described in SOLAS, namely "local control" and "central close". A third operating mode is introduced, "central close with safety bar activated". Approval of relevant Classification Societies and Flag State to obtain an equivalence for the safety bar is required.

USING MOBILE DAVIT TO TAKE SOIL SAMPLES FROM A HOPPER BY DEME

FÉCAMP PROJECT VR BY BOSKALIS

With a complex project involving a short offshore installation period and numerous modifications taking place on different vessels, Boskalis’ project team turned to VR technology. Early on in the project they decided to have operational models created in virtual reality (VR) of the new equipment and various locations involved. This way, safety critical operations were tested and discussed upfront during design reviews, HAZIDs and familiarisations, without the need to expose personnel to risks, such as working at height or possible delays to the project incurred during acceptance tests. The models were able to apply different weather states including daylight or actual current predictions and allowed movement as a pedestrian or operator across the models.

To reduce the exposure of personnel to new and potentially dangerous operations and environments, VR models can be created to test those in a safe setting. As in video games, the user can walk through models to check access, egress, work spaces and line of sight. This way the setup or placement of equipment can already be optimised during the planning phase. Stakeholders, including less familiar decision makers, can use VR models to better discuss operations, prevent misunderstandings and experience different scenarios at minimal cost and no operational risk.

The models (PC game or VR) integrated vessel, equipment, weather, current and location data into a total of five different safety critical environments. Stakeholders were able to immerse themselves into the same environment to view and feel what the actual situation would be like, e.g. the installation of new equipment at a height of 22-50 metres. Traffic management and operational setup were adapted based on the observations gained while using the site model. In addition, design improvements were applied to new equipment based on user experience and line of sight simulated.

Identifying safety critical operations early on and deciding which new or complex environments might benefit from the creation of a VR model helps stakeholders to acknowledge the risks involved. Shared experiences help common understanding and promote a proactive and inclusive review of operations. In case of incidents, existing models could be used to replicate the actual scenario and support investigations.

Once created and tested, the VR environment is very easy to use and feels like a video game. This supports the engagement of the personnel in the project environment and opens up the conversation about operations in the VR model versus reality. After models were created, they were also used for auxiliary products, such as a game for a school programme and derived inputs to project videos. The model can be downloaded and played on any PC or uploaded to a VR headset for an immersive VR experience.

LNG TRAINING BY VAN OORD

Van Oord’s new build trailing suction hopper dredgers Vox Ariane, Vox Apolonia and Vox Alexia are all powered by LNG. For Van Oord and for the dredging industry, LNG as a fuel is still relatively new, so it was and still is important to educate crew and the organisation of the overall design and in particular on the safety aspects and safe operations of the gas system.

Since the gas system consists of several different suppliers, no single supplier can provide a training that will cover the entire system. Therefore, a vessel specific LNG training was setup in-house to provide a comprehensive overview of the gas system, combining all aspects from different system suppliers into one. The goal, to better prepare the crew with the system specific knowledge for safe operations of the LNG fuel supply and how to conduct safe LNG bunkering operations.

The setup of a vessel specific LNG system training is meant to provide a good knowledge base for the (future) crew to operate the system and reduce the risks of safety incidents due to improper handling, unfamiliarity and/or other errors. The training is also intended to alleviate any doubt and scepticism that the crew might have towards the safety of the gas system.

For each group of new crew members joining the three vessels, the LNG training is given prior to actual operations. Training is refined to include new details and insights into practical operation of the gas system. With the LNG training already in use on all three vessels, LNG system project engineers or experienced ship crew can provide the training for new crew members. The classroom based training is followed by a walkthrough of the system along with a practice session in operating the system. In addition, the training slides are always available on board for quick reference by the crew.

After each training, the crew highlighted that they feel more comfortable and confident in operating the gas system safely. After more than one year of gas operations on the three vessels there has not been any near misses or accidents.

IMPROVED SAFETY DESIGN OF WATER BOX BY BOSKALIS

Boskalis has introduced new water boxes for sand fill areas, greatly improving the safety for its sand fill workers. The water boxes have been designed, calculated and constructed in such a way that the risk of implosion due to soil pressure is eliminated.

Using an adjustable platform on the outside of the water box, it is possible to remove or add planks to regulate the water level within the sand fill area. A feature that is highly appreciated by the workers as this way of working eliminates the risk of drowning and suffocation.

Durable construction can be used on different sand fill heights just by easily adding or disconnecting box sections to the bottom section. The design is basically a “plug and play” setup and can easily be transported to a work site where workers can receive instruction on how to handle the water box safely. Used in many projects around the world, this type of water box is currently being use on the Manila International Airport project.

MOORING ROPES WITH STRETCH AND SNAP BACK ARRESTOR (SBA) BY DEME

Statistics published by the European Harbour Masters committee indicates that 95% of personal injuries are caused by ropes and wires, and 60% of them happen during mooring operations.

Performing works on board dredging vessels involves regular usage of mooring ropes, which under tension always create the risk of snap back effect. Making personnel aware of the possible risks and designating snap back zones is a standard practice, but it does not take away the risk of snap back occurrence and consequently possible injuries, while eliminating the snap back effect reduces the threat of injuries completely.

DEME has conducted market research of various available mooring ropes and considered the pros and cons of each type. As a result, it has been concluded that although mooring rope with Dyneema fibres poses no snap back risk, it has disadvantage of not having sufficient working stretch. By contrast, standard mooring rope provides acceptable stretch, but produces snap back effect when it breaks.

With the appearance of a rope, held within the heart of a 12-strand mooring line, if the outer, load-bearing construction breaks, the SBA absorbs the snap-back forces, transforming them from a potentially deadly snap to a much safer slump.

The innovative design of this mooring line combines all the desired characteristics DEME was seeking: sufficient stretch and most importantly, no risk of snap back. In addition, this type of high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) mooring line weights 60% less than a traditional mooring rope and has lower dimensions meaning that it can not only be handled by one person, but it also requires less storage space on deck and on the winch.

The mooring rope, which has been lab tested and certified by DNV GL, not only offers major safety benefits by removing the risk of snap back effect, but also provides financial advantages. It reduces costs due to its prolonged life span (compared to the alternatives), which removes the need for frequent renewal.