FACTS

1. Regular inspections of anchor handling equipment, including winches, cables, chains, and anchors, are crucial to identify any signs of wear, damage, or potential failures.
2. Conducting thorough risk assessments before anchor handling operations allows for the identification and mitigation of potential hazards.
3. Effective communication and coordination among crew members involved in anchor handling are vital to maintaining a safe working environment.
4. Wearing appropriate PPE, such as hard hats, safety goggles, gloves, and safety footwear, is essential to protect workers from potential hazards.
5. Regular refresher training helps reinforce safety practices and keeps workers informed of any new developments or procedures.
6. Anchor handling operations should be conducted with a focus on minimizing environmental impact.
7. Being prepared for emergencies is vital in anchor handling operations.
8. Regular safety audits, incident reporting and investigation, and feedback mechanisms help identify areas for improvement and drive a proactive safety culture.

STATS

• It has been found that anchor dragging is experienced in 40% of instances of anchoring under typhoon conditions. In such circumstances, it requires extra time and emergency procedure to handle anchor dragging and anchor weighing.
• By the type of works when the accidents occurred, the number of accidents during mooring and anchoring was 31 (32.6%), stevedoring 23 (24.2%), working inside tanks and holds 13 (13.7%) and engine rooms 5 (5.3%), showing that work categories of mooring, anchoring, stevedoring and working inside tanks and holds accounted for almost 70% of the total.